#9 Famous Western Squads

Morale notation convention: in this file, "squad Cohesion ±N" / "Cohesion ±N" / "morale ±N" all follow the 00-05 §12 mapping — core alone = squad Cohesion, 1st-expansion campaign = domain morale, using the 30-03 variant = this expansion's morale. The body uses the unified notation "squad Cohesion."

#§ Law — 9 Squads

#25-05-01. Swiss Pikemen (Swiss Pikemen) — Alpine mercenaries

Grade: Veteran-grade / Wounds 3 / Defense 13 / Equipment: 5m pike

Unique Aptitude [Square Formation]: when 4+ squad members are adjacent, automatically neutralize a mounted enemy's charge.
Unique Tactic [Pike Breakthrough]: [Tactic:stance] Energy 4. Squad scope. Squad Defense +4 · counterattack +2. 1 combat.

Hire:

Nanban (Swiss) origin or an 11-04 pike-square school license
mercenary dealing (funds first)

Cost: core Veteran-grade × 3× (mercenary rate)
Loyalty: stipend first (irrelevant to any cause)

#25-05-02. Landsknecht (Landsknecht) — the flamboyant mercenaries of the Holy Roman Empire

Grade: Minion-grade / Wounds 1 / Defense 11 / Equipment: pike/two-handed greatsword

Unique Aptitude [Weapon Swap]: 1 combat 1 time, swap pike → greatsword for free.
Unique Tactic [Zweihänder Charge]: [Kata] Energy 4. after greatsword swap + 1 combat 1 time + on Critical Hit = 3 limiting conditions (attack +5 is the core cap, complies with 00-05 §10 Attack-Bonus Limiting-Condition Balance). Attack +5 · Defense -2. 1 combat.

Hire:

Nanban (German) origin or an 11-05 Landsknecht school license

Cost: core Minion-grade × 3× (mercenary)
Loyalty: stipend + honor. Immediate departure upon dishonor.

#25-05-03. Jesuit Expedition (Jesuit Expedition) — a Catholic missionary/diplomatic squad

Grade: Minion-grade / Wounds 1 / Defense 10 / Equipment: cross/books/a few swords

Unique Aptitude [Authority of Faith]: Diplomacy/Negotiation/proselytizing check +3.
Unique Tactic [Exorcism Rite]: [Kata] Energy 5. 1 session. Forcibly banish 1 yoma (+2 when used by a Catholic-Faith PC).

Hire:

Nanban (European) origin or Catholic Faith
a 19-02-01 Catholic exorcism school is recommended

Cost: core Minion-grade × 2×
Loyalty: the mission of Catholic Faith

#25-05-04. Black Knights (Black Knights) — a fictional medieval knightly order

Grade: Elite-grade / Wounds 4 / Defense 14 / Equipment: black armor/greatsword/mounted

Unique Aptitude [Intimidation of Black]: enemy squad Cohesion -1 · Intimidation +2.
Unique Tactic [Order Charge]: [Tactic:stance] Energy 5. Squad scope. Mounted charge + squad attack +4 · Defense +2. 1 combat.

Hire:

"Black Knight" renown or ties with a house
mounted/heavy-armor supply

Cost: core Elite-grade × 3×
Loyalty: the honor of chivalry. Departure upon abusing the weak.

#25-05-05. Sherwood Archers (Sherwood Archers) — fictional English outlaw archers

Grade: Minion-grade / Wounds 1 / Defense 10 / Equipment: English longbow

Unique Aptitude [Orthodoxy of the Forest]: forest only. Scouting/concealment/Archery +3.
Unique Tactic [Arrow Rain]: [Tactic:stance] Energy 4. Squad scope. 1 shot each at every enemy in the same zone. Squad Energy -2.

Hire:

affinity with outlaw/anti-establishment PCs ("Hero of the Commoner" renown recommended)
a 12-04 English-longbow school affinity

Cost: core Minion-grade × 1.5× (anti-establishment affinity)
Loyalty: the mission of justice. Departure upon collaborating with tyranny.

#25-05-06. Viking Berserker (Berserker) — a Norse berserker squad

Grade: Minion-grade / Wounds 1 / Defense 10 / Equipment: double-bladed axe/shield

Unique Aptitude [Berserker Rite]: after the rite, for 1 combat, attack +3 · Defense -2.
Unique Tactic [Ragnarok Charge]: [Tactic:stance] Energy 5. after the berserker rite + 1 combat + while maintaining the berserker stance (released when a PC applies exhaustion) = 3 limiting conditions (attack +5 is the core cap, complies with 00-05 §10 Attack-Bonus Limiting-Condition Balance). The whole squad, for 1 combat, attack +5 · exhaustion immunity.

Hire:

Norse origin or foreign Adaptation (northern)
berserker-ideology alignment

Cost: core Minion-grade × 2×
Loyalty: the ideology of war. Departure in peacetime.

#25-05-07. Remnants of the Roman 10th Legion (Roman X Legion) — fictional · era-transcending

Grade: Veteran-grade / Wounds 3 / Defense 13 / Equipment: gladius/pilum/scutum/heavy armor

Unique Aptitude [Formation (Testudo)]: form a squad-scope formation. Firearm/bow/spear damage -2.
Unique Tactic [Roman Formation Charge]: [Tactic:stance] Energy 4. Squad scope. Formation + charge. Force the enemy squad to retreat. 1 combat.

Hire:

fictional-media / era-transcending campaign only
"Heir of Rome" renown or study of Latin

Cost: core Veteran-grade × 3×
Loyalty: Roman ideology (order · tradition)

#25-05-08. Dutch Volley (Dutch Volley) — the late 16th-century army of Maurits

Source: Maurits van Nassau — Dutch military reform
Era: late 16th century (established in 1594)
Cultural Sphere: the Netherlands

Grade: Veteran-grade / Wounds 3 / Defense 11 / Equipment: matchlock/musket

Unique Aptitude [Countermarch Fire]: deploy the squad in 3 ranks. Every round, 1 rank volleys.
Unique Tactic [Maurits Formation]: [Tactic:stance] Energy 5. Squad scope. For 5 rounds, volley every round (5 times total). 1 combat.

Hire:

Nanban (Dutch) origin or a 12-05 Dutch gun-drill school license
firearm/gunpowder supply

Cost: core Veteran-grade × 3×
Loyalty: military discipline + stipend

#25-05-09. Crusader Knights (Crusader Knights) — fictional medieval

Source: Teutonic/Hospitaller/Templar knightly orders
Era: 12~13 centuries (surviving after the fall of Acre in 1291)
Cultural Sphere: European Catholic

Grade: Veteran-grade / Wounds 3 / Defense 14 / Equipment: sword/shield/heavy armor

Unique Aptitude [Resolve of Faith]: with a religious motive, squad Cohesion +2 · Fear immunity.
Unique Tactic [Strike in God's Name]: [Kata] Energy 5. Against a religious enemy (yoma · majin). Attack +4 · instant-death check. 1 combat.

Hire:

Catholic Faith + "Child of the Cross" renown
religious-mission alignment

Cost: core Veteran-grade × 2.5×
Loyalty: Catholic Faith. Immediate departure upon heresy.

#§ Design Perspective

Distribution of 9 squads: Elite-grade 1 (Black Knights) + Veteran-grade 4 + Minion-grade 4.
Era diversity: medieval knightly orders · early-modern mercenaries · fictional media (Rome · Viking · Sherwood).
School linkage: 11-04 · 05 · 12-04 · 05 · 19-02-01, etc.

"A thousand banners split into a thousand ideologies. Yet all saw the same death."