Ironborn Lance

The largest professional mercenary—and indeed military—force of their day, the Ironborn defined Corsovian warfare during the late Regency Tribunal period. At the height of their influence, from the Second War of the Elf Princes until their official dissolution in 965 SA 5, they were considered the most effective professional soldiers in Corsovia. By the time of the Divine Inquisition against them, the Ironborn had been granted over a hundred castles throughout the entirety of Corsovia, so that the organization existed as a pseudo-kingdom scattered among other realms. To the Corsovian elite, their prices and influence were worth the cost due to the fearless and ruthless efficiency of the mercenaries.  

Development of the Lance Team

  Part of their success lies in their adaptability in warfare, most exemplified by the development of the Lance unit. The lance was thought to find its origins within two types of unit formations. Most directly, given the organization's own account of their origins, the formation of the lance team was influenced by the guerilla groups of elvish rebels during the War of the Iron Dragon. But there is another influence on the origin of the lance team: adventurers. Such people have always traditionally formed mixed units able to operate with relative flexibility as compared with traditional militaries due to their diverse tactics and backgrounds, and their small size enabled reduced reliance on logistics in their operations.  

Unit Composition

The Lance teams varied in their exact composition, but numbered no more than a dozen, and typically included a 2-1-1 ratio of archers, infantry, and spellcasters. These lances came to form the core of Ironborn warfare for much of the company's early decades, supplemented in the last two centuries by cavalry and a dedicated Corps of Magi, but the lance was always the core of the Ironborn military operation. Thanks to its versatility, the Ironborn was able to efficiently reassign troops to a variety different deployments and duties apart from battle lines, including sabotage, assassinations, and reconnaissance.