The Imperial Legions

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Army​

The Army is broken down into legions for deployment. One of the things that makes the Imperial Army so effective in combat is the versatility of these legions to deal with different kinds of terrain and enemy. Although different legions may have varying expertise in certain areas, every legion will carry reconnaissance platoons, speeder bike platoons, heavy weapons squads, sharpshooters, demolitions, medics, engineers, and not to mention a wide range of supporting artillery. Some legions also specialize in different kinds of deployment (some are deployed completely within the fleets as marine troops, others are mechanized or armoured legions, with military vehicles as their main focus.

In the standing army there are 500 legions ready for deployment in combat, consisting of 8,750,000 personnel, with a huge amount (literally millions more) of trained reserve personnel who could be called up if they are required.

More information is available below:

An Imperial Legion
Ranks of the Imperial Army

 

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An Imperial Legion​

A Legion consists of three battalions. Each legion is commanded by a Colonel and has a small HQ, including an Executive Officer, in this case usually a Captain, the senior NCO of the Legion (the Legionary Sergeant Major) and a few other logistical personnel. A legion consists of about 16, 070 soldiers. However, along with all the support personnel required for deployment, logistics, maintenance and reserve troops, a legion actually numbers around 17,500 personnel.

Battalion
A battalion is a unit of ten cohorts. Battalion HQ is the CO (a Lieutenant Colonel), the XO (usually a Captain), a senior NCO (the Battalion Sergeant Major), along with a few other logistical personnel. A battalion will usually number 5,355 soldiers.

Cohort
A cohort consists of three companies, along with a further two platoons (taking the platoon count of the cohort to 20), although these extra two platoons are under the direct command of the Cohort HQ. The HQ consists of the CO (a Major), the XO (a Captain) and a senior NCO (the Cohort Sergeant Major). A cohort will number, usually, 535 soldiers.

Company
A company consists of six platoons and is commanded by a Captain. His HQ will usually include an XO of Lieutenant rank, a senior NCO (a Staff Sergeant or Sergeant Major, depending upon the Company in question) and a the Company’s Quarter Master Sergeant (of Staff Sergeant rank). Typically a Company will consist of 160 soldiers.

Platoon
A platoon consists of three squads, commanded by a Lieutenant, with a Sergeant as the second in command and senior NCO of the platoon. A platoon typically consists of 26 soldiers.

Squad
Although not the smallest breakdown, this is the smallest unit within the Imperial Army. It is commanded by a Corporal, with the second in command being a Lance Corporal. Numbering 8 soldiers in total, in the field the squad can often be broken down into two teams of four (one commanded by the Corporal, the other by the Lance Corporal). The other 6 in the squad are ranked as Private soldiers. Squad to squad, specialization can change, although the bulk are riflemen, several squads within a legion will have special personnel capable of utilizing different weapons to great effectiveness.

 

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Ranks of the Imperial Army​

General
An honourific rank given to the most distinguished members of the army. A general will hold command over their own brigade, which can be anything from one to fifty legions.

Lieutenant General
A general’s executive officer for his brigade. Again this rank is only given to the most deserving of the officers.

Colonel
A colonel commands a legion. Not every career officer will reach this rank and they are shrewd, experienced and intelligent commanders in the field. A Colonel is responsible for around 17,500 troops.

Lieutenant Colonel
This rank commands a battalion of troops. Not every soldier will be promoted to this level of command, and as such this position is held by experienced, talented commanders. The best of them go on to command legions as colonels. A Lieutenant Colonel is responsible for around 5,355 troops.

Major
A major commands a cohort of troops. This is the highest rank the average soldier can expect to reach in their career. Reaching this rank requires years of service, dedication and competence. Particularly successful Majors may be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. A Major is responsible for around 535 troops.

Captain
A Captain typically commands a Company of troops, but can occasionally be tasked to operate as the Executive Officers of Cohorts, Battalions or even entire Legions. Captains in this role are often the very best of their generation and are being groomed for greater command. The average Captain can expect promotion to Major after a period of service on the front lines with his company. He will typically be responsible for around 160 troops.

Lieutenant
This is the first stepping stone within an officer’s career. Holding this rank he will command a platoon, or serve as the executive officer of a company. Most Lieutenants will experience both across their service, before being promoted to Captain with a wider range of experience than having done just one or the other. As a platoon commander, the Lieutenant will be responsible for 25 soldiers.

Enlisted Ranks

Sergeant Major
A Sergeant Major is the senior NCO of a unit. A standard Sergeant Major will be the senior NCO of a company. The role of Sergeant Major is theoretically one of support and is reached after a long service, by a career soldier. Particularly decorated Sergeant Majors will serve in the HQs of larger units, as Cohort, Battalion or even Legionary Sergeant Majors, but these are in the minority of soldiers.

Staff Sergeant
These can serve as the senior NCOs of Companies, and as Quartermasters, and in other support roles across the Legion. Technically, like the Sergeant Major, they are not strictly speaking combat personnel and as such are ranks reserved for elder, command minded, career soldiers.

Sergeant
A Sergeant is the senior NCO of a platoon and will see frontline action for most of his deployment. Working with his CO, a Lieutenant, he will lead troops in battle and be a voice of experience and calm on the field.

Corporal
This is the lowest position of unit leadership within the armed forces. A Corporal commands a squad of eight soldiers in the front lines. He is the most experienced member of the squad and will have served as a Lance Corporal and Private before attaining this position.

Lance Corporal
This rank is given to the second in command of a squad, and on occasion a Lance Corporal will be solely responsible for his team of four within that squad. This is the first rank one can be promoted to in the army and is given after length of service and experience, rather than exemplary performance.

Private
This is the enlisted title given to every soldier when they first begin their service or sign up to the forces. They make up the bulk of the fighting troops and gain their experience on the front lines . They are well trained, well equipped and competent soldiers. They are led by the Empire’s finest, all the way to the top of the chain of command.