Unit Naming Guide

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Having difficulties coming up with a good name for your unit? Look no further.

Note to region lords: If you're constructing a new recruitment center, this guide will also be helpful to you.

Basics

Any type of unit has one value for training, and two for equipment quality. Training can be raised, but equipment quality cannot. (For more information, see the Manual page about Units.)


Equipment Quality

Equipment quality sums up the overall effectiveness (and expensiveness) of the equipment, as well as the types of equipment involved. Low and high might be the difference between a simple wooden club or axe, and a tempered steel two-hander sword, for example. It might also be the difference between some simple leather or fur padding, and Maximilian Full Plate armor.

For more information, see the useful page about Weaponry.


Infantry (High EQ)

  • Hoplites
  • Men-at-Arms
  • Swordsmen
  • Pikemen
  • Billmen
  • Halberdiers
  • Longswordsmen
  • Broadswordsmen
  • Phalangists
  • Huscarls
  • Regulars

Infantry (Low EQ)

  • Footmen
  • Borderers
  • Axemen
  • Irregulars
  • Clubmen
  • Spearmen
  • Berserkers
  • Marauders
  • Macemen

Archers

  • Slingers
  • Fustibali
  • Dartmen
  • Shortbowmen
  • Stone Throwers
  • Bowmen
  • Crossbowmen
  • Arbalestiers
  • Longbowmen
  • Marksmen
  • Toxotae
  • Mourtatoi
  • Sagitarii

Mixed Infantry

  • Skirmishers
  • Peltasts
  • Velites
  • Axe Throwers
  • Legionaries
  • Thureophoroi

Cavalry

  • Horsemen
  • Knights
  • Riders
  • Cossacks
  • Men-at-Arms
  • Heavy Cavalry
  • Light Cavalry
  • Household Cavalry
  • Charioteers/Chariotry
  • Cataphracts/Cataphractoi
  • Mamluks
  • Rangers
  • Mounted Archers
  • Lancers
  • Jousters
  • Uhlans
  • Hussars
  • Companion Cavalry/Hetairoi
  • Equites
  • Chevaliers
  • Cuirassiers
  • Jinetes

Special Forces

  • Elites
  • Veterans
  • Sacred Band
  • Artillerymen
  • Siege Specialists
  • Engineers
  • Antesignani
  • Auxillia
  • Janissaries
  • Marines
  • Mounted Infantrymen
  • Naptha Throwers
  • Petardiers
  • Grenadiers
  • Trabanter Guard
  • Sappers


Training Quality

Similarly, training quality goes a long way to describing the unit. For example, a training level of 50 or above might describe a typical Briton's longbow skills after training most of his adult life. Anything below 35, on the other hand, might describe militia, a part-time fighter whose training is limited to tavern brawls and chopping off a pumpkin from a scarecrow every few months.

Noble Units, or men in a nobleman's retinue:

  • Hurscarls
  • Knights
  • Gendarmes
  • Men at Arms
  • Pronoiars
  • Archontopoulai
  • Scholari
  • Tartars
  • Ducal
  • Boyars
  • Druzhinas

Professional Units, usually drawn from middle classes and lesser nobility:

  • Ghulams (professional slaves)
  • Mamluks (professional slaves)
  • Janissaries (young soldier)
  • Guard(s)
  • Elite(s)
  • Legionnaires
  • Myrmidons
  • Veterans
  • Champions
  • Men-at-arms
  • Immortals
  • Doppelsöldner
  • Landsknechts
  • Merchant Militia
  • Senior Militia
  • Luchniki (Archer Axemen)
  • Drengjar
  • Epilektoi Hoplites (chosen hoplites)


Units with lesser training and conscripted men may be named:

  • Militia
  • Townsmen
  • Villagers
  • Soldiers
  • Warriors
  • Fighters
  • Mercenaries
  • Brawlers
  • levies
  • irregulars
  • watchmen
  • hastati
  • hunters
  • border guard
  • Extraordinarii
  • Guards
  • Garrison
  • Levy
  • Constables
  • Conscripts
  • Kerns

Tips

Some random tips to add roleplaying flavor to your unit names.

  • Avoid names that include l33tness. Please.
  • Avoid non-character symbols, like %, ^, ~ and brackets.
  • Capitalize Consistently (i.e, avoid "red Dragons of northhelm")
  • Look at the region where the troops you're recruiting come from. Think about what it'd be like to come from that region as a common soldier. Are you rural huntsmen with leather and furs, or cityfolk with mass-produced short swords and uniform green cape?
  • Look at mythology, especially beasts and monsters (i.e, Jarl's Chimera)
  • A prominent colour helps, and would be on your banner too (i.e Red Guards)
  • Words like "Vengeance," "Fury," "Wrath" work well (i.e Dragon Fury)
  • Words that describe the weapon used by your unit also work nicely: Arrows, Blades, (i.e Swords of Swatholm)
  • For the average egotistical noble knight, your own name is perfectly suited to your unit: (i.e Bob's Fighting Fury)
  • Particularly in the Far East, you'll be expected to RP your character's interactions with your unit; inventing a named Sergeant, Captain or Squire goes a long way.
  • Using the same name for the same kind of unit over and over is okay, though sometimes dull, since it establishes your unit's battlefield recognition - kind of like marketing, only with enemy soldiers running away from you when you're infamous. (Or laughing at you if you're not?)
  • Using Roman Numerals in the name of your unit. This works especially well when you use the same name over to establish a reputation for your unit or when you have a archaic-esque name (for example, Mulus Ambulat XVII)