Author's Note:
As you can see, I'm not exactly done with the technical primers, and the Galbadian Army has the potential to be the most interesting for me. See, technologically they seem to have some significant advances over us, but tactically they're at a place that I would describe as 'between the wars'. For example, they have machine guns but no tactical knowledge of how to deploy and defend against them.
I see the G-Army sitting in a period of their history where they are constantly experimenting with new ways to train and equip their soldiers, having to adapt their military mindset after a series of embarrassing and expensive disasters. The Second Sorceress War was technically won by the G-Army, but realistically they couldn't have had much of a nation left after it was done...
So essentially this makes them a post WWI power, with a whole host of new weapons and almost no knowledge of how to apply them.
Also, I might append this chapter later with an in-depth breakdown of the Gerogero that showed up in the last chapter, but that'll really depend on whether that interests anyone here. It might work better as 'gross zombie-dude who smells like cyanide' without having to put too much thought into it.
As always, thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Garden Historical Database Entry C/89:
The Tactical Evolution of the Galbadian Army in the wake of the Second Sorceress War:
In the immediate aftermath of the Lunar Cry that devastated Esther, the Galbadian Army should have been triumphant. As the dust cleared they were standing victorious over all the great powers of the world. Timber, Dollet and even mighty Esther had been laid low by the G-Army's experienced troops and decisive use of unusual tactics.
However, the continuous military actions were merely a smokescreen, and Galbadia was left in an incredibly precarious position even as their enemies lay broken at their feet. The raising and deployment of the Lunatic Pandora alone fatally overtaxed not only the army's logistical apparatus but also the financial apparatus of the entire Empire.
Compounding the nascent economic collapse was the fact that the Galbadian political class had been decimated by the rogue Sorceress Edea. After her brazen assassination of Vinzer Deling, the Sorceress embarked on a campaign of consolidation and military build-up that hadn't been seen since the closing days of the First Sorceress War.
After the Lunar Cry attack on Esther it was evident to all that the Galbadian economy was far too focused on its burgeoning military-industrial complex to function effectively in peacetime. With the unexpected cessation of hostilities, the lack of political leaders to step in and take control of the ailing state led to a financial crash.
Infrastructure across the nation began to decay as civil administrators were hurriedly cobbled together by surviving members of the cabinet. Deling City itself was subject to almost nightly brownouts for more than four months before order was restored.
Much of the blame for this can be laid squarely at the feet of Vinzer Deling himself, who had spent the last two decades of his autocratic rule consolidating as much power as possible among himself and his chosen allies. After his death, most of them were obvious targets for the Sorceress' purge.
The inflexibility of this system led to the wholesale collapse of the Galbadian Empire as it was known then. What remained was essentially a series of semi-feudal city-states tied together by taxation and the military. Said military was war-weary after the conflict, which naturally took a heavy toll not only on the soldiers themselves but their severely outdated equipment.
It is telling that some of the most effective counter-Galbadian operations of the war were undertaken by small SeeD teams rather than traditional military units. Individual soldiers were unable to go toe-to-toe with the highly trained mercenaries, and their armoured support units were too dependent on constant logistical support. This often left G-Army infantry fatally unsupported at crucial moments.
As a new parliament was formed, an emergency budget was drafted that called for a significant de-escalation of hostilities with their neighbours. The Galbadian negotiators were able to buy time and supplies with bi-lateral trade agreements which were often not weighted in their favour. Whatever the individual results of each agreement, Galbadia had bought enough time to rebuild, and began that task with gusto.
Using emergency powers granted by parliament, the new president Jotur Karan began buying up private assets and making them public utilities. While this was a tried-and-tested Galbadian tactic straight from the Vinzer Deling playbook, it seemed to bring much needed stability to the country. Money was extensively bled out of the gargantuan military budget and repurposed to build new infrastructure and revitalise the country's civilian economy.
This left the military itself in a difficult and precarious position. Under Deling's rule, they had an almost unlimited budget to push into any number of fanciful weapons programs. Now they were not just deprived of new research money, but many of their active assets were now too expensive to maintain.
This was most keenly felt in their Automated Platform projects, such as the promising but grossly over-budget X-ATM Walker Program and the SAM08G Bio-Mechanical Squad Support Platform. These machines (while not on the level of Estherian engineering standards) were deployed en-masse where possible and used to overwhelm enemy positions with weight of numbers. Under the new regime this tactic was no longer feasible. Galbadian commanders would now have to get by with simpler solutions and men who lacked the rigorous training of their forebears.
To that end the Ministry of Interior Defence embarked on a series of modernisation reforms designed to streamline the Galbadian military. They stipulated that this New Model Army should focus on cost-effective mechanised infantry divisions, use standardised weapons and armour and train for defensive warfare first and foremost.
Galbadian Infantry Weapons (Post Time-Compression):
The GA-9 'Carlisle' Rifle:
Traditionally Galbadian Infantrymen were trained to use two-handed swords as their primary weapon of choice. However, the average trooper was pointedly outmatched by any opponent with even rudimentary swordsmanship training, as fatally demonstrated in the disastrous 'Battle of the Gardens'.
Military commanders turned to Firearms training (a consistently undervalued discipline) to try and redress the balance. Guns were traditionally seen as too fiddly and ineffective against magical barriers to be a front-line weapon. However, with sufficiently powerful ammunition and adequate training they could be a fearsome weapon in the hands of a foot-soldier.
The problem was that most Galbadian firearm designs were universally known for their unreliability, often using cyclical magazines and complex recoil mechanisms that were prone to jamming in combat situations. The Galbadian National Arsenal was tasked with presenting a solution to these issues in a package that would be cheaper than earlier models.
A Timber-born engineer named Hannibal Carlisle looked to the weapons fielded by the now defunct Timber Army for inspiration. Most of the soldiers who fought against the G-Army were experienced huntsmen, and preferred simple, rugged rifles to the swords and lances popular with the G-Army at the time. He took several elements of those simple designs and combined them into a relatively rugged full-auto rifle with a simple 20-round box magazine that protruded from the left-hand side of the gun (offering a convenient hand-hold position for the trooper). These rifles were initially met with scepticism by the units they were given to, but after extended trials soldiers said they preferred the GA-9 for its light, compact size and the punishing barrage that was capable of bringing down an adult Grendel at close range.
Several variants were designed, the most iconic of which was the GA-9f, an even more compact version designed for use by Paratroopers, who ditched melee weaponry altogether in favour of this very effective 'room-sweeper'.
GA-13 'Nobleman' Pistol:
During the Second Sorceress War, G-Army officers used bulky wrist-mounted sub-machine guns to engage enemies, but often complained that the weapons were too difficult to aim and use comfortably. Wrist sprains and breaks were so common among users of these weapons that to this day a broken wrist is often referred to as an 'Officer's Cramp'.
The Galbadian National Arsenal repurposed the design by simply cutting away the wrist-mounting, taking the twin-barrelled gun inside and converting it into an effective (if bulky) machine pistol. The resulting weapon was a rapid-fire heavy pistol that could be used in cramped quarters effectively. Losing the heavy wrist and shoulder mountings made officers much more mobile and difficult to pick out on the battlefield, aiding their survivability (which was greatly appreciated even if they did miss the impressive shoulder pads).
While still a little unwieldy compared to a single-barrelled weapon, the Nobleman's excessively high rate of fire made it a popular weapon among officers and tank-crews. It also replaced the Navy's official service revolver, the aging RNP-46. Soon at least one Nobleman was strapped into the interior of every vehicle in the G-Army to fend off boarders. They were also used as holdout weapons by Paratrooper divisions, who found they could still operate the weapon from their flying platforms with some practice.
The greatest criticism levied against the Nobleman is that it lacks accuracy and tends to burn through ammunition very quickly. Even with two clips containing 15 rounds each, the gun can be emptied in a little under two seconds.
The original weapon was fully-automatic with a single trigger that connected to a complex twin-receiver, making the gun prone to jamming and difficult to maintain. Later variants gave the gun two triggers (one for each barrel) and even allowed for a semi-automatic receiver to be added to either the left or right barrel. Compared to the rugged, utilitarian GA-9 rifle the Nobleman is a finicky and complex gun.
However, when used by a skilled operator it became surprisingly versatile, allowing for excellent close-range firepower in a package small enough to be used inside a tank or other confined quarters. Many officers have taken to personally modifying and customising their Noblemans, leading to a rash of unsanctioned copies (of varying utility) making their way into G-Army stockpiles.
GIP-4 'Hills Bomb':
At the beginning of the Second Sorceress War, all Galbadian soldiers were required to undergo mandatory para-magical training, an expensive and lengthy process that greatly increased training costs for new troopers. Theoretically arming soldiers with a form of offensive weaponry that required no ammo or equipment was a potent force-multiplier. In practice however, most G-Army recruits lacked the skill necessary to utilise anything beyond the most basic magic spells.
A combat-junction specialist named Bertram Hills came up with a cost-effective solution. He worked with a demolitions specialist to create an explosive device that could be junctioned in the same way that personal weapons can be, essentially making a grenade that could be infused with a particular magical spell.
The device was fashioned around a high-explosive core attached to a stick with an internal ripcord at the base. Hills patented a technique of semi-automated junction magic that allowed for factories to create magically charged weapons in an industrial setting. He set up several production lines and cranked out thousands of bombs with different configurations.
A soldier traditionally carries 4 Hills Bombs attached to their waist, each one colour-coded to ensure the correct effect is used (lightning, ice, fire etc). This allows even magically talentless soldiers to essentially 'cast' high-level magical spells by tossing an elementally charged grenade at their enemies.
This was deemed a cheaper solution than maintaining an expensive and tactically questionable magical training program for low-level troopers, so military commanders were quick to pounce on the new technology. Interestingly one particular variety of the Hills Bomb has been enthusiastically accepted by Galbadian emergency services, who use a reduced-charge variant to fight fires by 'casting' high-level water spells through windows.
Hills' success led to the founding of the Hills Munitions Bureau, a state-sponsored skunkworks facility specialising in applied combat magic. He is currently working on ways to streamline his process far enough that it can be applied to shells, bullets and other munitions at a low enough cost to be practical.
The Hills Bomb is popular among rank-and-file troopers, who colloquially refer to it as 'The Gip'. Interestingly if a soldier is caught calling it a 'Jip' he is made to run laps around the barracks for hours on end until relieved.
Galbadian Infantry Equipment (Post Time-Compression):
The 'Icono-Scope' Infantry Helmet:
These helmets have been an omnipresent part of the Galbadian military since before the First Sorceress War, their iconic red eyes a symbol of the G-Army's dedication to technical innovation. These heavy helmets are designed to survive heavy-calibre bullets and even turn blows from Gunblades or other heavy melee weapons, and have greatly increased survivability among rank-and-file troopers.
The most interesting facet of this design are the four red 'eyes' that are actually camera feeds connected to two TV screens placed in front of the soldier's eyes. Each of these cameras provide a different function, and the soldier can switch between them at will by using a circular dial on the side of the helmet.
The 'north' camera is the so called 'clean feed', which is simply a standard televised feed showing the environment as it would normally look, the 'east' camera is a passive IR system that allows the soldier to perceive light in the infrared spectrum. When combined with a vehicle-mounted IR torch, G-Army troops can fight as effectively at night as they do during the daytime. The 'west' camera is a 'Tactical' feed which imposes a primitive heads-up display allowing soldiers to receive updated orders and objectives visually.
Officer variants make use of the 'south' lens for a TV camera set to record and transmit data back to HQ. This is a feature that is usually switched off by officers who wish to act in ways their superiors might be unable to condone. Most foot-soldiers are not equipped with this function, as it is an expensive addition to the helmet that commanders believe provides little in the way of useful data.
While in theory these helmets are chock-full of vitally useful features, they are exceptionally heavy compared to the protective gear of other armies, and ranged soldiers often ditch them altogether as they are detrimental to your aim. Two of the three cameras are off-centre, which makes trying to aim a ranged weapon with them incredibly difficult. Many speculate that this is the true reason behind Galbadia's reticence to adopt firearms more widely. Whatever the unit's problems, it has come a long way in more than 30 years of service. The first units required a 30lb 'portable' power-pack, and some of the oldest units in service today still use black and white TV screens. However, despite their flaws the helmets are known to be incredibly rugged, with many soldiers noting that they would be a head shorter without theirs.
BP161G 'Whisper' Radio-Response Kit:
After the destruction of Lunar Base and subsequent de-orbiting of Sorceress Adel's tomb, the world shifted in ways that would not be understood fully for some time. Where once broadcasting a signal more than a mile in any direction required an enormous transmitter paired with a significant power source, now the airwaves were unsettlingly quiet. With the silencing of Adel's radiological scream, the world was free to pursue a technology that had been pre-emptively aborted for almost twenty years.
The Galbadians adopted radio technology with an almost manic enthusiasm, finding new ways to utilise the technology on an almost daily basis. Perhaps the most impressive utilisation of this technology was the BP161G, a man-portable radio transceiver built to be everything a G-Army soldier needs in one (relatively) discrete package. Designed to be worn as a backpack by a soldier, the Whisper Kit consisted of a heavy-duty radio transceiver and a self-contained battery pack with a 72 hour charge.
The most common use of these packs is to coordinate the personal radios of soldiers, who can use it to transmit and receive data from anywhere in the Galbadian territories, and further afield if they have field bases or naval support within range. The rest of the squad are issued specially-tuned 'lunchbox' handheld radios that allow them to maintain contact not just with each other but with commanders and intelligence personnel hundreds of miles away from the battlefield. This is a huge boon for scouting and reconnaissance operations, who before now were reliant on hand-delivered reports or data transmitted via cable stations.
While the Whisper Kit is most commonly seen with Infantry units, it can also be used to remotely control other Galbadian technology. A new generation of cruise missiles have been designed with Whisper Kits instead of the primitive course computers that were prone to tampering at their cores. What automated combat platforms were available could be remotely operated (with a minor signal delay) by human pilots, allowing for greater tactical flexibility.
They are also an excellent morale-boosting tool among G-Army troopers, who can link them to commercially purchased portable TVs to watch their favourite TV shows anywhere in the world. This is not strictly allowed by the Army, but most officers are smart enough to turn a blind eye as long as discipline is maintained.
Automated Combat Platforms (Post Time-Compression):
GIM48B (Stationary Deterrence Project):
Galbadia's unmanned robotic units were drastically scaled back after the Second Sorceress War, with the decrepit GIM47N walker being aggressively retired. It was a resource-intensive yellow juggernaut that was too slow to react to modern opponents, armed only with steel 'fists' connected to shock-absorbers. Many G-Army units referred to them as 'Chunkies' as the placid yellow 'face' of the unit reminded them of a popular children's TV character known for his lumpy physique.
The units were outdated by the start of the war, and practically ignored in favour of the fast and agile GIM52A units by prudent commanders. However, with the G-Army's new focus on defence over aggression, they found a new use for these ancient clunkers.
They built concrete bunkers at key checkpoints throughout Galbadia, tore the arms and legs off of GIM47Ns and essentially buried them into the concrete structures. The IFF programs that allowed the unit to select targets were still perfectly viable, so they mounted heavy machine guns to the arm sockets of the unit and used them as automated checkpoint guards. With a steady supply of ammunition and the occasional looking over by an engineer, these units could serve in their new capacity for many years, freeing up human soldiers to be deployed to more important positions.
These simplistic turrets are able to detect friend from foe, but most commanders prefer to keep them turned off until needed, for fear of a catastrophic software failure turning a family automobile into a pre-cooked tin of processed civilian…
GIM52A and GIM52F:
The GIM52A was one of the most successful automated combat units of the Second Sorceress War, able to provide lightning-fast combat support to Infantry units across any terrain. They carried several powerful weapons systems and were capable of engaging targets at range or in melee. However, the true key to their success was the addition of a back-mounted turbine unit allowing the unit to 'skim' above the ground at incredibly high speeds. In practice this made GIM52As able to keep up with armoured columns and outpace enemy vehicles with little effort.
The GIM52A was used to great effect when the Lunatic Pandora passed over the city of Esthar. While many G-Army units struggled to navigate the labyrinthine passages and skyways, GIM52A units simply took flying leaps from one level of the city to another. This allowed them to act rapidly enough to counteract even the incredibly mobile Esther Peacemakers on their home turf. These hyper-mobile skirmishers were often the first unit on the ground in any fight, eventually being reinforced by other, slower units as time passed.
The only true drawback of the unit was the fact that beyond short 'jumps' the GIM52A could not be considered a true flying combat unit. G-Army commanders truly appreciated the potential of a weapons platform like this which could attack from above with the same ferocity as it did on the ground. The Paratrooper Corps were especially interested in a variant of this machine that could accompany and protect them while in transit to their targets, and provide heavy weapons support when they arrived.
To that end Galbadian engineers created the F-Variant, which switched out the existing turbine with a slightly miniaturized version of those mounted to Paratrooper gyro-platforms. This allowed the F-Variant to achieve true flight. The first units were less than optimal however, as all of their weapons systems and VI routines were designed to operate at ground level, and the first batch of F-Variants were unable to target ground units from above. After nearly two years of VI rewrites and some tinkering with missile loadouts and beam focusing-arrays, the GIM52F was officially adopted as an air superiority drone, coordinating with Paratrooper platforms to provide close air support to ground units as well as engage other air threats.
Given the nature of Paratrooper work, they were also designed to smash their way into buildings through windows and weak walls to provide fire-support to troopers in highly contested areas. All-in-all the GIM52F was a valuable asset to those teams that could get hold of them, but they were fairly rare in the new Galbadia, and had to be carefully rationed by commanders. The only saving grace is that existing GIM52A units could be retrofitted to F-status with a dedicated machine shop, so many older units were refitted as time went on.
Galbadian Military Vehicles (Post Time-Compression):
BOS49G 'Botfly' Gyro-Platform:
The Botfly was introduced to the G-Army two years before the Second Sorceress War, as a reconnaissance platform for scouts. They are a lightly armoured frame built around a turbine and a complex gyroscopic stabiliser. This unit is designed to take a human pilot and allow them to remain airborne for 8 hours before refuelling. While the unit was originally designed for solo reconnaissance work, General Fury Caraway saw hidden potential in these highly mobile platforms and put together a proposal for a new division of the army that would make heavy use of them.
General Caraway was generally distrustful of robotic support units, and preferred to use flesh-and-blood soldiers wherever he could. To that end he twinned the new Gyro-Platforms with a specially trained cadre of soldiers who would pilot them into battle. The concept was bold and aggressive, and recruits were often selected based on recklessness and bravery over raw technical skill. The idea was to use the new Paratrooper Corps to fly behind enemy lines and kill or incapacitate the key assets of the enemy, thus robbing them of their will to fight.
Paratroopers would search for likely points of ingress (windows, shallow walls etc) and anchor the Platform above them, rappelling down to blast a hole in their entry point. The idea was to have the Paratroopers strike so quickly and fiercely that it would throw the enemy into confusion and hopefully rob them of several key assets before they could properly entrench themselves.
The newly minted Paratroopers christened their platforms 'Botflies' and spent much of their spare time practicing with and maintaining these unique machines. They often engaged in amateur tinkering, to the point where no two Botflies were exactly alike (making them the bane of G-Army engineers assigned to their actual upkeep). The Paratroopers were the archetypal flyboys, preening and proud of their unique position and the technology that placed them (in their minds) above the rank-and-file troopers.
While Caraway's 'Lightning-War' doctrine was theoretically brilliant, it was largely untested in actual combat. The first major victory of the Paratrooper Corps was taken shortly after Caraway was placed under house arrest by the Sorceress Edea for his suspected part in her assassination attempt.
Galbadia Garden was famously taken in less than 6 hours due in no small part to a Paratrooper squadron who rappelled into the Headmaster's Office and demanded that Headmaster Martine called for a general surrender. Martine willingly conceded, compelling the SeeD trainees to throw down their weapons. The defending forces then either surrendered or melted away into the nearby forests, leaving the Garden free to be re-purposed as the Sorceress' base of operations.
After the events of Time Compression, the Paratroopers were re-organised and re-equipped with more modern weapons, as many felt unprotected in actual combat situations. Many made extensive use of the GA-13 Nobleman Pistol, which could be fired one handed by a sufficiently experienced user. The Botfly was upgraded with external handholds enabling three troopers to share a unit at once, with the other two soldiers often acting as gunners for the unarmoured pilot.
They made heavy use of GIM52F units to protect them from threats on the ground as they flew, and eventually they were seen as a crucial part of G-Army tactics. Rather than rolling over an enemy with weight of numbers, modern G-Army tactics use Caraway's 'Lightning-War' doctrine which calls for speedy attacks on all levels of the battlefield at once to keep an enemy off-balance.
The Paratrooper Corps have since become Galbadia's most prestigious and important special forces unit, undertaking extensive training to neutralise a whole variety of threats. The thing that no Galbadian wants to admit is that they are hoping the Paratrooper Corps will eventually be able to respond to the immense threat of a SeeD attack, something that the G-Army currently has no effective counter for.
One thing is for sure though, the BOS49G 'Botfly' is now one of the most important light vehicles in the Galbadian Military. Originally a somewhat throwaway design for taking pictures of enemy positions and scanning for enemy troop formations, it has quickly grown to be an invaluable combat armature that can always be found wherever the action is thickest.
BGM Series 'Ironclad' Heavy Tank:
The Ironclad is Galbadia's Main Battle Tank, an incredibly heavy bruiser of a vehicle that can survive missile attacks, enraged SeeDs and anything else the world cares to throw at it. The original prototype was famously recovered from the bombed-out ruins of a missile base before being restored to functionality to take part in the Occupation of Fisherman's Horizon, where it was abandoned by a group of SeeD infiltrators who had used it as an impromptu bunker to survive the base's destruction.
The armour plating of this incredibly tough beast is thick enough that no conventional weapon yet discovered can penetrate it effectively, and it has several impressive weapons systems to boot. The Ironclad is able to defend itself against any potential attacker and ensure that anyone who even looks at it funny is guaranteed to get a bloody nose.
If the vehicle has a weakness, it is the six exhaust tubes that vent the excessive heat from the engines and weapons systems. These tubes are as well armoured as the rest of the machine, but the complex internal mechanisms can fuse together and cause internal explosions if sufficiently jolted by external attacks. Later models focused on two larger exhaust tubes extending horizontally from the rear of the tank, but this was really just moving the problem slightly out of sight rather than actually fixing it. The truth is that a weapon as heavy and powerful as the BGM is always going to generate an excessive amount of waste heat, and any move to ameliorate this will inevitably result in either a visible weakness or a noticeable drop in power.
These problems aside, the BGM is still a nightmare for enemy infantry and armour, with a surprisingly nimble turning circle and a truly frightening amount of firepower this machine is not to be toyed with. SeeD forces have some limited experience fighting these steel beasts, and smart instructors sum up their advice for going up against one of these beasts succinctly: Don't.
That being said, the Ironclad lacks turreted weapons, and therefore must be facing its target to affect a hit. This allows smarter combatants to seek high ground to attack it. The ideal way to deal with these behemoths is to lead them into a specific area where you can plant explosives that will burst as the tank passes over them. The BGM uses four turbo-charged fans and an air-skirt to travel, so blowing up one or more of these fans will likely stop the tank altogether.
These vehicles are incredibly expensive to build and maintain, so the G-Army tends to hold them in reserve and only deploy them in crucial situations. This makes them a rare sight on the modern battlefield, as the odd monster attack doesn't really qualify.
A variant of the BGM 'Ironclad' is currently being designed that will replace all of the existing weapons systems in favour of a rotating turret capable of mounting several different modular kits, allowing the tank to specialise. However, development is slow going as funding for the project is sporadic, with many senators questioning the necessity of such a resource-heavy beast in peacetime.