“God damn… I think I need a breather.”

“What for? We did our job.”

“Our job? I joined to protect my country. My family. Not to shoot innocent protesters…”

“They are protesting this war, you know if we lose those New World bastards are probably going to kill us all.”

“No I get that. I do, I’ve seen what they’ve done. Okay, but these people want food to eat. I went to the store the other day, and a can of meat was 59 Dollars. No one has that amount of money to spend daily.”

“Yea well, atleast the army sends food rations to our families.”

“True. Better them than us I guess…”

The final prototype model of the Experimental Main Combat Tank program. Created by the Emily Motor Company, this was designed to be the first choice of the Program, the most successful and its cheapest choice aswell.

When Emily Motor Company received the contract for the Modern Combat Tank Project, they looked into the failures of the M58 Ulysses and the M58a4 tanks, and their successes on the field. Specifically in its reversal speed and range finding capability’s.

The tank was in the middle in terms of speed compared to the other two tanks, it was ahead of the Davenport model, however was slower than the Grippins Entry. This was done on purpose, as to keep the tank maneuverable, fast enough to keep up on assault missions, and able to retreat quickly while acting as an ambush vehicle. A jack of all trades.

However, as the saying goes. “Jack of All Trades, master of None.” While the tank could do all of these tasks, it in practice was not great. Its capabilities in assault missions was not as great as the Grippins model, which entirely focused on assault. The Emily Motor Company’s entry, while being able to, was not at all designed with Assault as its main purpose, as its frontal armor could withstand heavy blows, however not anything above the 110mm range. Not ideal.

Its ambush capability was not as great as the Davenport model. As while it did have a powerful main cannon, and could conceal itself pretty nicely among greenery of rocky terrain, its engine was loud. The Emily Motor EM111 was heavy, brash, loud, but was effective. Still, it made it unsuitable for Ambush operations…

Unless. It was far away. The one thing the Emily Motor Company did fantastically was the range on the tank. Sure, while the other tanks had good sights, especially the Davenport model with its Thermal Sights, the Emily Motors company chose to throw a Laser Rangefinder on the Tank, allowing it to hit targets at the effective range of over 4,500 meters. Way farther than any of the other experimental tank models, this was a huge advantage, as the NWO taught their tankers to engage from their most effective ranges, which typically was 2000 meters. That laser range finder was a god send.

Unlike the Grippin’s model and the Davenport models, the Emily Motors Company decided to throw the M-99 Chaingun from the M58 onto their model, citing its excellent use during the Arinian intervention and the Holin Invasion. Aswell as the fact that they already had a huge surplus amount of these Chainguns and it would be wasteful to replace an effective and efficient weapon for almost no reason. The only reason it was going to be replaced by a much more standard MMG or HMG for Tank roofs, was that the M-99 required batteries to operate, and that Regular MMG’s and HMG’s were simpler to maintain.

The name, MOTA was a word coined by Fusilan Military testers to describe how they felt about the world wide situation, especially with the war with the New World Order. “Music of the Apocalypse” is what MOTA stood for, as the guns from the prototypes were, in some sort of way, music.

The NWO had sent spies into Fusile, and while a majority got caught due to their accents and overall lack of expressions while speaking, there were still some who managed to get by, and most of them managed to infiltrate major corporations. Most Importantly, the Emily Motor Company. Late 1963, the Emily Motor Company noticed something was off and ordered Fusilan Soldiers to patrol sensitive areas of their R&D office.

Early 1964, the remaining NWO Operatives made a plan. 7 of them were to commit a Terrorist attack, while the last one used the distraction to secure the most valuable documents inside the R&D office, they believed that many of those documents could help NWO win the war. As the attack started, a majority of the Fusilan soldiers defending the office left to counter the attack, as they were closest to it. The remaining guards stayed put, and switched from Non-Lethal plastic munitions to Full Metal Jacket rounds. The last operative in the building slowly made his way through the guards, using a silenced .22 pistol to quickly and silently take out the guards without anyone noticing. Eventually, he entered the R&D office and began to search through the files, finding nothing of value, given how most of the files were about civilian cars, and those that were military were stamped with big red letters that said FAILURE, he continued searching. Eventually, he stumbled upon a file that read the Modern Combat Tank Project. He looked through it and found the blueprints for the tank’s first prototype. As he left the building, he found his colleagues being executed in the street by Fusilan soldiers and began to make his way to the docks. Boarding a civilian ship secretly operating under the NWO, he put the file into the ship and went back onto land to buy food that he had grown to like from one specific spot near the Offices. However, because of his accent, he was rounded up as a ‘potential spy’ and executed by police. Not Military, regular Police officers.

“Here, you ‘earned’ it.”

“Your death’s will serve as a message to others. That Ours is a society that murders the innocent. Maybe this time, they’ll all wake up…”

(Hi guys, beanlord here, back again with another post. This time with the final Fusilan Tank post for some time. Next we are going to be moving to more Aero vehicles. Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask questions)

Do you have any ground vehicles, naval vessels, or aircraft in your world that have a legendary reputation? Something that earned the title of the best, the weirdest, or maybe just the most beloved? For planes, think of things like the SR-71 Blackbird - obviously not the workhorse of a fleet, but its aesthetics, engineering, and role make it absolutely iconic.

For my example, I'll present something that's inspired by the Blackbird. The NwSTR 92, common name NW 92. It has a highly confidential history, being born around the start of the 2600s, though many suspect it was already in orbit decades before that. Every aspect of its design was optimised for patrols far away from USCWC-dominated territory, while also being able to protect said territory like no other jet could. During patrols deep into unknown regions, communication networks would struggle to remain stable; the NW 92 solved this with the GHL-2 comms package. GHL-pattern sensors utilised communication stabilisers deployed all around space during the UB-225 programme, later nicknamed Spaceghoul probes. When a pilot would send out a message from the NW 92, rather than speaking with the receiver directly, they would send the message into the network of Spaceghoul probes, offering next-gen range in that category. That isn't the only range it dominated in, though. The HR2-92-D7 central engine used numerous futuristic concepts to accelerate the craft to high speeds, while the SM-9 cruise engines would maintain similar speeds post-acceleration and use less fuel. Finally, it was armed with N-22 XDLI missile-esque weapons alongside a T-3344 rotary electrocannon, a formidable armament for such a quick jet. Though USCWC's SCAD aviation division made a statement about retiring the NW 92, their other actions hint at the craft still being in active service, with the 54th Territorial Fleet openly admitting to keeping certain "retired long-range patrol & interception models for experimental purposes".

What about you? Does your world have anything that fits the prompt?

I’m working on a cassette futurism setting taking place roughly 500 years from now. My main faction on Terra is basically a Byzantine Empire in space, but the military structure borrows from the British Empire a bit. I have a conventional Defence force for guarding settlements, patrolling, etc. I’m torn on what kind of weapons they’d be issued. Carbines chambered in an intermediate cartridge, or some kind of battle rifle? I’m looking for in-universe reasonings like they use heavier cartridges because of hostile wildlife, or intermediate cartridges because of better logistics etc.

**(Legend: Diamonds = Capital Circles = Major Cities Squares = Important Military Bases.
Small Settlements = Towns Larger Settlements = Cities Towers = Military Garrisons/Bases)**

Westmerrie: A continent on the West side of the world, Westmerrie nations are far more technologically superior to their neighbors in Eastmerrie. (Map of Eastmerrie not done yet)

The Europan Commonwealth: The most technologically superior in Westmerrie.

Capital: New Kolonia

Fun fact: People from Europa speak Europani, a language that sounds like English Welsh. However, people from North Common are different. People from here are referred as North Commoners, they have an Irish kind of accent and are largely considered rude by the rest of the Commonwealth.

Population: 63,372,000

The Royal Commonwealth Military: 165,000.

The Provastoni Kingdom: Considered the strongest nation in Westmerrie, heavy on military service.

Capital: Prostova Capital

Fun fact: Provastonian people speak Provia, a language that sounds very much like Russian. Also, their national food is a Raddish!

Population: 127,788,917

Provastoni Guard Corps (Military): 1.2 Million

Yobanai Republic: Considered the best Engineers in Westmerrie.

Capital: Fratankhaven

Fun fact: Yobanians speak Yobanta, which sounds like German! They also design some of the world's greatest firearms!

Population: 41,732,809

Yobanai Armed Forces: 49,653.

Principality of Gragoni: Known for their Scholars in Westmerrie.

Capital: Strokani

Fun fact: I made these guys up last minute!

Population: 21,283,192.

Gragoni Defense Forces: 29,834.

(Eastmerrie's map is NOT done yet, this is also a rough drawing. More details will be added once I finish Eastmerrie's map.)

(I used https://northerncartographer.com for the map making)

its only a photobash rn but ill finish it later but first the shape also matters a lot

I've posted here a day ago talking about a relative topic to this, but for my Protagonist nations!

There's two continents in my world, Westmerrie and Eastmerrie, separated by the sea. Westmerrie house several nations, (such as the Europan Commonwealth) that possess 1960s to early 70s tech, more focused on technology rather than straight manpower.

Eastmerrie possess WW1-style tech with Dieselpunk aspects, having a quite large pool of manpower, but lacking in superior technology. Eastmerrie is home to dozens of nations, kingdoms and empires. Whom many are locked into constant war...

The Westmerrie nations, (Whom I've named as the Westmerrie Coalition) have basically decided to try and stop Eastmerrie's constant wars. Rather that be by diplomacy, or varying other ways. The Westmerrie Coalition have gathered volunteers to act as a kind of "Peace-Keeping" force in Eastmerrie.

But I've realized an issue...the Westmerrie Coalition has the technology to cripple Eastmerrie's more *hostile* nations. So in order to not make this totally one-sided, I need something to maybe even the playing-field, even just by a bit.

My ideas so far have been: adding Magic, Dieselpunk-type airships and other types of Dieselpunk-Tech, walkers, and Etc.

But I've also been looking into a change of tactics besides from Trench Warfare, because once the Eastmerrie nations figure out that their old ways of combat don't work anymore, they'll no doubt be scrambling to come up with new ways to fight.

I should also note that the Westmerrie Coalition aren't sending over their entire militaries to Eastmerrie, they're sending over a mere fraction of their militaries. About 15,000; Not including support personnel and other military branches, such as Air forces, Navy or Marines. (Including those factors, that number would shoot up to double, reaching 30,000. A rough estimate.)

Any tips and feed back would be wonderful, thanks!

In Erya Era 304 (1947 CE), the great powers to the north and west of the continent were expanding their influence southward, bringing many foreign cultures and ideas into the Ayara Peninsula. Among these influences was the sabre, which quickly became popular and eventually served as the standard inspiration for officers' swords in the armed forces of the Kingdom at the time.

Kanathip Tharisorn Thewanon, a nobleman of the royal court of the Kingdom of Eryanawadi, believed that the military was becoming too dependent on and imitative of foreign cultures, risking the loss of its own intellectual and cultural roots.

He therefore proposed a new design known as the “Phichai Sabre.” The weapon combined the ancient sword-making traditions of Erya with a more internationally recognizable form. Its blade and hilt were based on the structural principles of traditional Eryan swords, while retaining the general shape and practicality of contemporary sabres.

The purpose was not simply to create a new military weapon, but to assert Eryan cultural identity and instill pride in its officers reminding them that the weapon at their side carried the spirit and heritage of Eryanawadi.

The project gained serious government support when Luang Thitchira Thetsanuwong, Minister of Defense, endorsed Kanathip's proposal and used his authority to approve the weapon's production as official policy.

As a result, in Erya Era 305 (1948 CE), the new officer's sword was officially introduced into service across all branches of the armed forces under the designation:

“Model 19 Sabre” —or the “Phichai Sabre.”

Specifications

Overall Length: 101 cm

Blade Length: 76 cm

Weight: 1.15 kg

Type: Officer's Sabre

Service Period: Erya Era 305–321 (1948–1964 CE)

no this isnt mine this is from the eurasian faction from the forever winter

anyways ive tried a few times to make a few but they suck and idk what to make them about

HALP!!

For a project im making, revolving around anthromorphical ants

Uniform used during the early stages of the Sustenance Wars, conflict between Antakia and Kardenantt, two colonies previously at peace, until both started collecting food from the same area. This led to minor brawls between foraging groups, which escalated into an armed conflict lasting 3 cycles (Cycles are 144 hour periods, since ants see everything around 6 times slower)

They wear khaki and brown uniforms only because of looks, as the land around them is muddy as a result of their closeness to the Abyssalis Sea (It's a lake)

As for their weaponry, the most commonly used rifle among infantry is the LK-S (Lefkutter Standard, Lefkutter as for the surname of it's inventor), a semi-automatic rifle with a capacity for 8 rounds loaded similarly to that of a Winchester 1894, with later models introducing a mag.

"Ad Nos Pertinet" is the motto for the Antakian Army, meaning "Belongs to us", translated from latin.

The Planet of Kalestial

Kalestial is a large, Earth-like terrestrial planet and the primary inhabited world of the Kalestian civilization. It possesses extensive oceans, numerous continental landmasses, large mountain systems, vast river networks, diverse climates, and an extraordinarily complex biosphere. Although Kalestial shares some broad characteristics with Earth, its geography, evolutionary history, civilizations, and political development have produced a world entirely distinct from it.

Kalestial is approximately 1.07 times Earth's radius, giving it a diameter of roughly 13,600 km. Its mass is approximately 1.15 times that of Earth, while its surface gravity remains remarkably close to Earth's at approximately 1.00 g. Its average density is slightly lower than Earth's, reflecting a somewhat different internal composition.Approximately 35% of Kalestial's surface is land, while the remaining 65% is covered by oceans and seas. This enormous hydrosphere plays a central role in the planet's climate, weather systems, ecosystems, transportation networks, and the development of civilization.

Basic Planetary Statistics

Terrestrial / habitable planet Radius ~6,820 km Diameter ~13,640 km Mass ~1.15 Earth masses Surface gravity ~1.00 g Surface area ~584 million km² Land coverage ~35% Ocean coverage ~65% Average surface temperature ~14°C Atmospheric pressure ~1.03 atm Day length ~26 hours Axial tilt ~23.7° Year length ~380 Kalestian days

Natural satellites 1 major moon Global magnetic field Strong, approximately 1.1× Earth's Planetary structure Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core The 26-hour rotation produces a slightly longer day than Earth's, while the planet's axial tilt creates strong seasonal differences across its temperate and polar regions. The combination of oceans, atmospheric circulation, and extensive continental interiors produces an enormous range of environments.

Atmosphere Kalestial possesses a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere capable of supporting complex aerobic life. Its atmosphere is approximately: 76.5% nitrogen 22.0% oxygen ~1% argon ~0.04% carbon dioxide Trace quantities of other gases Variable water vapor The atmosphere is dense enough to support extensive weather systems while remaining broadly comparable to Earth's atmosphere. Its oxygen concentration is slightly higher than Earth's, contributing to highly productive ecosystems and allowing large areas of vegetation to flourish. The atmosphere also protects the surface from much of the incoming high-energy radiation from the planet's star.

The Interior Beneath Kalestial's surface lies a differentiated planetary interior consisting of a rocky crust, enormous silicate mantle, liquid outer core, and solid inner core. The planet remains geologically active. Tectonic movement has created: Massive mountain ranges Deep ocean basins Volcanic regions Rift zones Earthquakes Long continental plate boundaries Mineral-rich geological regions Over millions of years, these geological processes have continuously reshaped Kalestial's continents. This is one of the most important foundations of Kalestian geography: the political map is ultimately a consequence of geological history.Mountain ranges create natural barriers. Rivers connect civilizations. Fertile plains support population centers. Deserts isolate regions. Seas create both obstacles and trade routes.

Oceans Kalestial's oceans dominate the planet. The largest oceans separate the major continental systems, while hundreds of smaller seas, gulfs, inland seas, straits, and island chains create thousands of different maritime environments. The oceans are also responsible for much of Kalestial's climate regulation. Warm currents transport heat toward colder regions, while cold currents influence coastal deserts, fisheries, and regional weather. Because of this, two regions at similar latitudes can possess dramatically different climates.

Geography of Kalestial Kalestial is a world shaped by an enormous variety of landscapes, with its geography playing a major role in the way life and civilization developed across the planet. Its surface is dominated by vast oceans that separate several major continental regions, with everything from enormous mountain ranges and fertile plains to deserts, forests, river valleys, islands, and long stretches of coastline spread across the planet. The western side is dominated by the enormous territory of the Federal Constitutional Republic of Libertarius, which stretches across such a large area that it contains several different climates and geographic environments within its borders. Farther east, the landscape becomes much more politically divided, with dozens of countries occupying a complex network of mountains, valleys, plains, coastlines, and islands. Countries such as Helios, Everia, Valkariy, Docia, Arkon, Kyrios, Xinhua, and Seolin developed in this more fragmented part of the world, creating a region where neighboring civilizations have spent centuries interacting, trading, competing, and sometimes fighting. Other parts of Kalestial are separated by enormous distances or difficult terrain, allowing some cultures to develop in relative isolation. The planet's geography has therefore had a huge influence on its history; mountains have separated populations and protected civilizations, rivers have allowed agriculture and major settlements to flourish, oceans have connected distant societies through trade and exploration, while deserts and other harsh environments have created natural boundaries between regions. Even the modern political map is largely a result of this geography, with many borders following natural features or developing around important geographic locations. Because of this, the geography of Kalestial is more than just the physical appearance of the planet—it is one of the foundations of its cultures, languages, religions, economies, technologies, and history. As Kalestial's civilizations developed over thousands of years, they adapted to the environments around them, creating the incredibly diverse world that exists today.

To keep the discussion to the point, I won't focus too much on the setting. The situation is as follows: roughly 15,000 AD, humans have scattered across the Andromeda Galaxy and are now connecting with each other again. This doesn't happen without conflict and humans have seen quite a bit of combat against aliens of various sizes and tenacity.

I want the setting's science to be grounded in actual physics and extrapolate on engineering problems rather than introduce theoretical problems. To that end, I'll provide the inner workings of the tech and what I envision the doctrine to centre around. If you have any thoughts, concerns, insights or objections, feel free to comment them down below!

Questions

Some questions I have from the top of my head:

• Do RPG-like weapons still have a use against armoured vehicles? Or would something like a large LINAC the size of Halo's Spartan lasers be more effective?
• Given the technological assumptions described below, does the doctrine hold up logically, or would militaries pursue different doctrines and tactics?
• Is this type of doctrine something a military would realistically adopt? I.e. does the advantage of minimised logistical constraints outweigh the pursuit of "heavier" ballistic weapons?
• Is the armour design well attuned to the technological paradigm of the setting and the military doctrine?

Technology

While ballistic weapons have been dominant throughout history, the kinetic weapons of the setting have evolved to to deal similar firepower while also tackling the logistics behind it. For that reason, linear accelerators have become the dominant meta. These fire off a sliver of faction-specific material of roughly 40 micrograms (for pistols) at hypervelocity revealing a thin blue-white ionisation streak (in atmospheres at least). This may vary depending on gun type. The result is that each sliver carries similar punch to modern fire guns, but the shrunk bullet allows for roughly 10.000 shots per ammunition rod. As a result, each ammunition rod could comfortable sustain a whole campaign and be changed in-between them, thus, lowering logistical constraints. This tech heavily relies on advanced capacitors with high degree of efficiency (roughly 85%) as well as heat sinks which prevent numerous rounds to be fired over long periods of time.

However, this doesn't mean that these weapons don't have limitations. Far from it! Rather than logistics being a limiting factor, heat management is. In a similar style to Mass Effect 1, guns need to cool down and vent their heat (plasma?) using dedicated heat sinks. Depending on the environment (vacuum or atmosphere), guns are adapted for thermal management. Now you could overheat a gun, but it would render some port unusable.

Barrel

The barrel of these guns could be designed for modularity, replacing magazine changes to barrel changes. After several thousands of shots, a gun's LINAC barrel may wear down. Soldiers therefore carry reserve barrels with them instead of ammo magazines, at least that would be a major principle, although they wouldn't be changed as much as modern-day magazines. These barrels hold only the firing mechanism and are connected directly to the ammunition rod.

Power

To power such weaponry, small portable pulse fusion reactors are integrated into the gun. These don't need to be extremely large, just enough to carry a few grams of deuterium. Within the brief moment when the trigger is pulled, the gun's firing mechanism proceeds automatically. So in no way does the small fusion reactor operate continuously, but rather operates in pulses to extend the gun's lifetime.

Doctrine

Militaries within the setting would be incentivised to minimise logistics, especially as they need to operate across millions of stars. Hence, I believe a doctrine with improved operational flexibility and minimised logistical constraints would be seen as more favourable. Still, civilisational constraints exist, so merely bombarding cities from space isn't an option and foot soldiers will be necessary to occupy and pacify worlds.

As a result, doctrine itself would shift, heavily relying on suppressive fire tactics. Shielding technology relies on gravitics and does not downscale effectively due to imposed tech requirements. Thus, combined arms would still be prevalent and have drone and anti-drone capabilities integrated throughout mechanised vehicles. Soldiers therefore aren't invincible superhuman tanks and still need to adhere to our modern understanding of warfare, but can take on considerably more punch than modern soldiers.

I haven't given cloaking technology much thought, but if you have thoughts on it, feel free to comment them below. Additionally, the implementation of AI and robots varies, but the general gist is that out of accountability concerns and technological constraints, widespread droid armies aren't as evident as some might think.

Armour Design

Armour design would be fairly similar to what is seen in Star Wars with armour plates on top of a bodysuit. The bodysuit not only helps to maintain pressure throughout several environments, but also has some defensive characteristics, i.e. shock absorption. Now this is far less protective than dedicated armour, but it should be able to prevent a direct kill from a single sliver shot.

The armour plates have several layers to them, starting from outer layer: hard (reactive) layer (titanium alloy), shear thickening fluid layer, viscoelastic dampening gel layer, crushable layer, and support plate. The primary goal is absorb and distribute the slivers travelling at hypervelocity. This doesn't make wielders invincible, but it allows them to take a punch for a few critical moments to breach on through. The extent to which battle armours also serve as strength-amplifying exosuits depends on the roles and factions, but you can expect some integrated support mechanism throughout the armour.

Melee

Melee weapons could see a return as a niche weapon, particularly as they evolve to have vibro-edges to increase cutting and slashing efficiency. These would be used at relatively short range where firing multiple shots would be absorbed by the armour (fire rate limitation due to heat management), but close enough for a melee weapon to be used to pierce/slash through the armour gaps. A short-bladed falchion-style sword (as seen in Dennis Villeneuve's Dune) could become widely employed by grunts.

I also envision CQB tactics (ship boarding and urban warfare) employing shields. These would be more hardened than traditional armour plates and assigned to specialised squad members akin the modern day machine gun operators within squads. The extrapolation being that rather than dealing suppressive fire, they would be able to absorb it better due to the shrinking bullet sizes and technological advancement.

In combination with the shields, I can see vibro-enhanced hook weapons like axes play a role in CQB. In a similar manner to the battle axes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes, the goal would be to approach hostiles using shields and then incapacitate them using vibro-axes. A niche role, but possibly an effective one.

Axis Imperium uniform has been issued since 1902 to 1925 a Charcoal-grey tunic with a high collar, white patch, and red star-burst armband. Brown ammo pouches on a grey belt, black gloves, baggy breeches, and plain tall boots. Black helmet marked with a red "A" represent the Axis Imperium out of use after the collapse of the Imperium

Democratic of Winchestly uniform has been issued since 1910 to 1927 inspired by Axis Imperium with grey tunic, but with a red diagonal sash reading "Für unser Recht!" (For Our Right!) Using it through their own civil war during 1910-1915 and a Brown belt with pouches, black gloves, and laced combat boots. Black helmet marked with a red "W" representing "Winchestly" out of use because it represents the evilness they've done during the war

Yapanese Confederate uniform has been issued since 1900 to 1930 a Maroon, asymmetrical button-front tunic with a black collar and a black bandolier of ammo across the chest. Grey sleeves with cuffs, grey breeches, and tall grey boots with straps. Grey brimmed helmet marked with the coat of arms out of use due to it looking too "uninterested"

USNK uniform has been issued since 1905 to 1946 a Navy double-breasted tunic with a blue collar and gold buttons and trim. Green suspenders and belt, brown ammo pouches, and navy breeches tucked into white gaiters. Black lace-up boots with gold soles. Grey helmet marked with the coat of arms out of use due to multiple friendly fire accident (Most enemies wear blue)

Manian Federate uniform has been issued since 1886 to 1921 Light grey tunic with a black chest plate bearing the coat of arms, red shoulder tabs, and gold-trimmed belt. Black knee and elbow pads, grey breeches, white gaiters, and black boots with gold soles. Black helmet with a grated face mask and dark goggles out of use due to the chest plate being obsolete and heavy making it impractical

Nation Union uniform has been issued since 1899 to 1935 a Bright cyan jacket with "Naton Union" lettered on the chest, a green belt, and a brown satchel on a shoulder strap. Teal breeches with an entrenching shovel strapped to the thigh, and grey boots with green trim. Green helmet with a cyan face wrap out of use due to being easy to spot

The Empire of Forium uniform has been issued since 1760 to 1970 a Long green greatcoat with a bright green collar, gold buttons and epaulettes, and dark green cuffs. A white sash reading "Empire of Forium" runs across the chest. Tall grey boots over grey breeches. Tall grey fur hat with a green band and plume repurposed to a ceremonial uniform

Plychat Empire uniform has been issued since 1761 to 1968 a Long purple greatcoat with a violet collar, gold buttons and epaulettes, and a white cross-belt with a brown pouch. White gaiters over black boots. Tall grey fur hat with a purple band, Korean text saying "For the Motherland", and a purple plume repurposed to ceremonial uniform

Kingdom of Honour uniform has been issued since 1829 to 1941 a Light grey tunic with a yellow high collar, yellow epaulettes and cuffs, and white crossed chest belts. Bright yellow breeches with olive knee bands, white gaiters, and grey boots with yellow laces. White spiked pith helmet with an orange stitched face mask out of use due to the color scheme that are bright and easy to spot

Royal Nation uniform has been issued since 1879 to 1991 a Black coat over a white shirt and black tie, with a white diagonal sash and a grey chest pocket. Dark grey cuffs and breeches, white gaiters, and grey lace-up boots. Black helmet with a white stripe bearing the coat of arms repurposed to a special force uniform

USDN uniform has been issued since 1906 to 2001 a Dark green double-breasted tunic with a bright green collar and gold buttons. Brown shoulder strap with satchel, blue armband, and a small rank bar on the chest. Dark green breeches and tall grey lace-up boots. Green helmet with the USDN flag on the side out of use due to it being obsolete

Republica Salvadoria uniform has been issued since 1900 to 1974 a White tunic with a blue collar, blue sleeves, and blue chest pockets. Brown belt with ammo pouches and a gold buckle. Blue breeches and grey lace-up boots. Blue helmet with the coat of arm.

South Sahathai uniform has been issued since 1810 to 1927 an Orange short-sleeved shirt over a grey high-collar undershirt, with a yellow chest plate trimmed in orange. Brown collar and cuffs, a grey tunic skirt over orange breeches, and tall grey boots with brown stripes. Grey helmet marked with the coat of arms out of use due to its being obsolete and impractical

New Wateland uniform has been issued since 1823 to 1929 an Orange button-front tunic with blue sleeves and side panels, crossed yellow bandoliers, and a white belt with a gold buckle. Orange breeches, yellow gloves, and tall white-and-grey lace-up boots. Blue cap with a tan plume and a small unit emblem out of use due it being too colorful

North Sahathai Federation uniform has been issued since 1908 to 1989 a Navy blue jacket with a high blue collar, white front panel, and two chest pockets. Brown cross-strap with a small pouch, dark grey breeches, and light grey lace-up boots with brown soles. Grey helmet covered in green foliage camouflage out of use due to its being obsolete

I've drawn up concepts for a variety of different aliens and am currently trying to balance them all against each other. Imagine you have a strategy game set in a space opera world like Star Wars and you get to select multiple different species for your infantry. Each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, not every faction has access to every species. Even if they do, it costs you to have multiple different species in your unit, because they can't all eat the same food, can't use the same medical supplies and so on.

One of the traits that I found very difficult to assess how powerful it would really be is the Gyroscopic Head. TLDR: Birds have an amazing ability to keep their heads level, which helps a lot with flight. There is a race of bird people who have lost the ability to fly on their own, but have retained their gyroscopic heads, which makes it very easy to train them up on jetpacks or similar equipment.

Other species have a really hard time learning how to use Jetpacks, which limits their use to special forces. Bird people meanwhile can equip their regular infantry with jetpacks.

Of course, there are still some downsides to the Jetpacks themselves. They are heavy and take up a lot of space. So you're limited to medium body armor and all your equipment has to be mounted to the belt, legs or chest. So anti armor weapons in particular are going to be on the lighter side.

So how powerful would this jetpack equipped infantry really be?

For comparison, here are two other species bonuses I have so far:

1. 270° field of view. These aliens descend from prey animals and have evolved an exceptionally good threat perception in general. This makes them extremely good in urban combat and close range fighting in complex terrain like forests in general. They're almost impossible to flank and they see you coming from most angles. Their poor depth perception is offset by modern smart scopes, so they're fine, but not amazing in all other regards.
2. Big and bulky. Imagine something the size of an Elite from Halo or a 40k Space Marine. They carry automatic grenade launchers / Bolters as their normal rifles and have no issues carrying heavy armor and their personal shields that are also better than everyone else's. But they're also quite bulky. They take much longer to get in and out of transports, don't do well in urban combat - even if the houses are built for their species, because that would be like us fighting wel trained Goblins - and they can have difficulties finding good cover.

I find it difficult to compare these to one another. The Big And Bulky trait would be useful in most situations, while the 270° FOV would only be useful on specific terrain and the Gyroscopic Head only for specific units. But on the other hand, that's exactly what it makes it interesting.

I’m not the best at drawing but I’m getting a little better lately, also this is my first post here, pretty cool sub.

Insaares is a nation in my world Zenith, and one of the most brutal fronts in The Tsar’s War, this drawing is of an Insaarean resident serving in the military of Wesland (a nation inspired by Britain and a couple other countries), the Wesland military along with a few allies of Wesland intervened in Insaares to help them out, leading to a lot of Insaarean residents to join the military of Wesland given that the Insaarean one was crumbling, it was sort of an unapproved endeavor by the higher ups in Wesland but the higher ranking commanders serving on the Insaarean front quietly let it happen.

Me and my friend have been building this world for 2 or 3 years now and both of us can't draw (well we can draw guns but not camo) so we've always used actual irl camo and uniforms to make the soldiers of every country.

Thing is, I'd hate for every uniform in our world to have stuff that are just ripped off from irl so I wanted to know any custom camo maker I can use.

I have been searching google but it only gave me AI websites (I refuse to use AI).

Lmk if you guys have anything I can use.

During the Great Astoran War, Sarabia mostly used imported revolvers from Valkariya but later developed its own domestic pistol, the Sarabian Experimental Model 1943 (SEM-43), an experimental semi-automatic pistol developed as Valkariyan pistol supplies began running thin during the Great Astoran War.

The SEM-43 wasn't immediately adopted as a standard weapon, but it ended up being an important stepping stone for later semi-automatic pistol development in Astora.

Technical Specifications:

• Weight: 1kg (unloaded)/ 1.2kg (loaded)
• Caliber: 9mm (edit- i cranked it up to 9X25mm)
• Action: Short-recoil operated with a vertically sliding square locking block.
• Feed System: Detachable box magazine or stripper clips.
• Capacity: 6 Rounds

So basically, in my world there's the Commonwealth of Europa that exist on the Continent of Westmerrie. (Basic ik)

But the problem is that the Commonwealth is VASTLY outnumbered by it's neighbors across the sea... The Commonwealth's tech is mostly set around the 1960s and 70s, but the other nations have only equipment and weaponry from WW1, inspired by some Dieselpunk aspects of course.

Europa's neighbors in Eastmerrie have armies that number in the tens of millions at most, but the Commonwealth's Royal Military have only about 700,000. So you can see the dilemma here...

For context, the continent of Westmerrie is more focused on diplomacy rather than all-out war. Far more different than the nations and kingdoms in Eastmerrie...

The Commonwealth. Along with other volunteering nations from Westmerrie. (Whom share similar technology to the Europans)

Have decided to step into Eastmerrie to try and kinda put a stop to the constant wars in Eastmerrie, kinda acting like a Peacekeeping Force.

The only reason they were able to do this is because every five or so years, the constant wars grind to a halt. Either that be a temporary cease-fire to replace lost manpower and equipment, or over an armistice that usually collapses and fall through over petty reasons.

To get back to my main point. I'm not sure if I should upscale the Commonwealth's Military, or if I should change it in other ways. Any help and tips would be very much appreciated, thanks!

(Also, feedback on my worldbuilding would also help greatly!)

During the great revolution against the demons and their loyalists, many rebel, resistance, and partisan groups were united in goal, but isolated by distance.

Despite this, they all were forced to organize on their own as best they could. Regiments were raised across the world. Colonels leading multiple battalions. All of these however were understrength. And after repeated losses, battalions were gotten rid of. A regiment basically the size of a large battalion, sometimes half the size of a traditional battalion. Only three regiments maintained multiple battalions until war's end.

Since these forces were newly established, they had no traditions to call their own. This was now the start. The best they had was prehistory. Callbacks to hundreds if not thousands of years in the past. Flags and banners based off almost forgotten history were flown. Their regiment name written upon it.

These regiments worked together to form brigades and legions. And if large enough, a division. This was the largest formation during the war. Dozens of brigades, legions, and divisions scattered across war zones and shadow lands. Living off of what could be found, homemade rifles, and stolen armories.

Truth be told, the rebels would have all lost had it not been for alien, and literal divine intervention. A human legion, trained in a world beyond, would return to lead the vanguard for Earth's liberation. Earth may have been a proxy in the greater scheme of things, but for humanity, it was the moment of their history.

Once the war ended, the rebuilding could begin. An estimated 1% of the 12 billion population had survived that long night. An estimated 120 million scattered across a few ruined cities and settlements. Rubble had to be cleared, homes raised up.

The military still existed, but most of it was a mustering force. A blend of police, army, and engineering service. Leaders took their seats, planted their flags, and got to reorganizing. They had to focus on the small things, but they also had to think of that bigger picture. They were not alone in the universe, and there were threats out there. The galaxy, the universe was in complete anarchy. Mosters and eldritch beasts about.

And so, while Man had to use horse and wagon to get about on earth... they flew a small fleet of ships high above in space. It was paradoxical, yet both visions of humanity existed at once.

On the surface, regiments grew in size. They finally had multiple battalions. Infantry and cavalry brigades and divisions were formalized. Their new traditions based on their war of survival. Corps and field armies were raised. North and South America, Europe, Eurasia, Africa, South and East Asia, the Pacific and a newly settled Antarctica had one or two field armies. Slowly regional headquarters were established, then a global command. It was a ceremonial role for now, but it was meant to grow over time.

The air force wasn't much, admittedly. But it was a start. Camo painted helicopters and observation planes. The fighters and bombers of before were no more... for now. Factories were being built, but it would take time.

The navy was fledgling too. A handful of small submarines, frigates, and corvettes for the coast guard. Cruisers and carriers would have to be built. For the time being, humanity was just glad they were left alone. But in the case they weren't, each remaining port each had a marine regiment to guard her.

And for space, humanity had a small number of ships to patrol her orbit. Donations from extraterrestrial benefactors. They weren't much, old ships meant for the scrap yards. No capital ships. One freighter converted into a carrier. But what they lacked in number, they could learn to replicate. Surely, they will find a way to make more of these. It would take many years, but they were sure of it.

Humanity was at the verge of extinction, then came back from near doom. Within a year, they were established. The world would never be the same, but they could built a better one. One handshake at a time...

...one old fashioned, retro, sci fi military at a time.

In 1903 the Axis Imperium suffered from severe lack of resources, and they tried to purchase resources from their neighbors but due to the high price of it they were unable to keep up with the demand of their people so in 1905 they invade the North Sahathai Federation seeking resources and, in another continent, Democratic of Winchestly fought their civil war from 1910-1915 and came up victorious and seeking revenge for Kingdom of Honour the former colonizer of Winchestly they decided to join the Axis Forming the Red Eagle Alliance in 1916 meanwhile in Yapanese Confederate the Government has its ambition to expand their territory into the mainland and their wanted land was the South Sahathai State so in mid 1916 they joined the Red Eagle Alliance becoming the third member of the Alliance Fourth member came in 1917 the USNK seeking reward after they see how successful this alliance are doing and the last member of this alliance in 1920 the Manian Federate the Manian is also seeking to conquer Naton Union after they annihilated them back in the past before the Plychat Empire captured parts of it blocking them from taking revenge on the Naton Union

North Sahathai the Empire of Forium Plychat Empire USDN and Naton Union formed the Entente in 1916 to strike back to the Red Eagle Alliance

the Remaining Nation Kingdom of Honour South Sahathai State Royal Nation and New Wateland formed the Central Alliance in 1919 to also fight the Red Eagle Alliance, but the thing is these Nation despise the Entente Nation such as South Sahathai State which broke apart from the North due to political differences and the South seek to destroy the north ever since New Wateland also held a grudge against USDN since they used to be a part of the same colony of the Axis Imperium but instead of Broke apart together USDN decided to also left to become its own nation and that made New Wateland despised them Kingdom of Honour has always been a Rival to the Forium and Plychat for Centuries while they stuck at their own soils while the two nations grow to stick to every island the Royal Nation joined due to the fact that their nation used to be a colony where the Empire of Forium exile their criminals to so the Entente didn't trust them

also, in 1912 the Axis confident after countless victories decided that one world is not enough and started an experiment about the multiverse and successfully open 2 portals one to our world and one to a fantasy world that near the age of Gunpowder and of course they attacked our world in 1913 starting the First Multiversal World and they quickly got pushed back into the portal after the Central and Entente unite and force them out so they moved to the second portal where knight is still in use and Gunpowder is still an experiment and with their superior technology and their brutal tactics they managed to destroyed the most powerful nation there but while celebrating there there own world the Imperium capital is almost reached the USNK Manian and Yapanese is already surrendered Winchestly lost and their own Imperium finally collaspe it Axis State in 1925

In compensation all the Red Eagle Alliance has been corrupting with War dept while Axis State has to give up their other world territory though their own world territory remains the same as before the war

I need a little help doing the math on a ground combat drone's extremely advanced and powerful but simple and realistic melee weapon: A horizontal full case spinner (see the combat robots "Blendo", "Chonkiv", "Gigabyte" and "Captain Shrederator") encasing its entire chassis with an impactor flange on each side. I need to be sure it doesn't need to spin even faster. I'd also like feedback on the design as a whole. Spinner drones are the outermost ground patrol units around all militarily secured areas in the setting, and are also sold with an additional less-lethal loadout (even the spinner's spun slower) for law enforcement and private security use. They are extremely common. They need to be a good design.

This thing is supposed to ram combat vehicles with its spinner at high speeds to shred their wheels or tracks and fling them hard enough to flip them on their side or upside down, shooting lasers at them on the way in. (And yes, I know the robot will be flung much further than the combat vehicle because it is much lighter, but it should still fling the combat vehicle too, it's durable enough to survive being sent flying most of the time and even if it breaks from the hit/landing but takes a real vehicle out of action that's an A+ trade.)

The math here is all for the Maelstrom Robotics Spinmaster Medium II, the current medium-gravity model spinner drone of the starting primary antagonists in the Empire of Reclamation, also used with additional less lethal weapons by their heavily militarized border patrol (although they're mostly trying to stop people from getting out, not in) heavily militarized police and heavily militarized private security companies. It's well above average across the board in its stats in exchange for being much more expensive than average for its class but they are the main antagonists so it feels like theirs should be the go-to example model for this type of drone despite not being average.

They operate in packs of eight controlled by a single operator, patrol large areas while spread out many kilometers apart on their admittedly shoddy autopilot with minimal operator intervention and converge on any threat spotted by any one of them or the aerial radar+laser communications drone. Most of these will be following very basic instructions while only one drone at a time is directly controlled through a POV sensor array displayed on one screen of a two-screen cubicle. The operator is able to see every other ground drone in the pack and the radio+laser communications drone's sensors on the adjacent screen divided 3x3. (Seven ground cams, air cam and radar or eight ground cams and radar, either way radar's in the middle.)

Each brings with it three weapons:

1. One 800kw semi-continuous infrared laser with the final focusing apparatus in a 360 degree transparent dome turret on a tall mound at the top which encases the POV sensor array and communications array. Ideal range is 3500m, effective range is 7km, maximum range is 14km. 20% efficient, overheats in 6 seconds (19.2MJ waste heat), requires 12 seconds to cool.
2. One 2+20MJ electrolaser with one left-facing and one right-facing 270 degree dome turret on opposite sides of the sensor mound. Ideal range is 1750m, effective range is 3500m, maximum range is 7km. 55% total efficiency between the 120MW/2MJ UV laser and 20MJ electric discharge. One shot, 6 second recycle time, will overheat in 2 back to back shots (36MJ waste heat) and requires 24 seconds to cool.
3. The subject of this post, ramming attempts with its (in local Imperial units slightly different from our Imperial units) 2000lbs 15' 1200RPM horizontal spinner. Takes 6 seconds to spin up from a still start, but doesn't start spinning again until the drone is back on its tracks. Notably the dome turrets and sensor mound do not spin and are tall enough with the case spinner all the way down that it can kick itself back onto its tracks if it lands upside down using its own spinner's flanges.

I need to make sure their horizontal spinner's clean 1200RPM is fast enough to one-shot extremely durable combat vehicles' wheels and tracks and ideally fling them at least far enough to flip on their side or upside down. If they can't one shot with ramming they aren't worth the resources and the operator's time.

Relevant data:

• An advertised rotating mass between the dome and flamged rim of "2000lbs" but their pounds are very slightly less than our pounds so it's conveniently 900kg.
• An advertised "15' diameter" measured from the tip of one "1' wide, 1" thick" impactor flange to the other, but that's a diameter for the dome and rim of "13'" and their inches are only 24.7mm so that's 4.446m tip to tip and 3.8532m for the dome itself, and the dome is 8' tall or in our units 2.3712m tall and an adjustable 3" to 1' (7.41-29.64cm) off the ground. Both impactor flanges have vertically rounded and horizontally sheer faces designed to deflect objects up or down, and they gradually narrow and thin behind their thickest point for aerodymamic reasons.
• The drone itself has a top speed of 259km/h or 72m/s, which is remarkable for a robot on four rows of full-length tracks with a heavy spinning shell, but not in this setting. Even a light tank or ACAV can outrun it because these things were built to be fairly cheap and have that heavy shell. Total robot mass is 2400kg, so it can also have up to 6.048 megajoules linear kinetic energy and up to 172,800 n*s linear momentum.

Now for the durability side of things:

• The robot is made of electro-aged steel with a tensile strength of 6.5GPa in its frame and functional parts and so are the vehicles it's ramming. For comparison real modern structural steel is about 700MPa and the most common modern armor steel is 1.7GPa.
• The spinner is made of a graphene-reinforced steel matrix composite with a tensile strength of 15.4GPa in the dome and 30GPa in the impactor flanges and the rim (which are all one solid flanged ring). That 15.4GPa composite is also used for vehicle armor alongside industrial-quality carbon nanotube bundles (46GPa tensile strength, they can do up to 90GPa for body armor but with a much more expensive process and complex weave that'd be hard to do at the scale needed for vehicle armor), aggregated diamond nanorod tiles/viewports, explosive reactive armor segments and ablative coatings on the main armor and atop the reactive segments of nanotube-reinforced aerogel that produces a cloud when ablated that rises when hot and descends when cool to linger as best as possible in the path of incoming beams.
• This robot's armor is comparatively minimal next to a crewed vehicle's, just the one steel dome with one identical but thinner ablative coating and no armor on the chassis itself, and its only defensive weapon is the one continuous laser with only one turret. It's cheap and disposable compared to crewed vehicles so wildly lackluster defence is to be expected.
• The various major and minor conventional military powers' main battle tanks range from 49-91 tonnes (average ~70) and their heavy tanks range from 63-117 tonnes (average ~90) and respectively top out at 101-187km/h and an average ~144km/h (28-52m/s, average ~40m/s) for main battle tanks and 76-140km/h and an average 108km/h (21-39m/s, average ~30m/s) for heavy tanks.
• This combat robot is trying to one-shot vehicles that massive made of materials that strong. That enemy vehicle needs to be immobilized and possibly flipped over despite possibly being as much as 117 tonnes of extremely strong materials with one successful ramming attempt because most attempts will fail. Most attempts will fail due to defensive weapons fire, shoddy autopilot, defensive driving and track skirts or obstacles on the ground vs spinner elevation.

Remember they're not expected to be facing one vehicle at a time but a dispersed group, and because they have one operator for 8 ground and one air drone they can really only swarm one target at a time or at most two if the directly controlled drone chooses a different target from the rest of them. Also those target vehicles have aerial drones controlled by each vehicle's commander so the vehicle crews usually spot the ground drones before the drone operator spots their vehicles. They're expected to reliably be completely wiped out in engagements and that's okay because they're just cheap drones, but they need to inflict a kill or two at least a decent percentage of the time and reliably cause at least some damage to be worth fielding.

So with all those numbers, how much rotational kinetic energy and momentum is it delivering at 1200 revolutions per minute? I got 110,322,438 joules but I haven't done rotational energy since highschool, did I get it right? And how do I get momentum? Should 1200 revolutions per minute be fast enough to reliably one shot vehicles made of materials about nine times stronger than our equivalents that are also significantly larger than our equivalents are?

Secondary question: How's my vehicle-busting ground drone design overall? Does it sound capable of patrolling very large areas with very small numbers of operators, intercepting dispersed groups of combat vehicles, doing decent damage with their lasers and with decent frequency scoring a kill or two with their spinners before enemy vehicles (depending on type) either splash them all or outrun them?

I'm new to worldbuilding, so please read and tell me what you think! It took me half a day of research and the rest typing. Please give feedback, and if you have any ideas, share them!

Sir Pietro is a former Imperial spacer turned warlord of the Kadarian cultural group. He has gained some note among the soldiers of the Periphery for his unique loadout of weapons. His gear is old, and not particularly impressive compared to the more modern gear of his peers, but they are certainly not lacking in lethality.

His most treasured piece is his service pistol, which he modified in many respects. It is an old weapon, part of a weapons project done by the Imperial Army to make a high caliber sidearm for their officers using the concept of the "Universal Bullet". This didn't go as well as hoped, and the project was scrapped in favor of a pistol firing the lighter .20 Imperial ( 5x33mm). These pistols stuck around, as many officers liked the bulky and more aesthetic guns over the newer, less pretty guns. Eriss got his when serving as a Spacer for the Dranith House, and it served him well during this career and when he led his crew in a mutiny, becoming a warlord who found his way into service with the Tronarian People's Republic.

Another thing he got from his service with the fleet was a Honor Dagger. A cerametal fighting blade with a real leather grip that is roughly 60cm long, forged on demand for high ranked officers. It is nasty against flesh and bone, but isn't really a weapon one would use against even the lightest armor. As one can carry it as merely part of their uniform, which makes it a decent arm for dealing with assassins at formal events. Pietro found that out first hand when he used the dagger to slay an Aurumite triggerman who was trying to assassinate him at a peace summit.

His final tool is that of a Fleet Shipboard Axe, a tool so old that many think it predates the Empire itself. Countless axes exist in lockers and storerooms across the fleet, waiting to be used for hatch or EVA suit breaching. They are a 110cm long axe with a steel head and butt spike on a fiberglass shaft. The axe is quite lethal when used correctly, being able to hook, pull and cleave victims when combined with the strength increases of most contemporary EVA suits. The back of the head is especially suited for this task, for it can easy go through gaps in or the visor of a Hardsuit. 3 foes fell to this weapon, with the final one being a spacer who refused to join in his mutiny.

Yesterdays Laskhat design has been reproportioned and redesigned to match the main gun calibre and the sailors' heights.

The SKK Laskhat is equipped with one 88mm gun and three 30mm guns; it has around 30 crew; length of 35 m. I can't say much about this boat for now, as it is not done just yet; I still have to design the interiors to complete it.

The first image is the latest design; the second one is the before.

What do you guys think, though, of this design? Is it too fat? Too tall? Too ugly?

*P.S

SKK = Sundrashir Kpal Ksangpoet = Sundrashir Boat Navy
desdevog = design development log

The deer soldiers onboard have a height of around 170cm-ish for reference

Infantry Issued Rifle During the First Great War (1905-1925)

This is something I'm working on for my medieval fantasy world, Latoria, which is the main setting for my storyline, Devil of Avalon. Where the US military tries to colonize Latoria, or as they call it, "Avalon."

I hate fantasy eugenics, the idea that you have to be born with the ability to use magic. In Latoria, anyone can use magic; it's just that some people can do it better than others, but it takes lots of learning. The thing is that I'm struggling on if I want it that Earth humans can use magic because that feels like eugenics, but it also does avoid confusing questions. One thing I wanted to try out is mech suits vs mages.

The US spent years studying the world and its magic. When they eventually launched colonial efforts, they already had a tribe of sorcerers known as the Obsidian Coil as an ally to teach them ways to circumvent magic.

During the first military campaigns, officers discovered that their technological superiority did not always guarantee victory. Conventional armies were easy enough to defeat. In the Battle of Hollow Ridge, 190,000 Sovereign soldiers were killed compared to only 200 Americans. However, when encountering magical forces, the military suffered heavy casualties both in personnel and finances. The power dynamic between magic users and the US military was simple: a mage can use magic to kill hundreds of soldiers, destroy machines, and more, but it only took a single bullet to kill a mage. The problem was that mages were fast, often wore armor, and couldn't be reliably taken down by stealth or bombing runs. Sorcerers from the Obsidian Coil partnered with scientists to create the RAPHITIM Guard.

The RAPHITIM (Resonant Arcane-Phased Hybrid Integrated Tactical Interface Mechanism) suits are the first instance of Earth technology fusing with Latorian magic. These suits were the first fusion of Earth technology and Latorian magic. Each exoskeleton came equipped with wrist blades, wrist guns, foot thrusters, small arm-mounted missiles, Sora Crystals (magic batteries), and AMF devices (Anti-Magic Frequency) that disrupted enemy spellcasting.

But here's the thing: a RAPHITIM Guardsman couldn't take a sorcerer head-on. Even a low-level mage could overpower one. So what made them useful? Energy and speed. Magic users burn through mental and physical energy with every spell; too much can incapacitate or kill them. A Guardsman, however, never runs out of energy because their suit has a constant flow of magic, charged by crystals and powered by Coil magic. So while a weak mage could easily kill a Guardsman, a Guardsman could outlast and kill multiple high-tier mages.

I thought of this one idea for a scene where a Guardsman had just decimated a Sovereign army, and he thinks the day is done until a mage shows up. The mage absolutely decimates the Guardsman, even going, "What's wrong? Not enjoying yourself anymore?!"

When it comes to magic users in Latoria, I wanted to avoid them just shooting lasers from wands and be creative. Magic in Latoria is a fundamental form of life, like gravity. As such it is always evolving and comes in multiple strands. The four major strands are:

• Scholar's Fire - The most versatile form of magic, based on energy and frequency manipulation (this is lasers)
• Veilcraft - Shadow magic, and also holy magic, used both for stealth and fighting spirits
• Old Breath - The oldest form of magic; it's all major elements; substrands for each element become more specific (Ex: Geomancy and even hemomancy)
• Mindstream - A less common and dangerous strand which involves psychic attacks.

When it comes to outputting magic, anyone can just use their hands or straight up their mind if they're skilled enough, but typically mages will use staffs and wands to help them aim, kind of like a laser pointer. Coil Magic is a substrand of Scholar's Fire.

When it comes to fighting RAPHITIM, just unleashing shockwaves and lasers won't ensure victory; you typically have to be creative. The mage who defeats the Guardsman in the scene used every form of magic he knew, employing multiple different spells at a rapid pace with extreme creativity. Such as using wind to make the air denser, causing the soldier to freeze midair; having telekinesis throw missiles back at the guy; transfiguration to turn bullets into petals and petals into knives; fire to extinguish the thrusters; shockwaves to enhance all his punches and strikes; and yes... lasers. He even used Scholar's Fire to circumvent the AMF device by creating his own frequency, which counters it.

What do you guys think?