"Look what their damned arrows did to my doublet! Right chaps, let’s give 'em a taste of hot lead. Charge!"
- —Anonymous Pistolier[2a]
A dashing young Imperial noble in his full livery as a Pistolier.
An Empire Pistolier serves as a member of the elite light cavalry force of the Empire of Man's state armies. They specialise in wielding firearms, specifically pistols. Pistoliers have only come into their own recently, as blackpowder weapons have been relatively unstable until now in the Old World.[2a]
Because of the expense of their weapons and the constant upkeep that pistols and warhorses require, noblemen dominate the ranks of the Pistoliers. Many young Imperial nobles volunteer for the Pistoliers in search of glory or in the hopes of making a name for themselves.[2a]
Role[]
"It's like shooting Goblins in a gorge!"
- —Imperial Marksmen saying
Empire Pistoliers are fielded by the armies of the Empire of Man as a form of fast, light reconnaissance cavalry that are equipped with half-plate armour and a brace of pistols to support them in their role as dedicated scouts and skirmishers. The main duty of the Pistoliers is to harass the enemy with gunfire and retreat before they suffer any reprisals.[1a]
Most Pistoliers have a certain affinity when it comes to gunpowder weaponry, with the most talented Pistoliers usually hailing from the Imperial Gunnery School, a prestigious institution where they are taught how to handle, maintain, and equip a simple firearm in combat. The rank of a Pistolier is mostly reserved for the young scions of the noble families of the Empire, where young military-minded youths go in order to prepare themselves for the rigours of cavalry warfare within the Knightly Orders of the Empire.[1a]
As such, those young yet spirited nobles may gather their friends and form regiments of Pistoliers of their own. However, it is far more common for these rash nobles to enlist themselves within the prestigious ranks of the Pistolkorps; a military organisation funded and sponsored by the Emperor, the Imperial Engineers School, and several brotherhoods of Imperial Knights. It is from here that these young nobles learn about proper horsemanship and disciplined warfare from the ranks of the Outriders – grizzled veterans paid by the knights to train young nobles in the proper art of war. As such, many Pistoliers would often be fighting in open battlefield for the first time in their lives.[1a]
Due to their luxurious upbringings and hot-headed behaviour, Pistoliers are often disdained by the common soldier as nothing more than flashing flops. However, none could deny that there are still true warriors within the ranks of the Pistolkorps, with tales abounding of many young yet spirited Pistoliers jumping into the jaws of the enemy with nothing but courage and their prideful arrogance to keep the enemy at bay. These tales are the sole reason why many young nobles are so interested in becoming a Pistolier. Such fantasies are often indulged by the fathers of these young nobles as a way of tempering their wild bravado into something more dependable and beneficial for their family and the Empire as a whole.[1a]
The Pistolkorps[]
Pistoliers are skilled at taking the fight to the enemy with hit-and-run attacks against the flanks of opposing armies. They are a magnificent sight in their ostentatious livery and plumed helms as they charge on swift steeds, pistols blazing. It is with great reluctance that most Pistoliers who survive their stint in the regiment trade the thrill and the flair of the Pistolkorps for the austerity of a knightly order.[2a]
Most aspiring Pistoliers join the ranks of the Pistolkorps, a famed Imperial regiment of great distinction. Recruits are put under the wing of veteran Pistoliers who sport proudly waxed moustaches as a mark of their status. These veterans are known as "Outriders," because they can outride the Pistoliers under their command. They have close links with the Imperial Engineers School, allowing them to field new-fangled weapons such as Repeater Handguns.[2a]
Notable Pistoliers[]
- Von Kleit – Von Kleit, the youngest of seven noble sons, escaped theological college to form Von Kleit’s Flashpans, a regiment of Pistoliers recruited from among his daredevil friends. Vain, extravagant, and renowned for the splendour of their uniforms, their lightning charges against enemy flanks won them many victories...[2a]