"They have courage, I'll give them that, but it’s a wild courage, untempered by discipline that's beaten into a man by drill sergeants like me. Give me a month, and I'll have them marching like respectable Empire soldiers."
- —Drill Sergeant Klaus Woerke[1a]
A warband of Kossars springing a daring ambush in the depths of winter.
The Kossars are the heavy infantry troops that form the backbone of the standing army of Kislev, as well as the current Tzarina Katarin Bokha's personal bodyguard in the form of the elite Bokha Palace Guard.[1b]
Kossars fight on foot armed with axe and bow, and thus serve as both melee and ranged infantry.[1b]
History[]
The bodies of fallen Kossars laid atop a wagon.
Originally, the Kossars were an Ungol clan that lived northeast of the Empire. An eastern people known as the Gospodars invaded this region, subjugated the Ungols, and founded the new kingdom of Kislev. During this conflict, the Kossars sold their skills to the Gospodars as mercenaries, fighting against other Ungol clans. Their unique style of fighting impressed the Gospodar nobility, and since that time Kossar regiments have served the tzars and tzarinas of Kislev.
A Kislevite Kossar during that land's harsh winter.
These days the Kossars are no longer a clan, but a tough military unit drawn from men all over Kislev. They are armed with bows and great axes, making them quite flexible on the battlefield. Many Kossars, tired of the ceaseless warfare of their native land, travel to the Empire to become mercenaries or adventurers.
Rendering of a male Kossar for Total War: Warhammer III.
When an Ungol or Gospodar man joins the Kossars, he's expected to leave his clan and tribal loyalties behind and fight solely for the tzar (or tzarina) and the Motherland. In times of war, the often volatile cultural differences between the Ungols and Gospodars of Kislev melt away in the face of a common foe. In times of peace, however, clan and ethnic differences cause friction and Kislev's patchwork of conciliatory laws that treats Ungols and Gospodars differently creates more problems than it solves.[2a]
Rendering of a female Kossar for Total War: Warhammer III.
Over time, the tzars of Kislev have observed that Kossar morale improves when they are exempted from culturally divisive laws. Minor criminal charges against Kossars are therefore routinely ignored, and their partial legal immunity has given them an inflated sense of entitlement. Arbitrary punishments have proven mostly ineffective for restoring discipline.[2a]
When convenient, however, Kossars use certain laws to their advantage. For example, Gospodar Kossars often cite clan solidarity laws from the Ungol tradition when civilians file charges against one of their number. Likewise, Ungol Kossars wishing to defect are quick to adopt the Gospodar custom of "finding Ursun," which allows every man one opportunity to abandon his responsibilities for a full month and wander the oblast in search of spiritual guidance. Kossars who defect in this manner usually travel south for greener pastures, never to return.[2a]
Role[]
Kossars concept art created for Total War: Warhammer III.
The Kossar name is descended from an Ungol clan that previously fought as mercenaries for the Gospodars against the other Ungols when they first invaded. As a result, joining the Kossars is seen as a way of cutting one's ties and escaping a difficult past. The officers accept anyone who can pass the fitness tests, and Tzar Boris Bokha granted new Kossars a full pardon for any crimes committed before they joined the unit. This pardon does not, of course, apply to crimes committed after becoming a Kossar.[1b]
Contemporary Kossars include both Ungols and Gospodars, and they have more than their fair share of criminals, bored younger sons, and general troublemakers. This structure means they have an even worse off-duty reputation than most soldiers of the Old World. Their boyars do not keep records of the number of Kossars executed for their crimes against civilians, as the numbers would be too embarrassing.[1b]
Kossars concept art created for Total War: Warhammer III.
The Ice Queen, Tzarina Katarin Bokha, would like to restore the Kossars' pay and increase the size of the Kislevite army, introducing elements of cavalry to the unit. However, many Kislevite nobles, both Gospodar and Ungol alike, are very suspicious of any moves to increase the size of Kislev's standing army and have encouraged Winged Lancers and Ungol Horse Archers to see any attempt to include cavalry in the standing army as an insult to their own prowess.[1b]
On the other hand, Kossars are extremely effective in battle, as they are trained constantly and drilled in battlefield tactics and manoeuvres. This reputation is widespread, so a Kislevite settlement facing imminent attack is always glad to see the Kossars but also keen to see them leave again.[1b]
Kossar Variants[]
Aside from the standard Kossars that make up the bulk of the Kislevite military, some Kossar units are either uniquely equipped or simply comprised of more skilled and experienced warriors.
- Bokha Palace Guard - The Kossars of the Bokha Palace Guard are fearsome and elite warriors selected from the ranks of the Kossars to guard Kislev's royal Bokha Palace and its reigning tzar or tzarina.
- Streltsi - The Streltsi are firearm and halberd-wielding Kossars who hail from the city of Erengrad.
- Kossar Champions - Kossar Champions are the officers of the Kossar regiments who serve as the warleaders of Kossar regiments.
Armoured Kossars[]
An Armoured Kossar as depicted in Total War: Warhammer III.
Armoured Kossars are full-time soldiers, either paid by the Kislevite crown or simply supported by their wealthy families. As such, their time is spent entirely either training or carousing. They are dour, grim-faced killers on the battlefield, but after the battle is done, they are the most belligerent, boisterous, and hard-drinking of all the celebrants at a victory feast. Arrogance, reinforced by undeniable results -- these are warriors as good as an ordinary man can hope to become.[3]
Armoured Kossars wear heavy scale armour above the waist, and sturdy reinforced boots, though their legs are clad only in baggy trousers. This is a weakness in protracted melee combat, but it helps them resist undue fatigue -- and keep pace on a long march.[3]
Unlike their more common counterpants, who act as both melee and ranged troops, Armoured Kossars are primarily front line melee infantry, wielding both shields and axes or two-handed greatmaces in combat against the enemies of their Motherland. However, all Armoured Kossars in a regiment are also equipped with pistols as a secondary ranged weapon. These pistols, while limited in ammunition, provide the Kossars with a powerful first punch, softening charging targets before they are met in melee by Mother Kislev's most ferocious sons.[3]
Notable Kossars[]
- Grigori Medvezhiy - Medvezhiy was a fearsome Kossar Champion, renowned for his strength.
- Olav Pendestäg - Pendestäg is a former Kossar who has since given up the life of a warrior.
- Watchmen in the Night - A secret police force of Kislevite Kossars who root out opposition to the tzar or tzarina's rule.[3]
Miniatures[]
.png "Kislev Kossars (Command and Units).png (753 KB)")
.png "Kislev Kossars (from Reddit - Kislev Army List & Lore).png (1.76 MB)")
Trivia[]
The Kossars appear to be a reference to the Cossack people of southern Russia and Ukraine.
The term "Kossar" is a compound of the Russian/Ukranian "Cossacks" and the Polish-Hungarian "Hussars", both terms describing two separate classes of heavy and light mounted cavalry prevalent in the military forces of Eastern Europe as early as the 14th century which saw extensive use until the start of World War II.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realm of the Ice Queen (RPG)
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 120
- 3: Total War: Warhammer III (PC Game)
Gallery[]
