Structure of the Arcer Army
The structure of the Arcer Army is based around the brigade and its regiments, or the basic self-sustaining combined arms formation in use since the First Great War. The Army as a whole has several components, from active or regular forces to its reserve or territorial forces, and in addition to this numerous Corps, Regiments, and Branches that exist to govern to overarching culture, heritage and tradition of the Carnish Regimental System.
The largest changes to the Arcer Army come in the form of Arcerion Headquarters Staff Orders, General (AHQSO), which can direct units to stand up, dissolve, create new formations or bases, and also serves as listings of Honours & Awards. This page aims to provide a rough overview of the Arcer Army in its current stance, although it is subject to constant change.
The Arcer Army still technically recognizes the Carnish Crown as its commander-in-chief, but due to the Carnish Civil War, of which the Arcer Army was involved, they have had a commander-in-absentia for decades, with the Governor-General of Arcerion serving as the acting commander. The only issue with this is technically no new Arcer unit can be bestowed the moniker of 'Royal,' meaning that newer Regiments of 2nd Great War creation or sooner (ie. Arcerion Commano Regiment) are not able to be considered to be created or generated by Royal decree.
History
Generic
Post Second Great War
Active and Reserve Components
The Arcer Army is made up of three components to form the 'total force.' The Regular Army, also known as the regular forces or standing army, form the full-time, professional soldiers serving contract periods from four to twenty-five years. This is augmented by a pair of reserve components, often referred to as the 'territorial force' or 'militia,' references to Arcerion's colonial roots and Carnish heritage. Reserve forces train several times a month and have a scaled readiness system wherein one reserve brigade per governorate is assigned a 'parent' Regular Army brigade to assist with its training and administration, and during this time Regular Army personnel receive Reservists for short contracts of a few months in length to increase training opportunities or provide experience. At the end of this cycle, the Reserve Brigades augment their Regular Army counterparts with several 'stand-by' companies, which are on a short call-up notice of anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Administrative
Types of Battalions
The Battalion is the foundational building block of the Arcer military. It incorporates three major elements, those being a maneuver element, combat support forces, and a rear echelon of support personnel. In the Arcer military there if three kinds of infantry battalions, all of which follow a similar template however the equipment and weapons native to each may differ.
Army Headquarters
Operational Unit Structure
Major Operational Units
1st Division (Northlea)
The 1st Division is the oldest in Arcerion, and was founded in 1852 as an administrative headquarters to manage the numerous Arcerion militia and regular units in the Carnish colony of the time. Since then, it has participated in every major campaign from the South Songun Conflict to the Final War of the Deluge. Headquartered at Dalfearn Garrison, on the Marloch River, it has the majority of Arcerion's regular brigades, including the bulk of its mechanized and armoured forces.
1 Rifle Brigade
1 Rifle Brigade, more commonly referred to as "1 Brigade" is headquartered at Dalfearn Garrison, out of the Lightfoot Barracks, which houses the majority of the units and their associated headquarters and support staffs. 1 Brigade has recently completed two operational deployments, one to the Northwestern Border Security Zone (NWBSZ) to combat insurgent forces as a result of militant refugees fleeing Varshan, and a peacekeeping deployment to Eastern Kelekona as part of the Arco-Capetian Peacekeeping Agreement. It also serves a dual purpose as supporting the procurement and development programs run by Army Headquarters, such as trialing the Pelaxian Armoured Fighting vehicle proposal as part of Pelaxia's tender for Arcerion's next generation Armoured fighting vehicle.
1 Rifle Brigade was formed provisionally during the South Songun Conflict, and participated in several campaigns in both Great Wars and was prominent during the Final War of the Deluge's Operation Pullman. 1 Rifle Brigade is centered around a pair of infantry regiments, The Royal Arcerion Regiment (RAR) and Kinnaird Grenadier Guards (KGG). These infantry regiments are augmented in turn by armoured reconnaissance and armoured cavalry from the Royal Arcerion Dragoons (RAD) and tank squadrons of the Arcerion Tank Regiment (ATR). It also encompasses its own service battalion (1 Service Battalion) and has added supporting elements from both the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Engineers (RRAE) and Royal Regiment of Arcerion Horse Artillery (RRAHA). It has a rough strength of 5,000 personnel when fully manned, but during peacetime garrison status the unit is usually closer to 85% manned due to postings, retention, and leave.
2 Rifle Brigade
2 Brigade, garrisoned at the Songun Barracks in Kinnaird, Arcerion is an infantry brigade of the Arcer Army. It lacks the heavier armour and mechanized forces of some of the other brigades due to its urban garrison, however it is permanently augmented by reserve armoured cavalry units from the Arcerion Loyal Horse (ALH), providing it with a light cavalry component in the case of a large-scale conflict. It is centered around two main units, the Kinnaird Grenadiers (KG) and the Western Arcerion Rifle Regiment (WARR). 2 Brigade also serves as one of the main proponents of the Army's new ISTAR initiatives as part of the 2022 Confederate Memo on Defence. 2 Briagade is the key partner for many unmanned aerial vehicle programs in the Army. 2 Brigade also shares the Kinnaird Garrison with the Arcerion Doctrine and Training Centre, and the Royal Arcerion Institute for War Studies, of which 2 Brigade supports both during their regular academic and military programs.
2 Brigade was created at the start of the Southern Songun Conflict, and saw action in not only the Overland Campaign, but also the short-lived landing in Easter Songun. During the Overland Campaign, its gunners became majorly involved in the Siege of XYZ, which links to its historical heritage with modern representation through a cannon as the brigade emblem. In this, it was the first regular army brigade to be commanded by an artillery officer, which occurred with Colonel Eric Fulsom shortly after the Second Great War. 2 Brigade fought as part of Operation Pullman during the Second Great War, and also distinguished itself as part of the defense of XYZ, during the Carnish Civil War, where the Brigade and specifically the Kurst Foot Grenadiers were part of the fighting withdrawal of the Carnish Army, with 2 Brigade preventing the Marxist forces from outflanking the Corp's supply lines. This action itself resulted in one of the final Royal battle honours being bestowed, with the Kinnaird Grenadiers being bestowed the "Defense of Carna" battle honour, which is still on the Regimental Colours.
4 Mechanized Brigade
4 Brigade is one of Arcerions 'heavy' or more mechanized brigades, mainly focused on peer-on-peer conflicts and mechanized warfare. It is one of the newer brigades in the Arcerion Army, despite previous incarnations of the Brigade existing in both the First and Second Great Wars as infantry brigades. 4 Brigade is centered around the Arcerion Tank Regiment and the Arcerion Light Cavalry Regiment, which are in turn supported by mechanized infantry from the Royal Arcerion Regiment and Northlea Rifle Regiment (NRR). 4 Mechanized, as one of the main units at Presdale Garrison, is chiefly responsible for the manning and support to the Arceiron Maneuver Trainign Centre, which is one of the largest military training areas in Crona, and one of the most advanced and modern live-fire brigade training areas in Ixnay.
4 Brigade was created in its modern context as part of Arcerion's military expansion post-2nd Great War, where the Brigade, despite a brief period of dissolution, was stood up again to take over Camp Presdale, turning it into the large, modern garrison and training area it is today. Since then, 4 Brigade went on to fight with distinction during the Final War of the Deluge, being part of the main Arcer thrust into Varshan and spearheading I Arco Corps up to Anzo for the eventual siege and follow-on actions. 4 Brigade also recently completed a peacekeeping deployment to Kelekona and Varshan, during both of which the Brigade saw limited combat. It is currently preparing for a deployment to the Northwestern Border Security Zone, and after that will assume a high-readiness role as part of the Cronan Security and Trade Union's high readiness forces. 4 Brigade also helps to force generate combat teams for the Arcerion Maneuver and Training Centre's Combat Team Leadership Course. During this, members of the brigade help to train and educate officers and non-commissioned officers on mechanized warfare and modern maneuver tactics using advanced laser systems and the remote command and control functions that are enabled by AMTC's modern suite. 4 Brigade also is the leading Brigade in the Army for obstacle breaching and combat engineer tasks, as the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Engineers is also headquartered at Presdale Garrison along with the Arcerion Engineer School.
5 Mechanized Brigade
5 Mechanized brigade is a primarily armoured force located at the Dalfearn garrison. It is primarily focused around the Arcerion Tank Regiment (ATR) and Dalfearn Fusiliers (DF) who make up the majority of the maneuver and line units within the brigade. Aditionally, the Dalfearn Garrison is home to the Royal Arcerion School of Gunnery, which trains all artillerymen, officers, and NCOs, meaning that the Royal Regiment of Arcerion Horse Artillery has a vested interest in 5 Mechanized Brigade, meaning it on average has some of the best howitzer and mortar gunnery in the Army. 5 Mechanized participated recently in the Varshan conflict, seeing heavy fighting on the Southern flank of I Arcer Corps, and was instrumental in destroying the Varshani 22nd and 23rd Mechanized Corps, rendering the Varshani 4th Army combat ineffective for a period of two weeks until it had withdrawn South closer to Anzo.
5 Mechanized Brigade was stood up in the early 2000s to provide additional capabilities for the Arcer Army, and under the 2022 Confederate Memo on Defence was identified as one of the three Mechanized Brigades that may be refit into a Rifle Brigade, divesting its tanks and heavier fire support enabling assets for light assets such as more wheeled armoured fighting vehicles, reconnaissance vehicles, medium UCAV and ISTAR assets, and additional deep fires assets. In addition to this, it will take on an additional reserve infantry battalion, and provide them with light infantry training to assist with the Arcer government's strategic shift towards expeditionary operations since the end of the Varshan War. 5 Mechanized Brigade has also participated in training partner countries such as Stenza on tank and mechanized operations, assisting allied nations with their experienced gained conducting this kind of warfare in Varshan.
5 Mechanized was also part of the seed units for the Arco-Paul Brigade, providing the initial cadre of staff, instructors, and equipment to stand up Crona's first joint-force brigade. 5 Brigade currently is undergoing a refit cycle where it will assume higher readiness duties, including an expected deployment to Kelekona for peacekeeping duties as soon as autumn of 2028.
11 Parachute Brigade
2nd Division (Moorden)
The 2nd Division is one of Arcerion's older infantry divisions, originally created during the First Great War with the mass volunteerism that occured during the period giving rise to the need for an additional infantry division to support the mass amount of Arcer men wishing to fight. The 2nd Infantry Division fought in both Great Wars, but is most notable for its significant role in the Carnish Civil War, during which time it had some of the few operational successes on the battlefield experienced by the Royalist forces. In modern times, the 2nd Division is headquartered at the Red Lion Barracks in Kurst, Arcerion, with its units being spread out between Easthampton and Chester-on-Moore.
7 Rifle Brigade
7 Rifle Brigade is Arcerion's premier light infantry formation. It consists of mostly light and motorised infantry formations, although the Arcer Army makes few distinctions between motorised and mechanized troops, as they both doctrinally use LAVs, only in their employment are they different. Based centrally around the Royal Easthampton Borderers (REB), Arcerion Fusilier Regiment (AFR), and the Royal Moorden Regiment (RMR). Mechanized forces in the brigade are supplemented with lighter reconnaissance and anti-tank missile formations from the Kurst Lancer Regiment (KLR).
7 Rifle is headquartered in the South-Eastern Arcer city of Easthampton, in the Southern Mountains of Arcerion. The Brigade is heavily invested into light infantry operations, including mountaineering, air assault, pathfinding, long-range reconnaissance, and a limited maritime mission training. The Brigade itself was historically part of 1 Rifle Brigade, however was detached and became its own independent formation in the 1980s with an increased emphasis on light infantry operations due to the ongoing border clashes with Washakara and Telokona requiring a more high-readiness conventional force to be prepared to respond quickly to border clashes or be deployed abroad. The Easthampton Garrison also regularly hosts the Arcerion Patrolling Competition, wherein international teams compete in a series of soldiers skills, hosted and ran by 7 Brigade, to increase training and cooperation.
7 Rifle participated in the Varshan conflict, serving as one of the main units during the Battle of Anzo, where it suffered light casualties during the fighting in built-up suburbs of the city. However, the unit's light posture allowed it to retain the flexibility to close with and engage regular and irregular Varshani troops. During the Battle for the al-Mayaar Hospital, 7 Brigade distinguished itself by avoiding unnecessary collateral damage to civilian infrastructure while still fixing the elements of the Varshani 41st Infantry Corps in place where they were destroyed by the combined efforts of 5v and 6 Mechanized Brigades.
7 Brigade also is the only Brigade to regularly deploy to the Northwestern Border Security Zone (NWBSZ), where they are regularly deploying one infantry battalion task group (IBTG) in support of domestic counter-terror operations. Thus far, all battalions from the Royal Easthampton Borderers and Royal Moorden Regiment have deployed, with 2028 being the year that the Arcerion Fusilier Regiment will take over the counter-insurgency mandate in the Northwest.
**ISTRENYAN CRISIS LORE**
3 Rifle Brigade
3 Rifle Brigade is Arcerion North-Easternmost Brigade, located at the Presdale Garrison. Commonly referred to as the "Frontier Brigade" they trace their lineage back to the militia and regular troops that pushed the borders of the then Carnish colony deeper inland, scouting, fighting the indigenous tribes, and protecting the settlers and farmers in the region. 3 Rifle is centered as another mixed light infantry and mechanized formation, with their light infantry coming from the Royal Easthampton Borderers and their mechanized infantry from the Lowland Mounted Rifles. 3 Rifle has been focused mainly on supporting civil authorities with river flooding and search-and-rescue operations due to larger than average rains in 2026 and 2027, their armoured vehicles and recovery systems able to help clear power lines and assist with fording roads unpassable to civilian traffic.
3 Rifle began as a subordinate infantry regiment under 1 Rifle Brigade but was separated and turned into a full-strength brigade during the First Great War, after which it was disbanded. It was reactivated in the Second Great War, and remained on strength until the 1950s, when it was dissolved and only a singular infantry battalion remained at Presdale garrison. In the 1980s, with increased pressure from Varshan and a larger conventional threat, it was reactivated to a full infantry brigade, with overhauls to equipment and training such as LAV-91s and modern howitzer systems and drones coming to the Brigade through the 1990s and early 2000s. 3 Rifle Brigade is currently slated for a deployment to Kelekona for 2028 as part of the Arco-Capetian Peacekeeping Agreement. 3 Rifle also maintains the schools for marksmanship and the Arcerion Infantry School's sniper program, due to its long history of frontier marksmen assisting with hunting and defending against bands of indigenous raiders.
6 Mechanized Brigade
6 Mechanized Brigade, is co-located at the Presdale Garrison with 3 Brigade. Its primary function is the same as other mechanized and armorued formations within the Arcer Army, however its allotment of light cavalry and armoured reconnaissance units is distinctly higher due to the need to screen any potential threats from Arcerion's Northern border. It was formed originally as part of 5 Mechanized Brigade, but after 5 Brigade grew too large, and the Dalfearn Garrison could not accommodate the amount of tanks, LAVs, and other associated armoured fighting vehicles, "6 Mech" was detached and moved to the Presdale Garrison to provide the farthest reaching Arcer garrison a mechanized presence.
6 Mechanized regularly rotates to the Dalfearn Garrison to participate in force-on-force exercises, and it is during these exercises it continues to reinforce its reputation in the Arcer Army for aggressive, decentralized armoured combat teams. Small marauding groups of armoured reconnaissance and anti-tank fighting vehicles hunt down large groups of tanks and softer support vehicles, which led to the adoption of wolves/wolfpacks as the Brigade emblem. During the Final War of the Deluge, and specifically Operation Pullman, 6 Mechanized Brigade itself screened against an entire Varshani Corps, and based on after-action reports, prisoner debriefs, and capture enemy documents, the Varshani believed that they were faced not by a brigade, but in fact a reinforced Arcer division. 6 Mechanized continues to also lead the Arcer Army in gunnery and anti-tank missile doctrine, and is the lead unit for hosting the annual armoured fighting vehicle trials and competitions in the Arcer Army.
Arco-Paul Brigade
4th Division (Norham & Foxhey)
8 Rifle Brigade
8 Rifle Brigade is a standard infantry brigade of the Arcer Army, centered around the Norham Light Infantry and Craigfearn Fusilier infantry regiments. It was deployed to Varshan for Operation Pullman, and was originally stood up in 2011, making it one of Arcerion's newest brigades. The brigade itself, being on the coast, has a strong territorial defense mandate, as it works regularly to drill and train over-the-beach skills and conduct long-range patrolling skills. It regularly sends its soldiers to the Arcerion Army School of Infantry to take reconnaissance and pathfinder courses, as 8 Rifle Brigade is responsible for reinforcing it's sister brigade. 9 Rifle, in the event of an enemy incursion onto Foxhey Governorate across the Malentine Sea. The Brigade itself has an additional emphasis on its mortar skills and infantry fire support companies (IFSC), where it employs heavy machineguns, static-fire kit general-purpose machineguns (GPMGs) and automatic grenade launcher systems in support of regular infantry rifle companies.
8 Rifle Brigade also regularly conducts training serials for other brigade's fire support companies, as it has modern ranges set up for anti-tank guided missiles systems at the man-portable, and vehicle-launched levels. It also hosts the Centre of Excellence (COE) for anti-tank warfare. During Operation Pullman, 8 Rifle Brigade was tasked in support of 6 Mechanized Brigade as part of the breakthrough forces, and conducted activities behind the "Wolfpack" screen, such as mopping-up operations as well as reinforcing their armorued combat teams when required, which in part led to the success of 6 Mechanized.
**ISTRENYAN CRISIS LORE**
9 Rifle Brigade
9 Rifle Brigade began as a reserve battalion subordinate to 3 Rifle Brigade, but with the increase in the need for light and airmobile infantry, that Reserve battalion was activated to a full-time status in 2009 (the first since its deactivation post-4th Bush War) and the Brigade itself began to build around a core of the Norham Light Infantry, the King's Arcerion Lancers for armoured reconnaissance, and remaining infantry units being provided by the Norham Foot Grenadiers. 9 Rifle now is one of the main leadership training centers, where it shares its garrison lines in Craigfearn with the Arcerion Leadership and Training School, where as part of its garrison activities it supports the NCO and officer professional development courses to sustain the Army's needs.
9 Rifle participated in the Final War of the Deluge, where it wa sone of the primary combat formations for Arcerion during the Battle of Anzo. 9 Rifle was the formation that seized Anzo International Airport, with 1st Battalion, Norham Foot Grenadiers being engaged in the heavy fighting around the International Terminal against regular and irregular Varshani forces. 9 Rifle at this time had only been fully operational for just over a decade, and still had a significant amount of reservists within its ranks, and despite assessments that it may not be suitable for high-intensity fighting in built up areas (FIBUA), it conducted itself well, particularly with the subterranean fighting in subway tunnels and the other tunnel systems dug by Varshani insurgents. 9 Brigade participated in the mopping up operations South-East of Anzo in the farm country there, and was a key component to the destruction of the Varshani 4th Army.
9 Rifle is currently preparing for a peacekeeping deployment ton the Northwestern Border Security Zone, and regularly has 1-2 companies of infantry with attached armoured and engineer support deployed there in support of operations.
5th Reserve Division (Dalfearn)
51 Rifle Brigade
52 Rifle Brigade
53 Cavalry Brigade
54 Rifle Brigade
6th Reserve Division (Moorden)
61 Rifle Brigade
62 Rifle Brigade
63 Cavalry Brigade