"As they approached the castle our hearts sank. Braganza's men never lost or fled and we knew we were doomed. Our captians began to explain how safe we were behind the walls, but a crossbow bolt cut him short. No one wanted to be the next victim."
- —The mercenary Gunter Friesheim, in his report on the capture of the "impregnable" fortress of Schloss Adlerberg.[1a]
The Braganza's Besiegers are heavily armoured crossbowmen skilled in the use of pavises. They're without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best mercenary regiments ever to come out of Tilea.[3a]
Lead by Luka Braganza the Braganza's Besiegers are a famous band of Dogs of War mercenaries that hails from the Tilean city-state of Miragliano, trained and maintained as heavily armored Crossbowmen. These veteran crossbowmen are typically equipped with thick plate Armour that protects the Besiegers from most harms, allowing them to fight against their foe's both in range and melee combat. The mercenary company uses a certain type of shield called a Pavise, which acts as a carriable shield either strapped into the Besiegers back, to protect the crossbowen while they reload, or stacked them up in a line to act as a make-shift barricade. The armour they wear is stylized in the exotic Miragliano style, with many wearing red-crested helmets. They have a strong rivalry with the Marksmen of Miragliano, both of whom are veteran crossbowmen mercenaries hailing from the same city.[1a]
History[]
"INVINCIBILITY AT NO EXTRA COST!.....Braganza's Besiegers....Late of the service of the prince Borgio the Besiegers. Besiegers now seek the patronage of a noble Lord or famed adventurer.....They are Veterans of a THOUSAND BATTLES....Their EXPERIENCE in siege warfare is UNSURPASSED....Accept no Substitute!"
- —Recruitment Poster of Braganza's Besiegers[1a]
A member of the Braganza's Besiegers
The ingenious Borgio the Besieger, the Prince of Miragliano, originally employed the famous regiment of Besiegers, as a special siege unit of crossbowmen during times of war. Borgio wanted marksmen who could pick off defenders on the walls at close range in the face incoming enemy missiles, hold ramparts against assaults, provide missile support for their main infantry, sappers, miners, siege towers, and if need be, stand their ground against enemy units sallying out of the besieged fortress. Braganza's troops soon proved their worth in Borgio's many sieges and turned out to be equally good as a rearguard in open battle.[1a]
Having stormed, starved out or received the surrender of pretty much every city or fortress that he ever besieged, Borgio was well pleased with Braganza's Besiegers and offered to find them work in return for a cut of the profits. Braganza accepted Borgio's offer at once, knowing full well that to refuse Borgio's kindness was not only impolite but also a terminal course of action. Soon the besiegers took ships for Tobaro where they took part in the siege of the pirate stronghold on the island of Cera-Scuro. Then they were hired by the Dwarves to help recapture a very strong Dwarf outpost in the badlands, which has been overrun by Greenskin warbands.[1a]
Braganza's and his men were paid handsomely for their deed with massive chests of jewels and gems, and after finishing their mercenary contracts, the regiment began the long trek back home to Miragliano through hostile territory to deliver Borgio's agreed share of the loot, for no one ever double-crossed Borgio and lived. They battled their way across the Apuccini Mountains during the dreaded winter, and fought off various dangers that the mountains hold. Such dangers included Bandits, Orcs, Beastmen, Empire Robber Knights, Tilean outlaw bands, renegade Bretonnian commoners who had treacherously slain their lord, starving and extremely desperate Halflings, even more hungry and desperate Ogres, and even the notorious Red Company of Remas, whose captain had a vendetta against Braganza. However, all of these attacks were stopped by the determined warriors of Braganza's company and their steady resolve during combat.[1a]
Manifests about the Braganza's Besiegers
On entering Tilea, they heard new's that Borgio had been treacherously assassinated and his mighty Dogs of War army had either disbanded or split into different fractions fighting in the streets of Miragliano. Without Borgio, the company had to seek other princes for employment, less they too disband. The company luckily were hired by Lorenzo Lupo, the prince of Luccini and were sent to Sartosa where a grueling war against the many pirates lords of the islands took place. Since then, the Besiegers have fought for many master's in sieges and open battles, always standing like walls of steel, only adding to their already legendary reputation.[1a]
Emmelbad's Liberation[]
Manifests about the Braganza's Besiegers
Prince Harald Stigvasson was ruler of the city of Emmelbad, until his overthrown by the hand of Count Ziminski with the support of the Braganza's Besiegers. During the victory celebrations that followed, they formed his guard of honor.[1a]
Stigvasson during his exile put a bounty on Luka Braganza and every member of the Besiegers. But before he could set up a new mercenary army he was murdered during the festival of St. Munccia. It could never be clarified whether it was killed by an assassin of the Skaven, due to some cheese scarred all around his body, or rather on behalf of an agent of Ziminski.[1a]
Appearance[]
The Besiegers wear full-plate armor in the exotic Miragliano style and carry a large pavise on a back-strap adorned with various snakes and daggers.[1a]
Miniatures[]
The Braganza's Besiegers were sculpted by Alan and Michael Perry. Their aesthetic was based on European early, late 15th century crossbowsmen. Their look was strongly realistic as both sculptors managed to make those models ready to print before GW could ask for a more fantasy design.[4]
Trivia[]
The Braganza's Besiegers are a reference to the real-world regiments of Balestrieri Genovesi, particularly renowned for their skill and the use of pavises sustained by a servant during the reload time.
The name of the company could be a referance to the Operation Braganza, a military battle won in Deir el Munassib by the Italian army against the British one during WWII.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 1a: pp. 32-33
- 2: Warhammer Chronicles 2004 (6th Edition)
- 2a: pg. 64
- 3: White Dwarf 226 (Magazine)
- 3a: pg. 43
- 4: A Tavern in Tilea: Michael and Alan Perry on Dogs of War
Gallery[]
