Hundred Kingdoms: Household Guards

Although their equipment may vary from house to house, the oldest noble houses have been using the same weapons and equipment for centuries. A blend of functionality and aesthetics, every guard in their house is clad in a heavy cuirass over chain mail or padding, and armed with a halberd. The richer the family, the more ornate the armour and helmet, but one thing is guaranteed: they will be functional. The halberd has been the traditional ceremonial weapon of all guards in the Hundred Kingdoms for centuries, and the guards of the houses are no exception. However, these veterans have mastered the weapon to a level that the massed troops who normally use them could never hope to match.

On the battlefield, it is not uncommon to see the Master of a House personally leading his House Guard. Leaving the gallant exploits of chivalric combat to the younger generation, and with his security guaranteed by the presence of his trusted Master-at-Arms, more than one veteran Noble Lord has turned a battle around by leading his House Guard to break the enemy infantry line.