The Confederation

Gritguard

During the time of the Primarshals’ Coalition, before the war against the Asylumists reached its bloody heights, the Gritguard were the most common soldiers on the battlefield. They were men and women sworn into service, outfitted with basic armour and weaponry, and sent to take the fight to the enemy.

Millions fought in the Asylumist Conflict, and millions lost their lives to it. After suffering such staggering losses—and facing the prospect of further brutal wars in which countless more would perish—the lives of soldiers could no longer be squandered as they once had been. The Gritguard could no longer serve as the disposable infantry of yesterday’s wars. Sythopia had changed, and the new Confederation had to change with it.

Gritguard still serve on the front lines, although not in the same manner as before. Piloting immense battle suits, they provide a living element among the robotic phalanxes of the Tin Men and other Mechanised Infantry. Each Gritguard is fitted into the torso of a towering metal behemoth, which links directly to their nervous system and grants them complete control over the mechanical monster’s body.

Advancing behind the ranks of Tin Men, they lay down supporting fire and coordinate the forces around them. Where the Gritguard of old were thrown into the thick of battle with merely an ‘adequate’ chance of survival, the modern Gritguard are well-protected and cherished assets. There is no hope of winning a war of attrition against the enemies of this new world, and so a soldier’s life is now held in the highest regard.