Does Garlemald have enough for full out war?

[Cilia]

OK, now that the other thing is taken care of and I have some time to unwind...

The Empire definitely has enough for a full-out war. It could crush any other nation on Hydaelyn... probably, if it got its act together.

While Garlemald's unity is touted heavily, when it comes down to it the Empire as a whole doesn't seem to be a very coherent fighting force. Each individual Legion functions well enough, but... if that Legion should fall, the Empire doesn't seem to respond by diverting forces twofold to deal with the threat. The VIIth, the XIVth, the VIth, and the XIIth have all been repelled or completely destroyed... and the Empire seems content to not do anything about it. With how much territory it holds, and how those forces are need to keep rebellions in check, it might not be able to - much like ancient Sparta, it needs domestic troops at home.

Now, this might make it look weak, and the Eorzeans' and Domans' ability to overcome the XIIth might not paint the best picture of the Imperial army. However... that's disregarding the fact that it took the combined martial might of Eorzea and Othard to liberate Ala Mhigo and Doma, respectively, along with a few stratagems and an enemy commander who wasn't concerned with whether he won or lost. All that, and it still took everything they had to beat one Legion spread across two territories, and it was a close shave. I think the battle that most showed how powerful the XIIth was wasn't one of the big battles, but the one for Castellum Velodyna. That one was won with deception; the Eozean military was badly outmatched and only won because the Imperials were fooled into thinking the Eorzeans had taken the Castellum while they weren't looking, leading them to run with their tails between their legs. From there on the Eorzeans just picked up steam while Zenos ordered retreats to set up his grand hunt, but the Quest Log notes that just about every battle we had took a heavy toll on the Eorzean forces.

With the XIIth downed, the Empire now has at least 10 Legions left. That's probably way more than enough military might to accomplish anything feasible... assuming they could work together, and that the Empire could afford to send them all abroad. The XIIth fell due to its opponents using every advantage they could against it, poor leadership on the Imperials' side, and a big flaw in the Imperial system. If it came down to raw military might, the Empire... probably would have won.