Garlean Military and Armament

[Wadoka]

Roman legions were made up of 10 cohorts named first to tenth cohort. Garlean cohorts would most likely be the same (except possibly the number per legion), so those are 1st-8th cohorts of the XIVth legion.

Yes, but as we're about to go all military-history badass on ourselves, you'd say that was the IDEAL Legion. As you know, realities, funds, troop availability, commander's preferences all acted to see that the ideal 10-cohort legion was a very rare Eagle, just like a Centurion rarely commanded *just* 100 troopers

I still wonder why the Garlean field troops are named after Gladiator types... it may mean nothing, I know, but there IS a big philosophical difference in a battle-ready legionnaire with gladius, pilum, and verutum; and fighters trained to die gloriously for entertainment in an arena.

[gornotck]

That implies that Garlemand trained them in any way, and didn't just deal with insurrection by taking all the willing and able fighters and throwing them into the Armies to keep them under watchful eye. They could promote certain, actually capable and suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, members of the subjugated in order to KEEP them down by giving them false hope of becoming part of the greater nation. Hope is morale, morale keeps people from rebelling, rebellion is put down by burning everything and everyone down to unborn children, then salting the earth and poisoning the wells.

[A_Magical_Unicorn_Rider]

That implies that Garlemand trained them in any way, and didn't just deal with insurrection by taking all the willing and able fighters and throwing them into the Armies to keep them under watchful eye. They could promote certain, actually capable and suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, members of the subjugated in order to KEEP them down by giving them false hope of becoming part of the greater nation. Hope is morale, morale keeps people from rebelling, rebellion is put down by burning everything and everyone down to unborn children, then salting the earth and poisoning the wells.

I heard something like this once…

http://youtu.be/FFvN2y9PI3s?t=1m3s

[Enkidoh]

That implies that Garlemand trained them in any way, and didn't just deal with insurrection by taking all the willing and able fighters and throwing them into the Armies to keep them under watchful eye. They could promote certain, actually capable and suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, members of the subjugated in order to KEEP them down by giving them false hope of becoming part of the greater nation. Hope is morale, morale keeps people from rebelling, rebellion is put down by burning everything and everyone down to unborn children, then salting the earth and poisoning the wells.

You're pretty much on the right track - version 1.0 had an Echo-scene where the player saw Garlean soldiers rounding up Ala Mhigan children and brainwashing them into zealously hating the beastmen and the Primals - within moments the kids go from scared orphans into anti-beast men zealots, and are then taken by the soldiers back to a waiting Garlean airship, their fates unknown, but presumably they're then taken into the military and trained as soldiers.

Having said that, not all Garlean troops are brainwashed or even believe their dogma - remember Dest the marooned Garlean Juggernaut pilot in Eastern La Noscea? All he wants is to save up enough money to return to his wife and family on Othard, as he hates the military and doesn't follow any of Garlemald's ideologies - suggesting he was forced into the military against his will and simply did what he had to do to survive, and that being marooned gave him an opportunity to escape Garlemald's attention without reprisals.

This also explains why he simply didn't just return to Castrum Occidens - they probably would have reprimanded him, maybe even executed him, for 'insubordination' or some other trumped up charge. Unfortunately though, he seems to be more the exception than the rule when it comes to Garlean troops shown in the game.

[Magis]

Snip

There is probably a mandatory conscription, with a punishment of imprisonment or worse execution.

[Melinia]

They could promote certain, actually capable and suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, members of the subjugated in order to KEEP them down by giving them false hope of becoming part of the greater nation.

Except that what we learn about Gaius and his subordinates seems to suggest the opposite. Gaius's non-Garlean subordinates actually seem to be pretty much unique within the Garlean forces, largely due to the racial prejudices of the Garleans. That also further suggests that Gaius himself is meritocratic to a degree not present within most of the Empire. On the one hand, he and his subordinates needed to be stopped. On the other, it seems almost a shame to be forced to kill what appears to be the one Garlean in a position of power who isn't hindered by the racial prejudices of his countrymen.

I also find it ironic that the one subordinate to survive the bloodbath (Nero), is also the one who is potentially the biggest disaster waiting to happen.