The Charge of the Vostroyan Royal Lancers

You may have seen my earlier Vostroyan Rough Rider posts

here

and here

I decided to build a squad of them, but to keep it simple with nothing more than a hat swap.

You can see how the hats were clipped off and changed with greenstuff.

The complete finished squad.

And a fluffy story I made up for the Royal Lancers;

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THE VOSTROYAN ROYAL LANCERS

Even Vostroyan nobility are not exempt from The Offering of the Firstborn, but in an attempt to protect the heirs of some of the more noble families, the Royal Lancers were formed to give them a safe place to serve out their enlistment.

The Vostroyan have little use for horse mounted cavalry, as they are well known for building masses of tanks, and other weaponry, therefore the Royal Lancers perform ceremonial and honor guard duty, and act as the Lord Marshal's escort.

Openly looked down on by the regular Vostroyan soldiers for their special treatment, it seemed that the Royal Lancers would never earn the same respect as the rest of the Vostroyan Warrior Brotherhood.

Making matters worse, when Lord Marshal Graf Harazahn's first born, and only son Alexei is old enough for service, his father appoints him Captain of the Royal Lancers. Alexei Harazahn is furious, as he wished to follow in his father's legacy as a great leader of men, and would never have the chance, living out his service doing ceremonial details as permanent commander of the Lancers.

During the Fall of Medusa V, the Lancers went to war with Lord Marshal Harazahan, and Alexie thought that he might finally lead his men in combat, only to discover that they were to be kept in "reserve" waiting for the battle to end so they could escort the Lord Marshal in the victory parade.

Alexie had reached his limit, and would set out from the marshaling fields to the forward command post to confront his father and demand a commission into a combat unit and a chance to get into the fight. Alexie tells his next in command Lieutenant Cherov to stay behind with the men until he returns, and sets out for the front lines on his trusted warhorse Arkady.

Cherov is torn between following his commander's order, and going out after him as he had sworn a secret pledge to the Lord Marshal to protect his son. The young Lieutenant decides to set out after Alexie with the rest of the Royal Lancers and struggles to keep him in sight as he heads across the rugged country.

After pushing hard through the broken wastes, Alexie spurs Arkady up the last hill and prepares himself to confront his father. As the Command post comes into sight, Alexie is shocked to find a squad of Vostroyan veterans that has just been overrun by an enemy Land Raider that has surprised the Lord Marshal's Headquarters unit with a flanking attack.

Thinking quickly Alexie leans over hard out of his saddle and snatches a melta bomb from a fallen Veteran Sergeant, then kicks Arkady to a full gallop to try to catch the tank before it grinds over the doomed command group.

Arkady closes the distance in the blink of any eye and Alexie tosses the Melta Bomb onto the possessed demon tank, then turns hard to try to outrun the blast. He just makes the distance as the small primary detonation of his charge rips into the vile machine, but the secondary explosions are so massive that he and Arkady are thrown to the ground in a violent storm of broken rock and steel.

Alexie fights to stay conscious as the smoke and debris clears, but can't get his legs out from under the lifeless body of Arkady, who's broken frame has spared his masters life. Through the dirt and blood in his eyes he sees a squad of heretic marines starting to close on him and he reaches for his holster but finds it empty, his laspistol is gone, it must have been lost in the blast. He then fumbles to draw his ornately decorated saber, its gilded guard set with jewels was built for ceremony and will be of little service now, but he will not go without a fight and at least he will die with a weapon in his hand.

The chaos marines are nearly upon him, he can hear the ground break under their heavily armored foot steps, the heavy hiss of their respirators and whine of the articulating servos in their power armor. He wonders if his father still lives, or if his family name will end here with him.

As the enemy is about to reach him, he hears a low rumbling sound, no doubt more chaos armor, to finish the assault, but it grows louder and closes fast. Alexie wipes the blood from his eyes with the shredded sleeve of his tunic, and struggles to focus looking out past the fowl hulking figures that are nearly upon him. The sound grows much louder as it gets closer and the ground starts to shake, Alexie realizes that it isn't armor at all, but the unmistakable thundering hoof falls of a cavalry unit at speed.

First a glint of gold, then a flash of crimson, then the bright flash of lasgun fire breaks through the fog of war, and the chaos marines start to fall.

Lieutenant Cherov at the front and center of the thundering wall of horse and riders, sees that his captain, and son of the Lord Marshal, is about to fall to the enemy, he bellows his order to the rest of the riders,

" With lances!......CHARGE!"

The Royal Lancers tip their golden spear tipped lances toward the foe, and in a massive crash, the lances explode against the heavy armor of the traitor marines, scattering the heretics and sending their souls to their evil daemon master.

Alexie was saved.

Unknown to Alexie, his father had watched in awe as his son single handedly destroyed the enemy land raider, and then as the men of the Lancers bravely fought to save their captain.

The Lord Marshal was filled with pride. He knew that his son would be a great leader. Alexie would have his commission.

As reward for his son's heroic action, the Lord Marshal assembled his army, and summoned his son and the Lancers.

The men of the Royal Lancers assembled in formation resplendent in their smart scarlet tunics and polished gold, as they had so many times before, but this time to be honored as heroes.

Lord Marshal Harazahn stood proudly with his son, flanked by the Royal Lancers facing out over the assembled Vostroyan Fifth. " My son, you were born to be a leader, which of these companies will you choose to lead to victory?"

Alexie looked out over the assembled ranks of the regiment. The tough and proud faces staring back at him, any of these companies was more than any young officer could hope for. He then looked around him at his men, the Lancers. The loyal sons of the noble families of Vostroya, they were filled with pride as they knew this was what Alexie had always dreamed of, but Alexie knew this victory belonged to them as well. He owed them his life, and they would have it.

"Father, I have my company."

So he would continue to lead the Lancers, but after this great day, he would lead them.......... into battle!

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After the the Fall of Medusa V, the reputation of the Royal Lancers would forever change. With the tales of Captain Alexie Harazahn's Royal Lancer's and their heroic battles, the ranks of the Royal Lancers swelled and were opened to brave horsemen from all of Vostroya.

Officer's positions are quick to fill in the Royal Lancers, and it is said that many a young nobel first born, has refused officer commissions to fine Vostroyan infantry companies, just for the chance to serve as an enlisted man with the famous Vostroyan Royal Lancers.

Hope you like,

John

P.S. Don't worry kids, Arkady the horse is to be brought back as a cybersteed for my Captain Alexie Harazahn (counts as Mogul Kamir) More on him soon.