Verre Zon employs a standing army of both colonists and natives. Of the two, colonist soldiers are normally far better armed while the native troops are more numerous. This is deliberate; the larger native population is needed to provide manpower for the army while limiting the risk of them being able to defeat the colonist soldiers and overthrow the colonist government.

In addition to the city garrison (of around 700 colonist soldiers and 1500 native troops), there are further troops in the surrounding settlements – whether locally raised militias or private troops employed by the governor – which the Conclave may draw upon when needed.

Terms for groups of soldiers are fairly simple, to avoid confusion between warriors with backgrounds in different command structures. A 'unit' is a group between 40 and 100 men (colonist units are normally smaller, as are cavalry units) with smaller groups referred to as 'detachments' normally part of a unit. Several units together are called a 'Company' if mostly infantry or a 'Banner' if they include a large cavalry component. 'Army' is anything with more than one Company or Banner.

Most of the fighting is done against the Ameyatl, in almost routine skirmishes called Flower Wars where the Ameyatl try to bring back captives for sacrifices to appease their gods. On the other side of this are crusading orders fighting to convert the Ameyatl, either out of belief they are barbaric heathens who need destroying or out of sympathy to free them from the control of their bloodthirsty gods.

Colonist Soldiers:

The standing colonist forces of Verre Zon's army are an organised, professional army. Rather than grunts or goons, the colonist soldiers compensate for their low numbers with devoted training and high quality equipment. Primarily they practise pike and crossbow warfare, although this is far from the only means, as the need for colonist soldiers means almost any method of war is welcome in their ranks.

Other options prized by the colonist army are firearms (musket-like weapons such as calivers) for their ability to punch through shields and scatter tightly packed enemy formations, lance-armed cavalry for powerful and decisive charges and to exploit the relative lack of horses of the Ameyatl and other hostile native tribes, and field artillery to bombard the vast armies that Ameyatl and other hostile native tribes are typically able to field.

Each unit decides its own livery or uniform. Standard-issue (as in if you want better, bring your own) leans towards 'puff-and-slash' outfits of study cloth in unit colours. The puffing and slashes aid ventilation in the hot climate and the sturdy cloth can snag an arrowhead or blade enough to save the soldier from a potentially killing blow.

Common standard-issue armour is a mail shirt or lorica segmentata (Roman style) worn over the padding, covered to keep off the sun. Helmets are either skull caps or kettle hats (helmets with brims like metal hats) worn under cloth hats to keep the sun off, the helmets are often designed with small holes to lace the hats over the top. Commanders or the soldiers themselves are free to supply better armour from their own resources.

Plate armour is rare in the god-awful heat. Solid plates block ventilation and absorb too much heat to the wearer, magical charms on the armour may keep it cool, but these are expensive. Half-suits or three-quarter suits of armour can be seen on well-paid soldiers, only the very rich can afford complete full plate.

The demand for more colonist troops leads to lax recruitment standards (limiting quality). In fact, providing a unit colonist soldiers can gain a small governorship and a seat on the Conclave. This leads to the practise of 'imported conscriptions', where a man joins Verre Zon's army by passing out drunk in a tavern on another continent (or be otherwise be too drunk, terrified or clubbed unconscious to resist) and wake up on a ship floating across the ocean heading towards Verre Zon to be drafted into the army on arrival.

Foreign mercenaries instead of being mistrusted often receive courtesy bordering on deference from the colonist population, as new colonist soldiers are much needed and each mercenary is seen as a potential new soldier to join. Natives are generally less impressed.

Native Troops:

Almost anywhere under Verre Zon's domain, native troops will outnumber colonist soldiers by 2 to 1 or even 3 to 1. The few areas that do not are usually controlled by heavily racist governors that oppress the local native population with near-slavery, suppressed education and unfair laws.

Otherwise expect a native unit to be most of the local watch or militia. Colonist soldiers are expected to spend more time in training, leaving less time to use them as watch, there are also too few colonist soldiers to make an effective colonist watch, and the language barrier would be an obstacle as well. As a result, only a few small areas have a colonist watch.

Most native troops are armed with their traditional bronze and obsidian weaponry (mostly spears, bronze maces, clubs with obsidian blades, bows, slings and javelins), wear padded cotton armour and carry wooden shields. Some commanders of native units ignore this policy and provide steel weapons for their troops, but must somehow provide it themselves, as the Conclave will not pay for them.

Officially the reason for this is that the Conclave claims native troops are more effective using their traditional weaponry, but it is common knowledge that arming native troops to the same standard as colonist soldiers is considered a security risk.

Both integration and segregation exists between native and colonist soldiers. The expected model is a native unit with a colonist commander, but there are also native units with their own commanders and a few mixed native/colonist units as well.

While many of the commanders respect their men, it is true to say that native units are frequently considered more expendable than colonist units. This is not just because of natives being second-class citizens, but because they are far more easily replaceable due to the higher native population.