Hello,
Before talking about this civ and its concept i want to mention something :
I think that people in this forum cry a little bit too much and are too salty…
This game was almost dead with a niche community on voobly and DE resurrected it. Want it or not changes are good for new metas and to keep the game alive. What the devs have made with this game is insane. They litteraly resurrected it and many people say they are killing it…
I agree there might be some balance issues with new civs but despite all the hate the new units and civs feel refreshing. New ways of playing and also cheesy strats. On SC2 you also had cheesy strats and people did play against it just adapt and evolve. I’m tired of skirms meta which is like 70% of the games…
I think there is a very important civ that has been forgotten because it essentially shifted medieval warfare into pikes and arquebuses and litterally ended the supremacy of cavalry and knights in Europe. This civ is the Swiss States.
Some historical context :
Switzerland was part of the german holy roman empire until the population decided to revolt against lord and the empire. Cities and their lands began to ally in conglomerates against the habsbourg and they slowly gained independance and autonomy. Over the 1300s they drew in nearby towns (notably Lucerne, Zurich, and Bern), creating the Swiss Confederation, and their repeated military successes against the Habsburgs—especially at Morgarten (1315) and Sempach (1386)—strengthened their de facto autonomy within the Holy Roman Empire.
The turning key point of middle ages was when swiss pikes defeated burgondian cavalry. In the 1470s, the Swiss Confederation also fought and defeated the powerful Duchy of Burgundy, led by Charles the Bold, in what’s known as the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477).These battles showed that the disciplined Swiss infantry could crush one of Europe’s most feared knightly armies, boosting their military reputation and political confidence.
Many historians consider this event to be the end of knights and cavalry in middle ages warfrare.
The swiss mercenaries were know as one of the most dominant european elite infantry of middle ages. That’s why many Monarchs and the pope had swiss guards they were the elite of the elite. Why was it the case ?
- Swiss never broke formations prefering to die and hold until the end.
- They were well trained and had variety of equipment withing ranks a formation had pikes but also other two handed weapons within it.
- They used to go forward and used aggressive tactics instead of being slow and defensive.
- Psychological warfare europeans knew the swiss were the butchers of knights and of burgonds
- High morale and cohesion. Citizen-soldiers defending their own autonomy, with strong local bonds and reputations to uphold, tended to stand firm and keep formation under pressure.
the king of france was known to have the cent suisses which were the elite personnal guard of the king. that’s a small list of europeans kings using swiss troops for their personnal guard are there (many also used them during mid middle ages) :
1. Swiss mercenaries in general (14th–16th centuries)
During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, Switzerland (then the Swiss Confederacy) became famous for its highly disciplined infantry. Many Swiss soldiers served as mercenaries across Europe — not just in armies, but also as bodyguards and palace guards for monarchs and nobles.
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Yes, Swiss guards (in the general sense) did protect nobility — including kings, princes, and high-ranking nobles.
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They were prized for loyalty, discipline, and effectiveness, and were often seen as elite personal troops.
Examples:
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The French Kings’ Swiss Guards (established 1497): served as palace guards and protected the royal family until they were massacred during the French Revolution in 1792.
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Other noble houses and even popes hired Swiss soldiers for protection during the late medieval and Renaissance periods.
2. The Papal Swiss Guard (from 1506 onward)
The Pontifical Swiss Guard — the one that still exists today — was founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II.
That’s technically early Renaissance, not the Middle Ages, but it’s directly descended from the same Swiss mercenary tradition.
other notable mentions during late middle ages and after.
- House of Savoy (Duchy of Savoy → later Kingdom of Sardinia)
A Swiss Guard served the Savoy rulers from 1579 and was dissolved in 1798.
2) Spain (especially under the Bourbons)
Spain employed Swiss troops and had “Guardias Suizas” in the royal military structure in the 1700s (you can even see them referenced in the official Gazeta de Madrid in the late 18th century).
3) Kingdom of Naples / Sicily (later the Bourbon Two Sicilies)
Swiss units were used in the royal guard structure, with Swiss service in Naples beginning under the Bourbon transfer of the crown; Swiss regiments were active roughly 1734–1789 (and sources explicitly describe Swiss “guards” around the Neapolitan throne).
4) Prussia
A Swiss Guard served at the court of Frederick I of Prussia from 1696–1713.
5) Saxony
Saxony maintained a Cent-Suisse–type guard unit in several periods (1656–1680, 1725–1757, 1763–1814).
6) France (the one you already know)
France had the Cent-Suisses (Hundred Swiss) as an inner/personal guard tradition starting in the late 1400s, and later the Gardes Suisses regiment guarding palace perimeters.
Also common (but not “kings”)
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the Pope (the only one still existing today)
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the Dutch Stadtholder (personal guard company; not a king at the time)
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the Republic of Genoa (Doge’s palace/city gates)
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the Duke of Lorraine / later Tuscany & the Habsburg court via Francis Stephen
I think there could be an anti cavalry and infantry focused around mobile pikemen and an elite unique unique being able to be good against most units like a swiss knife. That unit would be called royal guard reflecting that they were the elite guards of royalty.
Their unique tech could be something like : Until the end :
each time a nearby unit dies units withing a nearby tile are healed by 5hp.
Any ideas how to make a swiss civ ?
