The Realm Fortress Riflists Regiment

The Realm Fortress Riflist Regiment (RFR) (Tipsprek: Ryk—Fortgevearystrezjimint), also known as the № 45 Artificy Regiment, is a special combat engineer regiment of the Tiperyn Realm Guard. Unlike virtually all other regiments, it is not tied to a specific Continental Army. Rather, they are controlled directly by the Cardinal of War due to their historical role as engineers serving in colonial holdings. The Realm Fortress Riflists are the only all-volunteer Artificy Regiment in the Realm Guard and since the Grand Campaigns has typically been used as a corps- or theatre-level support unit for high-risk or politically sensitive missions with or without support from maneuver units. Official missionsets for the regiment include breaching actively defended obstacles, clearing mines and improvised explosive devices, securing nuclear and chemical weapons stockpiles, constructing and manning radiological and chemical decontamination sites, demolishing corps or theatre-level objectives, building field fortifications, and providing combat engineer personnel to attach to The Parachutist Regiment.

Like most other Realm Guard Artificy Regiments, The Realm Fortress Riflists trace their legacy back to the 17th century with the creation of guard and builder regiments to man river and coastal fortifications at home and abroad. Such regiments would be responsible for maintaining the fortifications and its weaponry (including large cannons), as well as defending their area of responsibility against all threats. Originally The Fortress Flintists (referencing firearms with the same derivation as the Ovancian Fusilier), the regiment was the only of its kind to man fortifications overseas. Because of the scope of the Holy Tiperyn Realm's colonial empire, The Fortress Flintists grew to be the largest Artificy Regiment. Additionally, due to their more extensive tasks, including limited policing around fortifications and acting as the personal bodyguard for several Viceroys and their palaces. As such, they were the only Artificy Regiment to raise their own infantry companies during the colonial period, and maintained a combat- and expeditionary-oriented culture through to today.

The regiment gained its Realm combat honorific for action during the Grand Campaigns, particularly during Operation Cardenal and the following Zahner Offensive where The Fortress Flintists were responsible for creating breaches in the Goetic Army's defensive line of fortifications for Crown Alliance forces to flow through. Further, during the war the regiment was designated from The Fortress Flintists to The Fortress Riflists. The Realm Fortress Riflists are the only Artificy Regiment in the Realm Guard to have fought in every formal war Tiperyn has engaged in since 1850. They are perhaps one of the few Realm Guard regiments to do so as well—a group that only includes The Parachutist Regiment, The Realm Field Surgery Regiment, and The Ambrosia Signalists. It is also one of the few Realm Guard units to regularly attach to Realm Armada Fleet Marine units during combat operations, partially due to the Fleet Marine Corps' more frequent deployments when compared to the Realm Guard.

Current structure

 * Regimental Troops
 * 1. Artificer-Riflist Battalion (1RFR) — Combat engineers. Active-duty.
 * 2. Artificer-Riflist Battalion (2RFR) — Combat engineers. Active-duty.
 * 3. Artificer-Riflist Battalion (3RFR) — Combat engineers. Ready Reserve.
 * 4. Generator Battalion (4RFR) — Commercial-grade power generation. Active-duty.
 * 5. Constructor Battalion (5RFR) — Commercial-grade heavy construction. Active-duty.
 * 6. Heavy Maintenance Battalion (6RFR) — Heavy machinery maintenance and part production. Active-duty.

Lineage

 * Constituted on 6 May 1687 as The Fortress Flintists out of 12 independent companies
 * Reformed on 1 October 1740 as 1. Battalion (1FF) composed of companies in Avalonia and 2. Battalion (2FF) composed of companies in Kesh.
 * Moved garrison headquarters from Chimchag to Nasir on 14 April 1890. Reformed as 1. Artificy Battalion (responsible for providing military engineering support to Realm Guard operations in the Eurybian region) and 2. Fortress Battalion (responsible for manning fortifications in Kesh).
 * Reorganized on 12 November 1920 as 1. Battalion, 2. Battalion, and 3. Battalion. Primary mission was shifted from fortification garrison duties to providing Crown Alliance corps and theatre commands with military engineering support.
 * Redesignated The Fortress Riflists on 3 August 1922.
 * Redesignated The Realm Fortress Riflists on 1 January 1926. Garrison moved to Sanichklif in West Ambrosia.
 * Garrison moved to Aletaparokie in Southeast Ambrosia on 5 March 2008.