Since its inception in 2046, the English Army (A.K.A. The king’s army) has been one of the greatest fighting forces on the planet. With virtually un-rivalled levels in equipment and training, it has been a major activist in world affairs.

During the rebellions in Italy it was the King’s armies that saw the most action, eventually being the last force to leave after the Rebellion took control of the Italian government, thus controlling the Italian army. The fought a searing rearguard action, holding two Corps of Italian infantry at bay for almost two years.

It was one of the last forces to commit during the initial crisis in Spain, mainly due to lack of available regiments, most of which were fighting in Norway against rogue elements of the Norwegian Army. When the King’s army arrived in Spain, it was only in time to fight a rearguard action on the border with France, where they held the Sultan’s forces for almost seven months, before getting the order to retreat.

The next major action that an English force took part in was the battle for Calais, where they held the sultan’s armies outside the walls, allowing the last elements of the exhausted Russian 7th army to escape back to England, and from there on to Russia. In this action the King’s armies had started out with about 13,000 men, but at the end of the action there were less than 2,000 men still able to fight. It was a serious blow to English military superiority, and the remainder of the 1st army was pulled back for a refit.

During this time the 4th and 6th armies had returned from Norway, and were almost immediately put into the new defensive line, known simply as the ‘Paris line’. Its main purpose was to buy more time for the last defensive line, on the eastern bank of the Rhine to be completed, a line designed to hold the Sultan’s armies permanently. In the start the Paris line was a resounding success, the English and Polish armies that held the northern sector of the line holding. But to the south the French 2nd army was having a bad time of it, and soon they were in full rout to the German border, and supposed freedom. This left the English army in an awful position. If they stayed they could buy more time for the Rhine defensive line, but would be encircled and smashed by the rapidly advancing Sultan’s armies. General Hoops of the 1st Lancers (OC King’s armies in France) made the decision to retreat. During a fierce storm the left under the cover of darkness, reaching the Rhine eight days later.

The Sultan’s armies were so shocked at the speed of the Anglo/Polish retreat that it took them three months to gather themselves into a perusing force, but by this time the Rhine defences had been finished and the combined 1st, 4th and 6th English armies had formed a solid barrier to any breach attempt.

After almost 10 years of trying the Sultan gave up o the so-called ‘wall of steel’ and pulled back to the old Paris line to re-think his tactics. During this time the 1st and 6th armies had been replaced in the field by the 3rd and 5th armies, who had proved themselves many times.

It only became apparent that the Sultan was making ready for an attack on England when a large fleet was spotted of land’s end. The shock and surprise at this meant that the English were slow to react to the new threat. The had to rely on the Welsh army to form a picket line while the 1st and 6th armies were brought back from Fighting in Iceland on a pacification campaign. But to the surprise of everyone, including the Welsh themselves, their army was beaten within a week, the Sultan’s 22,000 strong army breaking the once powerful force.

In response to this, the Irish and Scottish armies sent an expeditionary force to stop the Sultan on the Welsh border, a 12,000 strong force of the cream of their respective armies. They arrived at the Welsh border and within two days of pitching camp they were fighting off a numerically superior and stronger army. But they held, and forced the Sultan back into Wales.

During all of this, the 1st army had returned to England, Landing in New London in the end of January 2116, the 6th following on the next month. It is in February that the English armies learn that the Sultan’s force is moving again from the so-called ‘Viper’s Den’, towards the capitol city.