Chevaliers Garde

The most prestigious unit in the Russian Imperial Guard, these cavalrymen can be used to batter an enemy with a destructive charge.

The Chevaliers Gardé is the senior unit of the Russian Imperial Guard cavalry, charged with the personal protection of the Tsar. Only the most experienced troops gain entry into this esteemed unit, and they are as expert in close combat and horsemanship. Armed with straight, heavy cavalry swords and protected by cuirasses, they are a force to be respected. As heavy cavalry, however, they can rarely keep pace with the light cavalry.

In 1800, the Russian Chevaliers Gardé regiment was formed by Tsar Paul, a reorganisation of the existing Chevalier Guard corps. It had been a ceremonial regiment, but after 1800 the Gardé were an active field force as well. This apparently egalitarian fairness in expecting his bodyguards to actually do some fighting was about as far as Paul’s levelling instinct went. Other reforms he carried out included shutting down all private printing presses in Russia and the banning of the words “society”, “revolution” and “citizen”. If you can’t write or talk about ideas, perhaps the ideas will die…