(06-10-2015, 06:26 PM)Chris Ganale Wrote: Short version is, you'll typically have one officer for every hundred or so mooks in a Roman-style formation like the Garleans seem to favor, and they'll be as far back from the front as possible directing their troops, so it stands to reason they won't commonly be seen in a massed battle.
This is true, but Garleans also have artillery equipped with guns (Magitek armor, etc) that they seem to use in fairly large numbers. They also, from what I've seen if I recall, don't make regular use of any sort of non-magical ranged weaponry apart from these. Garelean units seem to be all melee infantry, mages, and magitek. As noted before, fielding mages is a very potent option, but costly. As a well-oiled authoritarian machine with a surplus of able bodies and coin in the war chest, they can spare that cost.
Its entirely possible that personal firearms are more symbol of office than anything especially practical, much like a military officer's saber in the real-world gunpowder era. That is not to say they aren't deadly, especially in the trained hands of the Garlean elite, but again the reason they're not so prevalent in the rank and file might simply be because they're obsolete compared to what else Garlemald has going for it.
