UNIT: Qin Elite Vanguard | Qin Ruishi: 秦锐士盔甲

Music: 赳赳老秦

Reconstruction of a Qin elite soldier's armor. Qin Ruishi 秦锐士 "Lit. Qin Elite Troopers | Qin Elite Soldiers" were some of the most feared troops during the Warring States era. Of the many elite warrior units of the Warring States era, Xunzi, the 3rd great Confucian scholar who lived in the tail end of the age remarked Wei Wuzu "Wei Martial Troops" is greater than Qi Jiji "Qi Assault Warriors," however Qin elites are better than all. 

Above: Heavy Qin Dynasty Helmet: The helmet is constructed based on a limestone helmet model excavated from Pit K9801 in the First Emperor's Mausoleum in Xian. Middle: AI- Assisted artwork by Jack Huang: Qin veterans (inspired by shell-shocked WW1 photos) Below: 1/6 The Great Qin Empire Qin Elite Soldier by Mo Zulong

Although Ruishi is a general term and does not mean a singular unit, the best of the Qin vanguards were widely feared, and had proved on multiple occasions they could even the most lopsided of odds- including at times where they fought against a 5 kingdom coalition and won. That discipline and ferocity will not only carry the day but shatter whole kingdoms that opposed them. Generals that astutely used them in battle~ such as the dreaded Bai Qi would wrack up a kill ratio of nearly a million vanquished enemy soldiers

HISTORICAL BACKDROP

Warriors: Standing alone in the western frontier against barbarian invaders for centuries, Qin had long been seen as a warrior culture. Qin culture was fiercely martial, and even before it was radically transformed by Shang Yang's reforms the Qin state- and by extension the Qin people possessed latent traits that Shang Yang would co opt into great effect. 

Under the great philosopher- general Shang Yang's major reforms from 350s- 340s BC Qin was radically transformed into a hyper- militaristic state. As a result of these reforms Qin began to field some of the most ferocious soldiers in this war- dominated era.

Other states may have strong elite soldiers, but the Qin fighting force as a whole were usually better, simply, the Qin army fought much more often than their peers because they were the gatekeepers of the realm and constantly at war against any invading barbarian powers that threatened to pour into the realm. 

Records by contemporary military scholars in the 4th century described that due to the state's perilous uneven terrain Qin deployed fearless suicidal shock troops unafraid of fighting in loose formation, even if needed, half naked in individual duels. Under the great philosopher- general Shang Yang's major reforms from 350s- 340s BC Qin was radically transformed into a hyper- militaristic state. As a result of these reforms Qin began to field some of the most ferocious soldiers in this war- dominated era.

THE NEW QIN WAR MACHINE

When Shang Yang was given the power to radically reform the Qin state he instituted a rapid series of transformative (and extremely unpopular) laws that transformed Qin society from top to bottom. In short, land was subdivided and portioned out to industrious farmers (limited privatization) so the state coffers are always rich and granaries full. He then made laws very draconian on a societal level- applied collective punishment to neighborhoods so that there is a sense of collective discipline and there's societal obedience. Above all, he picked a fight with all the powerful people within Qin- the clans of Qin's elites, he abolished nearly all of Qin's old hereditary nobility and made both civil as well as military posts meritorious and open to all talented individuals, be they from the rich or commoners. The aforementioned collective~ militaristic obedience and meritocracy were applied to Qin soldiers as well.

In this new system all Qin bureaucrats must be tested, all Qin generals must have proven merits, and even the Qin princes must have proven stripes in national service to be eligible for a strip of land to govern and enter the pool of candidacy as future Qin rulers. Conversely, having military merits (promoted through achievements in battle) will be greatly rewarded. Titles are awarded according to military merits, and officials must be selected from among those with titles. The military merit system gradually developed into a system of 20 ranks of titles 二十等爵制: the first level is public servant , while the upper most being the Ranged Marquis 列侯. 

1974 photograph shows the true colours of the freshly unearthed Terracotta Warriors, before rapid deterioration due to environmental exposures. According to Sima Qian's "Record of the Grand Historian," post-unification Qin Shi Huang made black the most exalted colour for all flags, banners, and court officials' clothes.

Various Qin armor made at the time of Qin Shihuang and the reunification of China under Qin. Rank insignia tassels sewn on the chest plates denote an officer's rank. Shang Yang established clear laws that rewarded great smithies and armorers and expanded their operations. In his last several set of his reforms Shang Yang standardized units and measurements for massed production. 

Qin officer and Qin heavy armor at the time of Qin Shihuang. During the last days of the Waring States many dedicated heavy troops are heavily armored, and worn helmets made of square lamellar sewn together in overlapped descending layers.

Now, all Qin military officers are promoted according to performance, from lower level officers to great generals, all the way to Qin princes. If they failed to fulfil their duties, they would be stripped of their current rank, if they lead their respective army into great calamity, they would be executed or severely punished and have their lands and titles stripped. Furthermore, 5 Qin soldiers are organized into 1 small unit, punishments for transgressions are meted out to his all of his unit. Deserters are collectively punished. If one deserted without being stopped by his comrades, the whole unit will be executed. But if he is caught and slain, his capturer will be rewarded. For context, it was with similar laws for his soldiers that Genghis Khan was able to have a fanatically obedient war machine. In Qin's case, if a soldier brings back 1 severed head of an enemy, he would be promoted up the ranks, and his family's plot of land expanded. If several, then he could even skip ranks into new heights and made to head vast portions of the war machine. 

QIN'S RAPID EXPANSION

Reconstructed Qin Ruishi (Elites) carrying a one- hand halberd 卜形戟 (not to be confused with the much shorter pick shaped hand halberd 手戟. During this era the length of the highly iconic Ji halberd varies and troopers are equipped according to their role, with some little higher than a man's height, wither others were as tall as 18 feet pikes and used as such. He is enclosed in heavy armor with sewn- on pauldrons held together by silk cords. 

Shang Yang was eventually framed then usurped during a court struggle by the newly ascended King Huiwen of Qin- who had him severely executed by being quartered by galloping horses. However, despite Shang's savage end. King Huiwen retained Shang's reforms and his war machine. During Huiwen's reign the Qin would miraculously repel a massive coalition of 5 enemy kingdoms that invaded it in a coalition at the Hangu Pass. 

ONE VERSUS FIVE: The Battle of Hangu Pass was one of the major battles of the mid to late Warring States era, where five kingdoms joined together and tried to crush the nascent Qin kingdom (it was a Duchy before and its king just declared himself a king) in its infancy. By the ferocity of its soldiers and its cunning diplomats, Qin repelled all of the invaders and ensured that after the defeat they remained divided for decades to come.

And then 1 year later, triple its size in conquest by subjugating the Sichuan kingdoms of Ba and Shu for its own. Then via trickery, goad Chu into an unprepared war and crush the Chu royal army twice on the battle fields and seizing much of what was the Chu heartland. King Huiwen would die around this point, however his capable wife Queen Dowager Xuan, Qin fortunes would continue to rise.

Rapid Qin expansion in 316. After overawing the great coalition at Hangu Pass and Xiuyu, Qin turned to all of its other troubled fronts. Using ploy and deep penetration Qin swiftly defeated the partially- Sinicized states of Ba and Shu to it's south. Then, turning its grudge filled eyes north, it looked to the Yiqu and brutally subjugated it.

The twin battles of Danyang and Lantian was a catastrophic loss for Chu. Having been cruelly deceived and intentionally provoked into rash anger, the Chu army was defeated twice and the ensuing losses resulted in the loss of the Chu heartland- Chu was forced to give 600 li of its own ancestral heartland- the basin where Chu was first consecrated 8 centuries ago to Qin to sue for peace. 

A Qin dynasty Ji halberdier of the late Warring States era wearing a full suit of armor and heavy helmet. By the Warring States era they would have their been made with bronze or iron. The 2 cheek guards are secured together by a knot.

Nearly all of its ranks, both military and civilian are highly meritocratic and without class distinction, its economy was both privatized and statist, and it had an extensive system of forges and armories. It's officers are promoted through merit alone and its soldiers are promoted and paid high bonuses based on the enemies they kill (heads.) 

1/6 QIN ELITE ACTION FIGURE BY MO ZULONG

1/6 The Great Qin Empire Qin Elite Soldier by Mo Zulong. All of the First Emperor’s terracotta warriors wear suits of armor, but most do not wear a helmet. The reason for this- as suggested by some scholars may be the nature of the terracotta army’s function: to simulate a funerary procession for their ruler. According to protocol, subordinates had to remove their helmets when appearing before the emperor.

One of the first confirmed female regents in Chinese history was Queen Dowager Xuan- the wife of King Huiwen of Qin. And mother to the dynamic King Zhaoxaing of Qin. She held defacto power for some 35 years in the Qin court and it was in these decades that Qin became an unstoppable juggernaut that crushed nearly all in its wake. After her husband's death and the unexpected death of his heir shortly after, she acted as regent of Qin for 2 years for the then minor King Zhaoxiang, but even after his ascension she held on power inside the court

TOWARD SUPRAMACY

King Zhaoxaing eventually became a nearly unstoppable terrifying figure in the Warring State age, and he would actively launch rapacious attacks and warpaths against all of Qin's rivals. At Zhaoxiang's head was the frightful veteran general Bai Qi~ the greatest general of the Warring States age who fought over hundreds of battles and according to "Record of the Grand Historian" seized more than 73 cities from the other six hostile states, and ended his career with a kill ratio of nearly a million vanquished enemy soldiers, whom to date no record has been found to show that he suffered a single defeat throughout his military career.

During King Zhaoxaing's 57 years of reign Qin crushed its nemesis of Zhao in the battle of Changping and buried hundreds of thousands of its captured soldiers (450,000 by liberal estimations.) Seized the Chu ancestral capital of Ying and its heartlands, and was so brazen as to topple the Zhou king himself. By the end of King Zhaoxiang's 50 year warpath Qin was in a position of supremacy over all of the 6 remaining kingdoms.

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