Cossack Hetmanate

Cossack Hetmanate
Faction information
Ruler	Hetman Bogdan Hmelnitski
Claimant	Ivan Barabash

“	The Cossacks fight for their freedom and dream of one day forging their own state, one like the Polish Commonwealth, and just as powerful. But in this new nation, the Catholic Pole -- the lyakh, as the Cossacks call him -- he would no longer find himself among the gentry. Instead, all titles would be held by Orthodox Cossack leaders. Some years ago, the Zaporozhian Host, in a series of bloody battles, forced the Polish crown to grant them limited sovereignty, but now the times have changed. Today the Ukrainian Hetman fights under the hand of the Tsar of Moscow.	”
— Jaques de Clermont

The Cossack Hetmanate is a Ukrainian state that existed from 1649 to 1764. The Cossack Hetmanate was also called the Zaporozhian Host. The nation, located in the middle to southern region of Eastern Europe, is comprised of wild-spirited independent fighters lead by Hetman Bogdan Hmelnitski.

The Cossacks fight against the Polish Commonwealth for their freedom. According to Jaques de Clermont, the Cossacks earned limited sovereignty in a series of bloody battles some years ago. Catholic Poles, however, still dominate the nobility. Those same Polish nobles fear losing titles to Orthodox Cossacks if Hmelnitski's rebellion leads to the establishment of a Cossack state.

Cossack leader Bogdan Hmelnitski is forced to seek help from Russia in order to combat the powerful Poles. Together the Cossack Hetmanate and Muscovite Tsardom march on the Polish Commonwealth and the Crimean Khanate.

The Secret of the Black Mace is the main questline for the Cossack Hetmanate.

Rulers

Bogdan Hmelnitski Initial ruler

Ivan Barabash Claimant

Vassals

Army Chief Pavlo Gomon	Company Commander Ivan Hmara	Company Commander Lavrin Sinonos
Company Commander Les' Gritsenko	Colonel Anton Zhdanovich	Colonel Bogdan Popovich
Colonel Filon Jalaliy	Colonel Fyodor Loboda	Colonel Ivan Bogun
Colonel Ivan Fedorenko	Colonel Ivan Sirko	Colonel Lukyan Mozyra
Colonel Maksim Nesterenko	Colonel Martyn Pushkarenko	Colonel Matviy Gladkiy
Colonel Petro Doroshenko	Colonel Prokop Shumeiko	Colonel Timofiy Nosach
Colonel Vasil Zolotarenko	Headquarters Clerk Ivan Vygovsky

Tactics

Strengths

• Best Musketeers in the game.
• Best Dragoons in the game.
• Reliable light cavalry.

Weaknesses

• Low armor across the board.
• Few and subpar anti-cavalry units.
• Smallest unit roster.

The Cossack Hetmanate is similar to the Kingdom of Rhodoks from Mount&Blade: Warband. Hetmanate Cossacks are firearm masters on foot and on horse but their roster is small, lacking heavily armored units and good anti-cavalry units.

Hetmanate militia tier units Countryman, Poor Cossack and Poor Cossack Pikeman all perform average or above average for their class. The Countryman and Poor Cossack Pikeman are unfortunately the only anti-cavalry infantry units available to the Hetmanate but they are so poorly equipped (scythe, pitchfork or short lance) it is not advisable to use them any more than necessary.

Hetmanate mainline troops are Zaporozhian Infantryman and Netyag. The Zaporozhian Infantryman is the best mainline musketeer in the game outperforming or equivalent to rival nation’s elite musketeers. The Serduk is an upgrade being the best musketeer in the game with the best stats and equipped with Miquelet Muskets. The Netyag is equipped with a pistol and have good firearm stats however they are best suited for a light or medium infantry role due to their medium-high armor, 1H stats and lack of infantry alternatives for the Hetmanate. Finally, the mercenary Tatar Infantryman is equipped with a bow and is unremarkable, best used as a meat shield or filler.

The Hetmanate Cossacks have three great units to fulfill a dragoon role: Djura, Watchman and the elite Zaporozhian Cavalryman. You will quickly and easily have access to the Djura and then the Watchman over time, both also serving as light cavalry for the Hetmanate. The Zaporozhian Cavalryman is the elite of the Hetmanate, the best dragoon equipped with medium-heavy armor spawning with either a Lance, saber or AP weapon able to counter inferior cavalry or infantry. The Pike Watchman is quite useful and capable of charging enemy cavalry but exceedingly average and lightly armored so expect them to die in numbers. Finally the Tatar Cavalryman suffers a similar fate to the Tatar Infantryman, outclassed by better alternatives but can be used as filler.

Troop tree

Town Recruits	Mercenary Camp	Village Recruits
Garrison Commander Poor Cossack Poor Cossack Pikeman Infantry Commander Zaporozhian Infantry Netyag Countryman Cavalry Commander Djura Heavy Infantry Commander Serduk Heavy Cavalry Commander Watchman Pike Watchman Personal Guard Commander Zaporozhian Cavalrymen Mercenary Commander Tatar Infantryman Tatar Cavalryman	Infantry Cossack Mercenary Infantryman (recruit) Cossack Mercenary Infantryman (experienced) Cossack Mercenary Infantryman (veteran) Cossack Mercenary Infantryman (elite) Marksman Cossack Mercenary Rifleman (recruit) Cavalry Cossack Mercenary Cavalryman (recruit)	Countryman Poor Cossack Poor Cossack Pikeman

Territories

The territory of the Cossack Hetmanate starts with the following Towns, Fortresses, and Villages.

Battle Cries

• insult marks lines heard in the middle of a battle.
• death marks lines heard on the death of a character.
• victory marks lines heard at the end of a battle by the winning side.

Trivia

• The Ruin was a period of time from Bogdan Hmelnitski's death in 1657 to the election of Hetman Ivan Mazepa in 1687, which was full of continuous strife, civil war, and foreign intervention. It ended when Hetman Ivan Mazepa was elected and brought stability and order to the state.
• The Hetmanate was incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1764.
• In the game's code, the Cossack Hetmanate is referred to as rhodok; the Kingdom of Rhodoks being similar in that in its history it also revolted against the "main" faction — the Kingdom of Swadia in the lore of classic Mount&Blade — compared to the Polish Commonwealth in With Fire & Sword.

Wikipedia has an article on this subject at: Cossack Hetmanate

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