Boros Legion

The insignia of the Boros Legion.

What happens when you take a Paladin's righteous zeal, a Salamanders' love for burning shit, and men and women who are ALWAYS ANGRY, ALL THE TIME, put them in a giant mosh-pit blender and put it on puree? Well, most likely you'll get a bloody, gory mess, but the metaphorical answer would be the Boros Legion, a bunch of fuckawesome Paladins, Clerics and non-sucky Fighters who are led by a radiant, effeminate archangel, who's going to make you obey the law... or else. The Boros Legion's job is to basically serve as Ravnica's military/police. They like enforcing laws. And if the Azorius doesn't give them enough laws to enforce, the Boros make up laws on their own, just so they have something to enforce.

Basically, they're what the Harmonium wishes they were in terms of both coolness and ability to actually get shit done.

History

The Boros Legion was founded by ass-kicking Seraphim Sis Razia, who was a parun, or the original founders of the guilds that dot the city of Ravnica today. Y'see, Razia was a firm believer in peace, harmony and coexistence... but unlike some prissy little tree-hugging faggots, she was more than happy to kick some asses into line to get the job done. She was more than happy to literally wage war on the crime of Ravnica if it meant ensuring everyone's safety and individual justices, so she created a bunch of fellow archangels like her and built up the plane's best - and, virtually, only - professional army.

Now say what you will about the guild's more controversial aspects... y'know, the zealotry, the violence, the mass executions and all that shit. While the Anon writing this little tid-bit may be a bit biased towards the Boros Legion, if it wasn't for them, order would have broken down in Ravnica a long time ago, especially given all the extra-dimensional bullshit invading Ravnica from time to time. Even if they're a bunch of hard-ass motherfuckers, they're the only ones outside of the Conclave and maybe the Senate to have good intentions in mind, only unlike the former group, they aren't gonna be a bunch of collectivist douchebags to get the job done. No, once you're in the Legion, you're in it for life; and while they can be quite extreme in their goals, they're the reason why Ravnica still exists to this day.

Structure

Alright, so. There's basically three different power bands within the legion, the Angels, the Guildmages, and the Legion of Wojek/Boros Army. The simple version is that the angels are in charge of the whole shindig, the Legion of Wojek serves as the police force, the Boros Army as it's military, while the Guildmages act as sort of the commander's "link" between the divine and the petty mortals. To paraphrase, this is the power rundown:

Angels were above and outside of the regular hierarchy. They provided inspiration and direction and only occasionally do they swing their fiery swords in battle. Any angel of any status outranked a mortal Boros member.

• Power Band 1: Razia — The Parun of the Boros Legion. A demigod in all-but-name, she's revered by all of the Legion.
• Power Band 2: The Angelic Warleaders — Basically the top brass as far as angels go; they make all of the military decisions for the lower echelons.
• Power Band 3: Firemane Angels — The angels that actually do shit on the battlefield. Not involved in strategy or politics.
• Power Band 4: Battleforce Angels — The rank and file of the angel echelon.[6] They are strong and loyal and many.
• Power Band 5: The Boros Guildmages — The highest power band among Boros mortals, the Guildmage was the only rank that could initiate contact with the angels. They're basically the angel's subordinates who served as generals for the rest of the Legion.

Below the rank of Guildmages, you have the League of Wojek and the Boros Army. The League of Wojek are basically the police force of Ravnica, making sure to root out any crime and more-or-less serving as the standing garrison in the city. The Boros Army are called in in case some really fucked up shit is going on, to pretty much put the executioner's axe on the assholes breaking the law.

• Power Band 6: The Commander-Generals — The guys in charge of the Legion's military, carrying out the angel's orders. There's two of these guys in general: one for the Wojek League, the other for the Boros Army.
• Power Band 7: Section Commanders — Ten of these Wojek commanders are each in charge of one of the districts of Ravnica City. They used to be able to deploy the Sentinel Titans.
• Power Band 8: Shift Captains and Skyknight Captains — The Wojek Shift Captains are the highest rank that currently patrols the streets. The Skyknight Captains command the Skyknights and the rest of the Boros soldiers. They fly the skies on colossal rocs, which give them a great vantage point from which to command a battle. On the ground as often as they’re in the air so as to communicate with the ground troops.
• Power Band 9: Wojek Embermages — The combat mages of the League of Wojek. Specializes in burning shit up. Duh.
• Power Band 10: Lieutenants / Skyknight and Skyjeks — Lieutenants are the most clever and experienced of the street patrol Wojek, and answer directly to the Shift Captain. Ace fighters in the air, the Skyknight Legionnaires and the Skyjeks and their rocs hold the respect and awe both of the Boros rank and file and of the Ravnica citizenry.
• Power Band 11: Wojek Sergeants and Sunhome Enforcers — These bad boys are standard street patrollers while Sunhome Enforcers are soldiers who have proven themselves worthy of guarding the Sunhome fortress.
• Power Band 12: Wojek Apothecaries and Flame-Kin — The healers of the League of Wojek, the Wojek Apothecaries are necessary in the many scrapes that occur on the streets. The flame-kin are bipedal elementals that have been touched by the angels of the Boros. They are passionate zealots loyal to the cause of the Legion.
• Power Band 13: Constables and Commandos — Wojek constables take care of the menial tasks that need taking care of. Boros Commandos are good soldiers perfect for what is commonly called ‘Hammer Duty’. Many of the Commandos are Ordruun, a race of minotaurs. Ordruun Commandos even outnumber human Commandos. Swiftblades are the first soldiers into combat. They're the elite marines of Boros specializing in assault and occupation.
• Power Band 14: Thundersong Trumpeters — Though they don't patrol the streets like the ‘jeks and don't occupy the trenches like the rest of the army, Trumpeters outrank all low level soldiers. They strike fear into the heart of the enemy with their song.
• "The Grunts" — The common rank-and-file police and soldiers that make up the majority of the manpower.

Guild Members

Guild Master

The Guildmaster of the Boros has been the same for the entire existence of the Guild. Razia, the Heart of the Legion, Archangel and Parun of the Boros. Razia has been the heart and soul of the Boros guild since the signing of the Guildpact. She was more like a demigod to the army than a military leader, inspiring greatness and giving hope, meaning, and destiny to her Boros followers. Just to keep the black-hearted honest, she did, on occasion, rip the battlefield with holy fire. Her sword burned with such brightness that foes averted their eyes and arrows diverted their paths. And then she got assassinated by the Dimir's guildleader, the vampire Szadek. The angel Feather was put in as her replacement, being arguably Razia's legitimate heir.

Aurelia the Warleader decided to take over and wreck anyone who didn't agree using her twin swords and PMS RAGE that would have made the Angry Marines proud, before she excuted Feather in a duel. Feather escaped because Krenko the goblin mob boss had a job to steal one of Feather's feathers, all acording to Lazav's plan.

In her second action as the Guild Master she made a deal for joint research with NIV-fucking-Mizzet where they made a collective hive mind called the Warmind Initiavtive. Based off Niv-Mizzet's Firemind, it allows the Boros to share their collective rage, making them ALWAYS ANGRY ALL THE TIME.

Guild Champions

Agrus Kos is one of the manliest men in the series. He punched the vampire who killed his Guild Master into submission, destroying the entire government in the process and then dying, only to come back from the dead just to wreck more shit. Awesome. He then destroyed the government again, saved the world 3 times over in the process. Currently in a constant battle with Szadek in the afterlife, but when he comes back he'll probably beat Jace Beleren out office and show him how it's done.

Tajic, a generic Boros soldier who has an odd blade is good friends with Teysa. She invites him over for tea now and then, plotting world domination.

Mechanics

Radiance

Radiance is all about sharing the love - in this case, the burning love that the Boros preach at the point of flaming swords. A spell with keyword Radiance will extend its effects to every other creature that shares a color with the original target. Feel the love, baby!

Battalion

The Boros is all about fighting with friends, so if you bring your best friends with you to punch somebody, you guys get stronger. Results vary depending on who you bring. A creature with keyword Battalion will activate its effect if it and at least two other creatures are attacking. Technically this mechanic debuted in Innistrad under that plane's very own CREED, but the Boros made the mechanic official.

Mentor

Like Battalion, but with a uniform effect. When a creature with Mentor attacks, it may put a +1/+1 counter on another attacking creature with a lower power than the mentor creature.

Dungeons & Dragons

Like all of the ten guilds, the Boros Legion appeared in the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, a splatbook for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Here, it was handled as a combination of Background and Faction, with the player choosing the "Boros Legionnaire" background to certify they have membership, and being able to earn Renown. This is a new system to 5e, and basically is a kind of abstractified experience; you start off as a general worker (Renown 1), and as you complete missions for the Guild or do things that get you noticed, your Renown increases, giving you increased abilities. Of course, if you publicly screw things up for your guild, your esteem will drop and you can loose Renown.

Characters from the Boros Legion are most likely to be Humans, Goblins or Minotaurs. The most iconic classes associated with this guild are the Barbarian (Zealot), Cleric (Forge, Life, Light and War Cleric Domains), Fighter (Battle Master, Cavalier, Champion, Eldritch Knight), Monk (Sun Soul), Paladin (Oath of Devotion), Ranger (Hunter), Sorcerer (Divine Soul), Warlock (Celestial Pact) and Wizard (Evoker, Warmage)

Boros Legionnaire Background

Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Intimidation Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer's tools or navigator's tools Languages: Choose one of Celestial, Draconic, Goblin, or Minotaur Equipment: A Boros insignia, a feather from an angel's wing, a tattered piece of a Boros banner (a souvenir from a famous battle), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 2 gp (Boros-minted 1-zino coins)

Feature: Legion Station

You have an established place in the hierarchy of the Boros Legion. You can requisition simple equipment for temporary use, and you can gain access to any Boros garrison in Ravnica, where you can rest in safety and receive the attention of medics. You are also paid a salary of 1 gp (a Boros-minted 1-zino coin) per week, which (combined with free lodging in your garrison) enables you to maintain a poor lifestyle between adventures.

To further represent the Guild's training and philosophical impact, spellcasters (that is, anyone with the Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature) gain bonus spells to their spell list based on the guild. For the Boros Legionnaire, that's the following:

Spell Level Spells

Cantrip fire bolt, sacred flame

1st guiding bolt, heroism

2nd aid, scorching ray

3rd beacon of hope, blinding smite

4th death ward, wall of fire

5th flame strike

Your magic often features dramatic bursts of flame or radiance. When you cast beneficial spells on your allies, they appear momentarily surrounded with halos of bright fire.

Boros Legion Renown

As with the Azorius Senate, Renown does not automatically bestow rank; you need to win the approval of superior officers first. That said, the Boros Legion has a more diverse array of ranks than their counterparts, representing different specializations.

Rank 1: Sergeant (Renown 3)

You are now the first step in the chain of the hierarchy above the common soldiers. You are given a salary that grants you the ability to maintain a modest lifestyle, and also have private quarters in the garrison. Furthermore, when undertaking a mission for the Boros Legion that requires military strength, you are automatically assigned a squad of 1d4 soldiers to back you up - don't treat these like expendable henchmen, or you will suffer the consequences as the Wojeks come crashing down on you.

Special Role: Skyknight (Renown 5, 5th level)

By applying to join the Skyknights, you have entered the prestigious aerial mounted cavalry of the Boros Legion, and will be assigned regular patrols from the back of a trained Ravnican giant eagle. That said, this eagle (called a Skyjek Roc) is an official military unit, so using it for personal matters is a significant violation of regulations. It's possible to belong to the Skyknights and the Wojeks simultaneously, giving you the unique title of "Skyjek".

Special Role: Wojek (Renown 5, 5th Level)

By applying to join the Wojeks, you enter what is one of the most feared branches of the Boros Legion; combining elements of military police and military intelligence, you have an unusual degree of independence from the regulations in order to carry out your primary roles. What are they? "Investigating" the activities of other guilds to spy on their schemes and prepare for potential threats, and to root out spies, information leaks and corruption in the ranks of the Boros Legion. Yeah, you're the IA - and keep in mind that nobody likes the IA people. The Legion has rules, but tempers also run pretty hot here. It's possible to belong to the Skyknights and the Wojeks simultaneously, giving you the unique title of "Skyjek".

Rank 2: Brigadier (Rank 1, Renown 10)

At this rank, you gain responsibilities for missions and strategies that you can't execute entirely on your own; captains address plans to you, and you break those plans down into manageable chunks for you and the sergeants answering to you. You command six squads, consisting of 4 soldiers and 1 sergeant - at least one of these squads will be made of up skyknights if you belong to the skyknights yourelf. You can assign these squads to tasks of your choosing in areas of the city where you have authority, lead them into battle, or bring one full squad with you on guild missions for extra muscle. When assigned an official mission, you always get given a Boros Charm for a little extra magical protection. Also, your personal quarters in the garrison get nicer, although your salary remains unchanged.

Special Role: Sunhome Guard (Renown 10, 7th level)

The Sunhome Guard are the elite troops who focus on protecting the Boros Guildhalls. As such, your missions upon entering this unique branch of the Legion will be predominantly slanted towards defense, from rooting out a House Dimir agent to fending off a full-fledged Gruul Clans attack, Assault on Precinct 13 style.

Rank 3: Captain (Rank 2, Renown 25)

Upon reaching this rank, you are now one step closer towards the highest peaks of the Boros hierarchy, You command a small garrison, consisting of four brigades, with each brigade comprised of a brigadier plus their 30 troops (six squads of five, made up of four soldiers and one sergeant). You regularly communicate with the warleader angels, the emissaries of the Guildmaster, and answer to your designated commander. You have a personal retinue of 2d4 soldiers and your salary increases to grant you a comfortable lifestyle.

Rank 4: Commander (Rank 3, Renown 50)

This is the pinnacle of the Boros hierarchy, at least as realistically as you are likely to see. You command one of the major garrisons of the Boros Legion in Ravnica, such as rising to command the Sunhome Guard if you were previously a member of that branch. You report directly to the Guildmaster, and are placed in charge of a major guild initiative.

Guilds of Ravnica
Azorius Senate	Orzhov Syndicate	House Dimir	Izzet League	Cult of Rakdos
Golgari Swarm	Gruul Clans	Boros Legion	Selesnya Conclave	Simic Combine