* The Kingsguard, and later its derivatives, the Queensguard, and the Rainbow Guard of ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. They're supposed to be made up of the seven greatest warriors in service to the monarch at that time, and for most of their history, they are. Deconstructed with the Kingsguard; while at the start of the series the appointees are all appropriately badass, the command is transferred to [[BloodKnight Jaime]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Kingslayer"]] [[TheOathbreaker Lannister]] in the first book, and things go downhill from there. As the books progress, members of the Kingsguard die in the war, and their replacements, instead of being selected for their skill with a sword or devotion to duty, are chosen for political reasons. Cersei eventually ensures that [[spoiler:with the exception of Jaime (who is crippled and away at war), Balon Swann (who has been sent south to Dorne) and Loras Tyrell (who was badly injured while trying to take a castle) all of the appointees are terrible fighters--so when she frames Queen Margaery for treason, Margaery has no choice but to select an incompetent fighter for a champion in her trial. It backfires spectacularly when Cersei herself is charged with treason.]] Also somewhat deconstructed with the Queensguard, in service to Dany, as it has never had more than one member at a time. 
** The bloodriders serve a similar function for the Dothraki khals, although the khals are also expected to be very capable warriors themselves.

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* The Kingsguard, and later its derivatives, the Queensguard and the Rainbow Guard, of ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. They're supposed to be made up of the seven greatest warriors in service to the monarch at that time, and for most of their history, they are. Deconstructed with the Kingsguard; while at the start of the series the appointees are all appropriately badass, the command is transferred to [[BloodKnight Jaime]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Kingslayer"]] [[TheOathbreaker Lannister]] in the first book, and things go downhill from there. As the books progress, members of the Kingsguard die in the war, and their replacements, instead of being selected for their skill with a sword or devotion to duty, are chosen for political reasons. Cersei eventually ensures that [[spoiler:with the exception of Jaime (who is crippled and away at war), Balon Swann (who has been sent south to Dorne) and Loras Tyrell (who was badly injured while trying to take a castle) all of the appointees are terrible fighters--so when she frames Queen Margaery for treason, Margaery has no choice but to select an incompetent fighter for a champion in her trial. It backfires spectacularly when Cersei herself is charged with treason.]] Also somewhat deconstructed with the Queensguard, in service to Dany, as it has never had more than one member at a time. 
** The bloodriders serve a similar function for the Dothraki khals, although the khals are also [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority expected to be very capable warriors themselves]].

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14th Apr '13 1:14:19 PM EDP

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*** To be more accurate, they were ''part'' of the guards for the King of France. The Maison Militaire du Roi de France (Military Household of the King of France) included various regiments (InNameOnly: their numbers were actually those of oversized brigades, with their company commanders holding the seniority of regular army colonels, their battalion commanders being effectively brigade generals and the regimental commanders being ''Marshals of France'') of different specialities, among which the Musketeers were the equivalents of dragoons (mounted infantry) and the most prestigious regiment due their duty of protecting the king on the battlefield. The other regiments were the Gardes du Corps (Bodyguards, the heavy cavalry and main guards at Versailles), Gendarmerie d'Ordonnance (pistol-armed cavalry), Gentilshommes à Bec de Corbin (cavalry equipped with halberds), Chevau-Légers (lit. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Light Cavalry]]), Grenadiers à Cheval (originally cavalry equipped with grenades, later heavy cavalry), the Gardes Suisses ([[UsefulNotes/SwissWithArmyKnives Swiss]] [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenary]] infantry, and the most loyal unit, guarded Versailles' exterior) and the Gardes Françaises (line infantry and ''the'' senior regiment of the whole army, guarded Versailles' exterior with the Gardes Suisses and helped policing Paris), the latter of which, due being the only one with the rank and file composed of commoners, heavy ties with the Parisian people and too harsh discipline imposed in 1788, deserted to the second-to-last non-officer (reportedly a single sergeant stayed with the regiment) at the eve of the French Revolution and was instrumental in the Storming of the Bastille.

10th Apr '13 1:11:09 PM Hytheria

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8th Apr '13 8:31:03 PM CaptainLhurgoyf

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