History Main / EliteArmy

** The [[SpaceElves Eldar and Dark Eldar]] as well. Relatively few models, and not particularly tough either, but highly mobile and generally decent at both shooting and close combat. Eldar troops are very specialised towards fighting certain opponents [[note]](for example, [[ActionGirl Howling Banshees]] will mop the floor with squads like the above mentioned Space Marines, but are less effective against things like [[ZergRush Tyranid Gaunts, Ork Boyz or Imperial Guardsmen]], [[ItsRainingMen Swooping Hawks]] are the opposite; their fire pings harmlessly off Space Marines, but Boyz and Guardsmen get mowed down, [[KillItWithFire Fire Dragons]] are strong against vehicles but get butchered by everything else)[[/note]] while the Dark Eldar eschew what little armour their good cousins take into battle in favour of [[FragileSpeedster even more speed]] and [[GlassCannon even more firepower]]. In-story, this is because the Eldar are a HigherTechSpecies yet also a borderline DyingRace, TheRemnant of a long-fallen empire -- so they have both the ability and the incentive to make every troop count.

* ''VideoGame/IkariWarriors'' has the elite mercenary company, the titular Ikari Warriors. Their main members, Ralf and Clark have fought from jungle campaigns to outer space on behalf of aliens. The ''Franchise/KingOfFighters'' series expands the Ikari Warriors roster and now the team shows that they have the skills to brawl supernatural martial artists and cyborgs alike.

* ''VideoGame/IkariWarriors'' has the elite mercenary company, the titular Ikari Warriors. Their main members, Ralf and Clark have fought from jungle campaigns to outer space on behalf of aliens. The ''VideoGame/KingOfFighters'' series expands the Ikari Warriors roster and now the team shows that they have the skills to brawl supernatural martial artists and cyborgs alike.

* Prussia (a descendant of UsefulNotes/TheTeutonicKnights) became known for this during its existence. One of its descriptions was the rather apt "Whereas most states possess an army, Prussia is an army that possesses a state." Led by brilliant military leaders and filled with experienced soldiers, what Prussia lost in its relative lack of a navy it regained with the sheer badassery of its army. Prussia itself essentially created Germany as a nation after breaking away from Austria and launching into a rivalry with it. The Prussian stereotype continued until the reign of UsefulNotes/OttoVonBismarck, and even during the World Wars. Hence the stereotype of the Nazis being considered [[StupidJetpackHitler the world's most advanced and sophisticaced military]].

* Prussia became known for this for a long time during its existence. One of its descriptions was the rather apt "Whereas most states possess an army, Prussia is an army that possesses a state." Led by brilliant military leaders and filled with experienced soldiers, what Prussia lost in its relative lack of a navy it regained with the sheer badassery of its army. Prussia itself essentially created Germany as a nation after breaking away from Austria and launching into a rivalry with it.

* The army of the Spanish Empire was composed of many nationalities, among them Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Dutch and some others. The Germans in particular were considered among their best line troops in the world, especially the famed ''lansquenete'' mercenaries, which UsefulNotes/GonzaloFernandezDeCordoba used to great effect in his re-organization of the Spanish army. Reportedly, UsefulNotes/FernandoAlvarezDeToledoYPimentel said in one of his letters to King UsefulNotes/PhilipII, "...please don't send me any more Italians, because it will be lost money; but send me all the German mercenaries you can get".

* Speaking of Prussia or Germany, the Wehrmacht of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany was this, able to take over Europe rapidly with Blitzkrieg tactics. The SS were even worse, following [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinism]] and being trained in TheSpartanWay. In fact, they could have won, if not for Hitler and his psychosis trying to micromanage the war.

* Speaking of Prussia or Germany, the Wehrmacht of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany was this, able to take over Europe rapidly with Blitzkrieg tactics. The SS were even worse, being trained in TheSpartanWay. In fact, they could have won, if not for Hitler and his psychosis trying to micromanage the war.

* Speaking of Prussia or Germany, the Wehrmacht of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany was this, able to take over Europe with Blizkrieg tactics. The SS were even worse, being trained in TheSpartanWay. In fact, they could have won, if not for Hitler and his pychosis trying to micromanage the war.

** Despite their growing ranks, the New Band of the Hawk made up of both humans and monsters is a small but disproportionately powerful force on the battlefield. In one instance Griffith saves Mule and a party of refugees by routing 5,000 of the Kushan empire's elite troops with no more than a thousand of his own, and in reality mostly thanks to a vanguard of just a hundred warriors who are ridiculously powerful. He repeats this feat on a larger scale when he repels Emperor Ganishka's grand army outside walls of Vritannis, using several hundred horsemen to defeat a horde that's ''hundreds of thousands'' strong!

* In ''Manga/IkkiTousen'' this pretty much describes Seitou's combat force. Other forces such as Kyoushou appears to have plenty of RedShirts sprinkled with a few EliteMooks but Seitou generally has to rely on Kan'u or Chou'un to repulse any concerted assault.

* The Jomsvikings in ''Manga/VinlandSaga'', a mercenary band from the Baltic Sea that allows only the strongest fighters in Scandinavia to join their ranks. While still little more than {{mooks}} when battling named characters, their bonafides against other armies is demonstrated in the second arc where seventy Jomsvikings take on over three hundred armed civilians and outlaws. The Jomsvikings rout them while one suffering eight casualties (most if not all inflicted on them by a named character who is implied to have once been part of [[PraetorianGuard an elite bodyguard unit]]), and killing more than 120 of their opponents. And that's only counting those dead on the field, not the injured or those who would have died of wounds away from the battlefield.

* ''ComicBook/ThreeHundred'': The Persian Immortals are supposed to be this, but don't live up to it.

* ''FanFic/WeaverNine'' features the Society, a group of morally-ambiguous castoffs and outcasts united by Weaver. In at least one instance, they successfully drive off Leviathan ''without a single casualty to their defending force'', even if [[DestructiveSaviour they inflicted nearly as much damage to the city as Leviathan would have to do it.]] Contrast with the Protectorate, who loses one in four capes in theirs and still let him smash the target in the process.
* ''FanFic/SonOfTheSevenKingdoms'': It is mentioned several times that the Legions are superior to the levies raised by the feudal system. As they are professionally trained, they prove themselves capable of taking on greater armies and prevailing.
** Even moreso for the Blades. One Blade can consider a dozen opponents an insult, and in the old days the Blades served as Aegon the Conqueror's personal elite guard after their much smaller force beat back his army and killed one of his dragons.
* In ''Fanfic/TheOpenDoor'', [=NewChaos=] know very well that they don't have the numbers to match most foes in a fair fight. But they do have a BiggerStick with their superior technology and {{Super Soldier}}s, and use it aggressively.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Ripples}}'', it's established that the Changelings were once this to the royal family of Meridian, before they TurnedAgainstTheirMasters, at which point they became a persecuted and hunted minority. After Phobos' rise to power, he restores them to this role.
* Deconstructed in ''Fanfic/XCOMTheHadesContingency''. XCOM is great at what they do, but every time the squad has had to retreat from a mission, it's because they were getting overwhelmed by superior numbers after failing to make a decisive breakthrough early on.

* ''FanFic/TheFlashSentryChronicles'': The Royal Knights are vastly superior to the standard [[RedSHirtArmy Royal Guards]]. They are the second highest security force in Equestria, with only the princesses above them.

* Deconstructed in ''Film/TheEliteSquad''. BOPE are a BadassArmy who can kick the arses of any number of drug dealers, but their low numbers means they're limited to conducting surgical raids and can't hold ground, so any progress is limited. Nascimento's complaint is that the regular police have the numbers to help them hold the favelas, but they're almost all {{Dirty|Cop}} to a man.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': The Clans number less than the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, but thanks to having a culture completely devoted to military prowess, they nearly ended up conquering the entire Inner Sphere.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The [[LawfulEvil Devils]] are this to the [[ChaoticEvil Demons]]. They field much smaller number in the [[HellIsWar Blood War]], but the soldiers are well-regimented and trained, and able to fight the practically infinite number of Demons to a stalemate.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Wardens of the White Council of Wizards fall under this trope. Their main job is actually [[InternalAffairs hunting down rogue wizards]] called [[EvilSorcerer warlocks]], but they also serve as the Council's soldiers during wartime. There are only around 200 of them in all, but this is considered to be roughly equivalent in strength to the armies of the other supernatural nations, some of which number in the ''thousands''.
** However, they do suffer losses. In particular, [[spoiler: the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Red Court]] utterly crushed them in one instance, killing 143 Wardens out of 200 in a single battle. [[CurbStompCushion It cost them twenty vampires for each dead wizard though. ]][[CombatPragmatist Plus, the Red Court caused the majority of the casualties by gassing a hospital full of injured Wardens]].]] Afterwards, they started [[{{Conscription}} drafting]] anyone who could throw a fireball into their ranks which obvious didn't help the elite status. That said, the war goes on for a few more years after that, so by the end of it all the remaining Wardens are genuine badasses with a good deal of combat experience.
* ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'' has two:
** Karyl's White River Legion of hornbow archers and triceratops with fighting castles (uses akin to war elephants) is feared throughout all Nuevaropa, and has been virtually undefeated until Rob's stunt with ankylosauruses.
** Jaume's Companions are an elite hadrosaurus cavalry unit, and you need to be both skilled and part of TheBeautifulElite to get there.
* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': The hares of Salamandastron's Long Patrol are almost always heavily outnumbered by the hordes of vermin they oppose, but ''never'' outclassed. Indeed, savvier vermin warlords know better than to seek out a confrontation with Salamandastron. It helps that the Long Patrol is usually led by a OneManArmy Badger Lord or Lady.

* In ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'', Azania's armed forces are this, not because they are more badass than their enemies, but because they are vastly better equipped. A nation of technologically advanced [[LadyLand Amazons]] in a post-apocalyptic wasteland inhabited mostly by barbarians and [[EvilLuddite technology-haters]], they field an early-21st-century-plus military with a heavy emphasis on air supremacy, guided artillery and drones, and so can threaten much larger, lower-tech enemy forces. [[spoiler: Though they underperform notably when facing the main character's unit, due to the latter's PlotArmor]].
* In ''Literature/TheArtsOfDarkAndLight'', this would apply to Elebrion, and presumably also the other elvish kingdoms. They field small numbers and little or no heavy infantry, but every long-lived elf soldier is trained to an extremely high standard by human reckoning, and they also make heavy use of magic and their air corps as force multipliers.
* In ''Creator/JRRTolkien'''s legendarium, the good guys are this. Whereas the orcs rarely employ tactics more complicated than a basic pincer movement, the Free Peoples are typically led by a brilliant and badass general (or several) capable of all kinds of surprises. They are also typically extremely well trained, well disciplined and zealous. It is something of a subversion/deconstruction though, since the good guys ''very'' frequently end up losing military engagements (defeating the BigBad through some other means). It particularly applies to the Noldor when they arrive in Middle Earth, in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' and kick the orcs from the sea-coast all the way back to their headquarters of Angband.
** Also particularly applies to the elves of Ost-in-Edhil led by Celeborn. A few hundred elves hold off a numerically superior force of orcs for three days, before Elrond arrives with reinforcements from Imladris and breaks the siege. The vast majority of the elves are then able to escape from the city, which has to be abandoned since its location is now known, and even get to take most of their belongings with them. Celebrimbor had also sent the rings of power away to their intended bearers before Sauron's army got there, foiling his schemes to take them and distribute them himself. Sauron's only consolation prize for having his army decimated is the death of Celebrimbor. To put the icing on the cake, Sauron is unable to learn the location of Imladris: thanks to Elrond being friendly with the dwarves of Khazad-dûm. It's one of the few decisive elvish victories.

* ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'' has the White River forces of voivod Karyl Bogomirskiy. Made up of triceratops cavalry, archers with horn bows (composite bows) that outrange the crossbows typically used by other armies and Karyl's own allosaur Shiraa. With these elements, the White River company has been undefeated at the start of the series.

** Karyl's White Legion of triceratopses (uses akin to war elephants) is feared throughout all Nuevaropa, and has been virtually undefeated until Rob's stunt with ankylosauruses.
** Jaume's Companions are an elite hardosaurus cavalry unit, and you need to be both skilled and part of TheBeautifulElite to get there.

* The ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' franchise utterly adores this trope, with the villains typically being a small-knit group of very powerful irregular soldiers who, in turn, command a large number of {{Mooks}}, such as [[Videogame/MetalGearSolid FOXHOUND]], [[Videogame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty Dead Cell]], [[Videogame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater The Cobras]], and [[Videogame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots The B&B Corps]].

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': The Zero Division is the Spirit King's PraetorianGuard. They only appear when the 3,000-strong Gotei 13 has faced an enemy its strength is outmatched against. The Zero Division consists of five individuals who together possess more power and strength than the entire Gotei 13 combined.

* When applied to high school delinquents, one example is "Kitano's Hekikuu Army" in Manga/AngelDensetsu. They have only four main fighters but won a fight against a far more numerous enemy force in the last chapter.
* In ''Manga/IkkiTousen'' this pretty much describes Seitou's combat force. Other forces such as Kyoushou appears to have plenty of RedShirts sprinkled with a few EliteMooks but Seitou generally has to rely on Kan'u or Chou'un to repulse any concerted assault.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', despite that only the top 10 trainees in each class can join the Military Police, it's the weakest of the three corps because of their almost total lack of experience. The Survey Corps, which is also the least respected by the way, is the most powerful one, since they fight titans all the time. Soldiers who survive their first battle are regarded as real soldiers by Erwin Smith, which means the Military Police is full of "pseudo-soldiers".

* Due to their comparatively little population and little military culture, Carthage fielded armies formed by large masses of vassals and mercenaries of various elite status. Their best people were usually their Hispanic troops (their medium cavalry had no real match to this side of Persia, and their line infantry came with such deadly swords that the Romans adopted them as soon as possible), as well as the Numidians (who had horses just as fast and absolutely excelled in hit-and-run tactics). This sometimes included Lybians, a rather mediocre heavy infantry division that could however shine when applied in the right moments and places of the battle. Unfortunately for Carthage during the UsefulNotes/PunicWars, not even this could compensate that, aside from basically Hamilcar and UsefulNotes/HannibalBarca, Carthage never had strategists to match.
** The city also used to have a citizen unit named the Sacred Band (similar to that of Thebes, although apparently without the BattleCouple aspect), although, in a subversion, it was elite only in name, having a really lackluster record before being disbanded.
** At the time of the first Punic war, the Carthaginian navy was so prestigious that modern estimates believe they might have been a match for Xerxes' fleets during the UsefulNotes/GrecoPersianWars. However, the Romans constantly learned from their engagements with the Carthaginian ships, such that the effectiveness of Roman warships increased dramatically from the war's beginning to the war's end.
* The army of the Spanish Empire was composed of many nationalities, among them Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Dutch and some others. The Germans in particular were considered some of their best line troops, especially the famed ''lansquenete'' mercenaries, which UsefulNotes/GonzaloFernandezDeCordoba used to great effect in his reorganization of the Spanish army. Reportedly, UsefulNotes/FernandoAlvarezDeToledoYPimentel told in one of his letters to King UsefulNotes/PhilipII that "...please don't send me any more Italians, because it will be lost money; but send me all the German mercenaries you can get".
* In the first decades of the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors had overwhelming military advantages over the native American peoples. The Iberians belonged to a more militarily advanced civilization with better techniques, tools, firearms, artillery, steel, and domesticated lifeforms (horses and mules carried them, pigs fed them, and dogs fought for them, while the European diseases they brought didn't affect them as much). As a result, small armies of just a few hundred Spaniards often engaged successfully indigenous forces reaching the five digits, helped by the fact that the Spanish side could win just by breaking their enemies' will after steamrolling the first engagements (throw it in that people of Mesoamerica rarely fought total wars, limiting themselves to so-called "flower wars", whose purpose was to collect prisoners to sacrifice to the gods, so fighting long campaigns of attrittion was alien to them). After the first alliances between natives and Spaniards, such those signed by UsefulNotes/VascoNunezDeBalboa and UsefulNotes/HernanCortez, conquistador armies became a multi-national issue, with a small core of Spaniards acting as the tip of the spear and a much larger host of indigenous allies acting as support.
** The Confederacy of Tlaxcala, the rival to the Aztec Empire that backed Cortés for most of his campaigns, also had their own army division. They would use his main army to serious engagements, but for frontier scuffles they would first trusting on forces of Otomí and Chontal Mayan vassals.

* In Hong Kong-based toyline, Acid Rain World, factions such as the Agurts federation and Omangan empire have this dynamic with their military. The Agurts rely on their militia elements such as the Sand Troopers for the bulk of combat while their Spec Ops such as the Bucks Troopers and Zodiac Marksmen are the last line of defense. Meanwhile for Omangans, their conscript elements such as the Gendarmes are basically cannonfodder to throw at the enemy until they collapse. But the Omangans' real fighting force is the Abbadon Army - the soldiers in this elite army are either combat robots (a.k.a Puppets) or have been made into cyborgs and the Abbadon Army has its special branch of SuperSoldier called the Reborn Troopers, who are first subjected to genetic engineering before undergoing the Omangan's most extensive bionics program.