Old-school infantry.

[Emperor Norton II]

Best way to describe the "Darkness" series is to take WW2 and change all of the principles into fantasy creations.

Algarve = Nazi Germany, Unterlant = USSR & Kuusamo = USA, with a number of changes.

The primary weapons employed are magic fueled weapons supported by giant armored covered dinosaurs in the role of tanks & dragons as attack aircraft. All of the kingdoms still in the fight have a proper sense of Combined Arms operations by book three. The principle combats have already resorted to mass-death magic to fuel the fire, and the Kuusamoians have their own little magically Manhattan project going. Book five looks like it will have a reenactment of D-Day and Bagration.

[consequences]

Both of my choices start out enhanced, even without the equipment they have outside their bodies. Leaving the tech advantage aside I would still pick the Cadre, because with a population measured in the trillions their Empire couldn't find ten thousand people who could meet the standards required.

[greenmm]

I’m unsure who the heck “Duke Phelen's Company” is but after seeing who the other contestants are, I nominate any of the nations currently fighting it out in Turtledove’s Darkness series. As far as weapons and tactics go they are far ahead of the Freemen (first Dune novel), Aiel, Urek-Hai.

From Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksenarrion series. Medieval-style mercenary company, skilled at fighting in formation, acknowledged as one of the best, if not the best, fighters in their world.

[HemlockGrey]

In that case...


The Black Company. At their height in the North, 6,000 men commanded by the Captain. Kickass infantry.

[Vejut]

Even more kickass when they start being clever.

Dunno, I'd probably go for the fremen though. They made elite Sadrukar look like pansies...