| « | Brave foreigners and fearsome soldiers who have left their families to answer the King's call. Kyrat has adopted them as her own because she knows that her best interest is in their hearts. May Pagan's light shine upon them all. | » |
|
King Min's Kyrat | ||
The Royal Guard is an elite branch of the Royal Army, and an enemy faction in Far Cry 4. They are based in Kyrat and are commanded by Yuma Lau. They can be found patrolling the North and Himalayas.
Compared to the Royal Army they are better trained and equipped, with access to modern weaponry and vehicles. They can be compared to the Privateers and Yaran Special Forces, albeit much better equipped than the Privateers and using more durable body armour.
Background[]
When Pagan Min controlled a large Triad Empire in Hong Kong, he formed and enforced his will with a large army of hired mercenaries under the command of himself and Yuma Lau. When he set his sights on the small, failed state of Kyrat as an escape due to his allies planning his downfall, they accompanied him. They then followed him in allying with the Royalists during the First Kyrati Civil War against the Nationalists. After they stormed the Royal Palace by force, they killed the distant heir to the throne and betrayed the Royalists, successfully making a hostile takeover and establishing themselves as the new government of Kyrat.
Following the takeover, remnants of the Royalists swore revenge against them and formed the Golden Path within the same year. As Pagan formed his new military, he knew that along with his new Royal Army, he would also need a dedicated force to deter attempted coups from Royal Army themselves and found his answer in loyal gang members and mercenaries. These gangsters and mercenaries, along with dedicated members of the Royal Army, some remnants of the Nationalists, and native Kyrat civilians who simply showed intense loyalty, formed the Royal Guards in 1987 in the wake of Second Kyrati Civil War.
In the past, the Royal Army used to guard the entirety of Kyrat alongside the Royal Guards but were eventually transferred out of northern Kyrat and stationed primarily in the south of the country. A likely reason that the Royal Army was transferred out of northern Kyrat might be to prevent them from launching a coup d'état. This means the Royal Guard duties include the unspoken duty of deterring a potential Royal Army coup against Pagan Min, for many of them are his old Triad gang members who have been serving him and Yuma Lau for decades, while the native soldiers of Kyrat might take advantage of their overwhelming numbers to turn against the foreigners who rule over their country. Such trust in the Royal Guard was not misplaced, for their loyalty is indeed unshakable. Even after Pagan Min is gone, they refuse to surrender despite mostly being mere criminals and mercenaries, showing an intense loyalty to Pagan Min that goes beyond wealth and power. They will continue to abuse civilians and fight against the Golden Path across Kyrat. If every outpost and fortress is cleared, all Royal Military presence in Kyrat will be totally eliminated, except for random events and any leftover missions the player has yet to do. However, even after taking over all outposts, fortresses and beating all missions, random encounters will still happen often. In addition, there are places where Royal soldiers tend to spawn regardless, mostly in various locations around the north. These spawn areas are not considered outposts or even random encounters, they are just groups of respawning soldiers. A similar system happened in Far Cry 3, where Pirates and Privateers would always spawn in certain fixed locations no matter what, even after the game was finished.
If Ajay stays with Pagan Min right at the start of the game, the fate of the Royal Guard is unknown.
Equipment and Organization[]
As the elite extension of the Royal Army, the Royal Guard are well-trained and equipped. The standardization in uniforms and roles gives the Royal Guard the appearance of a proper professional army. Depending on the role, they can be seen equipped in clean light-blue camo fatigues and red pants, berets, ballistic helmets, or masks, and ballistic vests covering their torsos. Numerous articles of equipment is often seen strapped across their bodies. Their weaponry is also of a higher standard than that of the Royal Army. Like the Royal Army, they can be seen looting temples of their artifacts, brutalizing civilians, fighting rebels, poaching animals, patrolling roads, and guarding outposts. A specialized branch of the Royal Guard trained to operate in high-altitude climates exists, and they can be seen wearing heavy jackets in snow camo pattern. Made up of former-triads and Kyrati citizens who have shown extreme devotion to Pagan Min's regime, their loyalty is unshakable. They will explicitly express their loyalty and devotion to Min while in battle. They are stationed primarily in northern Kyrat, protecting Pagan Min's regime and enforcing his rule. Notably, a large contingent of the Royal Guards is stationed at Pagan Min's palace.
As compared to the Privateers from Far Cry 3, the Royal Guard use very tough body armour that makes them durable bullet sponges. While a Privateer Defender would instantly die from a single arrow to the chest, a Royal Guard Defender can survive up to three arrows to the chest, and oftentimes up to 20 bullets from a weak pistol or SMG. Royal Guard Heavy Gunners are the most durable enemies in the entire series to date (barring the Shangri-La exclusive flamers), being able eat well over a hundred shots from most SMGs and assault rifles, as compared to Privateer Heavy Gunners that could only defend against about 60 shots from an assault rifle. They have better AI, use better tactics in combat, use helicopters and vehicles more often, and throw special smoke/stun grenades a lot at the player, making them as organized and fierce as the Yaran Special Forces.
Activities and Income[]
Royal Guards are elite forces and as such are tasked with more difficult and complex tasks than the Royal Army. They are usually found:
- Making money via hostage-taking, pillaging, looting temples, and poaching animals.
- Guarding outposts, checkpoints, prisons, drug farms and other crucial locations.
- Avenge the fallen outposts.
- Fighting in Shanath Arena as part of the challenges that opponents face.
- Using the native Kyrati people as slave labour in order to exploit the still relatively-untouched gold and mercury supplies of Kyrat.
- Running prisons and other holding areas for racketeering and bribery, controlling prisoners through fear and hallucinogenics.
- Undergoing archaeological digs in the Himalayas and Northern Kyrat in order to uncover the secrets of the Kalinag Thangkas.
Types[]
The Royal Guard is made up of fewer units than the regular Royal Army, but possess a much wider range of high-end foreign firearms, toughened body armor, and extensive training,
- Royal Guard Assaulter (Commander)
- Royal Guard Charger
- Royal Guard Defender (Lieutenant)
- Royal Guard Heavy Flamer (Commander)
- Royal Guard Heavy Gunner (Commander)
- Royal Guard RPG Shooter
- Royal Guard Sniper (Courier)
- Royal Guard Hunter
- Royal Guard Snow Operative (Commander)
- Royal Guard Pagan's Wrath convoy
Quick Review Table[]
| « | PLA, KPA, JSDF... These guys are the best of the best and they know it. Try to avoid open combat unless you have a shield or a lot of grenades. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
Royal Guard Assaulters are mercenaries, handpicked and drafted from elite units across Southeast Asia. Many spend time on the firing range, or take wilderness survival courses.
- Royal Guard Assaulters are much faster and more accurate than their Army counterparts.
- Better armed and possess more extensive training.
- Recognisable by their red berets and grey vests.
- Most common type of Royal Guard encountered.
- Can survive a throwing knife to the chest.
- Commanders are slightly stronger but only encountered twice.
| « | I thought that during the civil war, the worst thing at close range was a tiger’s claws. These guys have really been challenging that idea. | » |
|
Unknown Player | ||
Chargers are aggressive enemies, often made up of older mercenaries. Many have a short life expectancy, and spend their downtime listening to propaganda.
- Chargers are short range units that attempt to chase Ajay down and do incredible damage at close range.
- Typically, they throw smoke grenades to block sightlines from snipers to prevent kills.
- If possible take them out from range as they are extremely fast and not to be underestimated in the late game.
- Most common specialist Royal Guard encountered in Northern Kyrat.
| « | Where is Min getting this body armour? These guys can easily take half a magazine of ammo before even faltering. I guess it’s something we don’t have. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
Defenders are more seasoned troopers, promoted because of their age and experience. Most like fighting more and often spend time competing in kickboxing tournaments.
- Defenders are more efficient troopers, known for their efficiency in battle.
- They are equipped with better gear and training than assaulters.
- They have the toughest non-heavy armour in the game (9-10 shots from an AR before collapsing).
- They are vulnerable to headshots despite their helmets (Highly recommended).
- Lieutenants are more common than Royal Army lieutenants and often have a small squad nearby.
| « | One of these guys was telling me to eat shit and die as he lined up his rocket. I managed to get him in the hand, and his RPG went off. The scream he made had me busting up. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
RPG wielders are creative and fight with RPGs to disable vehicles. Many can be found crafting explosives, or repairing their RPGs when not in combat.
- RPGs are mid-range fighters that attempt to line up their RPG with players.
- They are devastating, and faster to line up their shots than Royal Army RPGs.
- Rare, and often only encountered at outposts and missions
| « | Thought Molotov throwers were bad? Think again. These guys are those on steroids. Anyone who’s willing to pick up two giant fuel tanks and charge into battle with a flamethrower is next-level crazy. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
Flamers are reckless and mentally unstable. They use flamethrowers and express dissatisfaction against Royal Guards who use safer methods of combat. Many can be found scavenging for fuel or enjoying downtime.
- Royal Guards armed with Flamethrowers.
- Incredibly dangerous, easily sets every thing around them on fire.
- Mostly immune (Commander variant is completely).
- Sustained fire will make him bend over, allowing for a better shot.
| « | The worst. Literally. These guys are walking bullet sponges. If you gotta fight ‘em, aim for the head and just hope they don’t start with the batting stuff. Still not worth it though. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
Gunners are the walking tanks of the Guards. Many are ex-riot police and were selected for their size and ability to carry a lot of weight.
- Gunners are walking fortresses with LMGs.
- Heavily armoured, they use constant gunfire to overwhelm opponents.
- Their helmets are less powerful but still requires a lot of bullets.
- If heavy beatdown is unlocked, they can be taken down (recommended)
- They are extremely slow, so running away is not a bad idea if needed.
- Commanders are only found in eye for an eye/ assassination and at Pagan Min’s fortress (3 of them.)
| « | Most people respect the Royal Army more because the Royal Guards are almost all mercenaries… Apart from these guys. There aren’t many of them but they’re absolutely lethal. If you’re reading this, you left yourself exposed too long. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
Hunters are nomadic units that are trained in wilderness fighting. They co-ordinate with other troops and generally scout the area for Golden Path, then report back.
- Royal Guard members trained in wilderness combat that are common in the wilderness of Northern Kyrat.
- They use bows and arrows/fire arrows, kukris at close range, and can charm predators into fighting for them.
- They can only be tagged for a short time using the camera (about 5 seconds).
- They use bird chirps to communicate, making it much harder to pin down their location.
- They CAN see you through foliage, so be careful.
- However they CANNOT see through buildings (useful for outposts).
- Despite their abilities, they are somewhat tougher to kill because of their armour, but still quite fragile.
| « | These guys are the best of the best. They’ve been through hell and back. Make sure you’re not on their hit list. | » |
|
Unknown player | ||
Snipers are the Royal Guard lookouts and support fighters. Many are picked due to their good eyesight and reflexes, and many moonlight as bodyguards.
- Royal Guard Snipers are long range fighters who use Z93s to whittle down enemy combatants.
- Often seen as lookouts, they are much more perceptive than other Royal Army members.
- Not powerless up close, stealth is the advised course of action for these enemies.
- They are armed with machine pistol backups for Close range and vehicles.
- Couriers are often found driving quad bikes and scavengers - easy kills.
Trivia[]
- Three of their lieutenants in snow operation units were undercover CIA informants installed by Willis Huntley to spy on Pagan Min and Yuman Lau, especially on their drug trafficking and other secret operations.
- On certain missions (such as a certain bomb defusing mission), Royal Army soldiers can be seen in the North working with Royal Guard soldiers. The possible explanation for this is that these are new recruits to the Guard, who have demonstrated lots of skill in battle, but still haven't been fully equipped or trained yet.
- They can be compared to The Privateers from Far Cry 3, by weapons, types, and their combat tactics. However, the Royal Guard have better and stronger advanced body armor and are better equipped than the Privateers. Unlike the Privateers who cannot swim and will drown if fall into water, the Royal Guards can easily swim to safety and even capable of withstanding Demon Fish attacks on the way.
- The Royal Guard also uses body armor, but most enemies can still be killed with a headshot.
- Golden Path Rebels often lose firefights against the Royal Guard due to the Royal Guard being able to take more damage and having superior weaponry.
- Besides speaking in English, the Royal Guard also speak Cantonese. This may be evidence that they originate from Hong Kong, where the dialect is commonly used. When in combat, they will often curse the player out in Catonese. When speaking in English, they bear a strong Cantonese accent, common of English-speaking Hong Kongers. Because Pagan Min is a Hong Kong native and his Triad gang followed him from there, it is likely that the Royal Guard is primarily composed of Chinese nationals who followed Min to Kyrat.
- Despite all having Cantonese accents, some Royal Army soldiers will talk about perhaps one day being introduced into the Royal Guard, suggesting that at least a handful of Royal Guard soldiers are Royal Army soldiers who have been shown to be very skilled in battle.
- Some civilians can be overheard complaining about the Royal Guard. In some ways, the people prefer the Royal Army, because "at least they're from Kyrat." This would imply that members of the Royal Guard are from elsewhere, possibly Pagan's men from his days as a gangster in China. This is backed up by their Cantonese accents, and the fact that they sometimes speak in Chinese, specifically Cantonese.
- The Royal Guard Assaulter Commander only appears in "Ashes to Ashes" and "Valley of Death" if Ajay carries out Amita's plan to destroy Royal Guard artillery.
- Royal Guard Snipers and RPG Shooters have all of their natural teeth replaced with golden teeth. The Royal Guard Charger has rotten teeth.
- Royal Guard Chargers red uniforms and grey berets may have been inspired by China local militia in Tibet.
- Some feel torn, or even regretful for some of their actions while working for Pagan Min, or somehow otherwise sympathising with the citizens of Kyrat, while others seem to love their line of work, and are even slightly sadistic.
- This is in great contrast to the Royal Army soldiers, who almost always try to justify their actions, or show at least some regret or sadness in fighting the Golden Path.
- While Kyrat as of 2014 was guarded by Royal Army in the south and Royal Guards in the north, according to enemy soldiers, in the past the Royal Army used to guard entire Kyrat alongside Royal Guards.
- The reason Royal Army are sent out of northern Kyrat might be to prevent them from launching a coup d'etat.
- This means the Royal Guard duties include the unspoken duty of deterring a potential Royal Army coup against Pagan Min, for many of them are his old Triad gang members who have been serving him and Yuma Lau for decades, while the native soldiers of Kyrat might take advantage of their overwhelming presence to turn against foreigners who rule over their country.
- Royal Guard "Defenders" are Pagan Min's personal bodyguards who protect him at all times.
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
 | ||
| Royal Army | ||
|---|---|---|
| Light | Assaulter (Commander) · Beheader · Berserker · Hunter · Molotov Thrower · Sniper (Courier) | |
| Light-Heavy | Defender (Lieutenant) · RPG Shooter | |
| Heavy | Heavy Gunner (Commander) | |
| Other | Snow Soldier · Attack Dog | |
| Royal Guard | ||
| Light | Assaulter (Commander) · Charger · Hunter · Sniper (Courier) | |
| Light-Heavy | Defender (Lieutenant) · RPG Shooter | |
| Heavy | Heavy Gunner (Commander) · Heavy Flamer (Commander) | |
| Other | Snow Operative · Attack Dog | |
| Disciples (Valley of the Yetis) | ||
| Light | Assaulter · Beheader · Berserker · Hunter · Molotov Thrower · Sniper | |
| Light-Heavy | Defender · RPG Shooter | |
| Heavy | Heavy Gunner · The Awakened Ones | |
| Rakshasa | Beast · Butcher · Lurker · Scorcher | |