Amber currently has standing forces that number around 36,000 soldiers (representing about 7% of the total population of Amber). This is a rather substantial increase from their pre-invasion numbers. Caitlin has been using the recent invasion, the ongoing problems with Quentin, and the opportunity presented by not having her father around to quash her budget requests to expand the size of Amber's forces. They consist primarily of enlistees from the city of Amber and recruits from the Golden Circle kingdoms, leavened with a scattering of soldiers brought in from Shadow. Although there are no overt restrictions on the gender of recruits and Caitlin has been trying to encourage more women to join to help alleviate the personnel shortage, the army remains about 70% male.

Infantry wears ring mail jerkins and is armed with broadsword and round shield. Archers use longbows and are also capable of fighting with sword, albeit not with the quality of dedicated infantry. Cavalry are similarly equipped except that archers draw smaller bows. Uniforms are a dull brown meant to blend in to rock or forest. Insignia are a dull gray designed not to create reflections that might give away the location of the soldier wearing them. Rank insignia are gray and worn on the collar. Unit insignia are black on a gray field and are worn on the sleeve. Unarmored soldiers have their name stitched on their breast in black. Shields are unornamented.

The standard organization of the army is as follows, although this sometimes varies for special units.

Note that these numbers include command and headquarters staff. A commander normally also commands one of the subunits of his command. So for example, a platoon usually consists of four squads commanded by sergeants and a fifth squad led by the lieutenant who commands the platoon. Similarly, a brigade usually consists of one platoon commanded by the captain in charge of the brigade and a second platoon commanded by a lieutenant (who also serves as executive to the captain). At present, these commanders are relatively inexperienced thanks to the damage the Army suffered on the Field of Blood. Although the most of the highest level commanders survived, losses among the lower ranking officers were appalling. Of the sixteen divisional commanders, four were wounded and ten killed.

The nominal commander of all of the armies is the Defender of Amber, who holds the rank of Marshal and is always a Prince of the Blood. However, the Rangers are under the command of the Steward of Arden and the Fleet is under the Mistress of the Seas, both of whom are also Princes of the Blood. The exact relationship between these three arms is somewhat unclear and depends as much on the personalities of the three commanders as on any formal hierarchy. As a general rule, the Defender considers herself supreme commander and that Steward and Mistress of the Seas are ranks equivalent to colonel. The Steward and the Mistress of the Seas, on the other hand, generally consider themselves to be equals of the Defender. As long as the King held the office of Defender, this was rather academic, since he was clearly entitled to give orders to everybody simply by virtue of being King. Since the office has been split, this has become rather more of a practical concern. In practice, the Defender has so far avoided trying to assert direct authority over either the Rangers or the Fleet, while the Steward and the Mistress of the Seas respond to "reasonable" requests from the Defender, with neither side forcing the issue one way or the other. The King could resolve the issue, but chooses not to. Similarly, it is not entirely clear whether the Amber Guard is under the authority of the Defender or whether it reports directly to the King. Certainly, the Seneschal, speaking for the King, exercises more day-to-day authority over the Guard than the Defender does, but it is unclear whether this is a matter of convenience or a reflection of the actual chain of command.

The Amberite forces are divided into three Armies and assorted special units.

The Army of the Valley - 10,000
Commander: Colonel Johan Rhyss
Based at the army's fort in Garnath (which is still being reconstructed after being destroyed in the invasion), the Army of the Valley forms Amber's first line of defense against invasion from that direction. It consists of 5 divisions of infantry, 3 divisions cavalry, and 2 divisions of mounted archers. The infantry are based at the fort and other small outposts, while units of cavalry range through the valley on patrol, usually in platoon strength. The Army of the Valley trains primarily for mass set-piece battles. They know that, in the event of war, their front is the one most likely to be struck. They take their patrols very seriously, along with their responsibility to hold the line until Amber's other forces can be brought up to support them, though the price of this responsibility has only recently been brought home to them. The Army of the Valley bore the brunt of the invasion of Amber and lost more soldiers on the Field of Blood than any other part of Amber's army. Six of the seven divisional commanders were killed, and the seventh was seriously wounded. Of the senior officers, only Colonel Rhyss escaped unharmed. Their insignia is a silhouette of the fort.

The Army of the Pass - 10,000
Commander: Colonel Lathan Seifert
The Army of the Pass is based in a series of small outposts scattered throughout the mountains surrounding Amber. Although Amber has never been attacked from this direction, the King considers it important that no flank be left undefended. The Army of the Pass consists of 6 divisions of infantry, 3 divisions of archers, and 1 division of engineers trained in the construction of field fortifications and guerrilla warfare. From their many outposts, the infantry patrol the mountains, usually in squad or platoon strength. The Army of the Pass trains primarily for skirmishes, hit-and-run raids, and defense of fortified strongpoints against numerically superior foes. Stationed in remote areas, where communication if difficult and uncertain, the Army of the Pass is the most autonomous of Amber's military units. Knowing that orders from headquarters are rare and reports of any difficulties that they might encounter might take a considerable time to reach their base, the Army of the Pass prides itself on its independence and self-reliance. Their insignia depicts a mountain pass.

The Army of the Mountain - 5,000
Commander: Colonel Paolo Trayton
Based on the flanks of Mount Kolvir, the Army of the Mountain is Amber's reserve force, ready at a moment's notice to follow the Defender into battle on any front that is threatened. In the meantime, the Army patrols the area around Kolvir, watches the seas, and trains for war. Knowing that it will fight only in major engagements, probably at the direct command of the Lord Defender and with the survival of Amber itself at stake, the Army of the Mountain takes its training very seriously indeed. Members of the other armies might note that the fact that the Army of the Mountain has little enough else to do is perhaps also a factor in this zeal. The Army of the Mountain consists of 2 divisions of infantry, 2 divisions of cavalry, and 1 division of mounted archers. The 2nd (infantry) division is almost entirely new; the division was destroyed, almost to a man, in King Martin's Charge on the Field of Blood. The Army of the Mountain is based at Castle Amber and a series of outposts along the flanks of Kolvir, particularly overlooking the sea, from which the soldiers keep watch for invaders. Their insignia is a silhouette of Mount Kolvir.

The Eyes of the Unicorn - 100
Commander: Major Jared Nollie
The Eyes are the scouts and messengers of the Amber Forces. They are ride the fastest horses available, wield sword and short bow, and are unarmored. Many also travel with a small collection of birds for carrying messages. One third are assigned to each of the armies, while the remainder, under Major Nollie, are scattered among the other commands (City, Castle, and Naval Headquarters) for use as messengers. Those assigned to the Castle are also available to carry messages for the Defender. The Eyes consider themselves to be an elite unit, playing up the stealthy aspects of their mission, in particular. They invite only the cream of the army into their ranks and play up their reputation whenever possible. More than any other group, they resent the Shadow Guard, which they see as encroaching on their turf. Their insignia is, unsurprisingly, an eye. They paid a terrible price on the Field of Blood, where six of their officers, including their commander, were killed and the other three wounded. For several months after the battle, they were commanded by a sergeant; the highest ranking Eye who had avoided injury.

Logistical Command - 400
Commander: Major Carleton Purnell (and Captain Tauren Ransford, Surgeon)
The Logistical Command provides the medical and supply services for the rest of the army. It consists of two medical brigades (one squad assigned to each division of the three Armies and one to the Castle) and two supply brigades which operate as their own command and range between the all the units in the army ensuring that they are maintained with adequate supplies of food and materiel. The medics wear no armor. They may, at their option, carry a sword for defense. Members of the supply platoon wear swords for personal defense and may wear armor at their option. They ride heavy horses and have wagons at their disposal. Mules and llamas are also available for transporting supplies across difficult terrain. The insignia of the medical platoon is a unicorn's horn, while the supply platoon wears a wagon wheel as their badge.

The Shadow Guard - 30
Commander: Commander Juliana Durrant
The Shadow Guard was instituted by Caitlin and serves as her personal guard, operating outside the structure of the rest of the army and reporting directly (and only) to her. They serve as personal guards, messengers, and scouts to Caitlin and are sometimes assigned to the headquarters of the various other units to serve as scouts, carry messages, and serve as "advisors" to the unit commanders. Their leader holds the rather ambiguous rank of Commander, which is used nowhere else in the army and is of uncertain equivalence to the more traditional ranks. The other members of the Shadow Guard hold no rank at all; all are equal to each other. Where they stand in relation to the rest of the army is somewhat less clear, but, as they often carry Caitlin's orders, it is often best to consider that they are speaking with her voice. Some say they can communicate with her telepathically. The Shadow Guard is entirely female. Most of its members were recruited out of Shadow by Caitlin herself, others are volunteers from Amber City or the Golden Circle kingdoms. It is an elite unit, of uncompromising loyalty, its members forbidden even to marry or bear children for fear that outside obligations will create a divided loyalty. The Guard's detractors note that it isn't entirely clear whether this vaunted loyalty is to Amber or to Caitlin. Members of the Shadow Guard carry whatever weapon is appropriate for their current mission and are said to be able to kill with any weapon or with none. Outside of Amber, they said to be skilled in both technological weapons and the use of magic. Three each are assigned to the Amber Castle, Amber City, and the Armies of the Pass, the Valley, and the Mountain. Five more, including the commander, are Caitlin's personal guards and staff, two of whom normally accompany Caitlin at all times. The remaining ten are available for "special missions". Technically speaking, three of them should also be assigned to the Rangers, but Caitlin hasn't quite figured out how to sell that to Dexter yet. Their uniforms are solid black. They wear no insignia. They are also called "the Black Widows", "Caitlin's Eyes", or "those lesbian bitches from hell", although not to their faces.

The City Watch - 500
Commander: Captain Kyle Hyde
The Watch is primarily the police force of the city of Amber, although they also defend the city against attack alongside the regular army. In a dire emergency, part of the Watch could be called to the field to assist the regular forces. Because of their police duties, calling the entire Watch out of the city would be nearly unthinkable. The Watch is armed with rapiers and crossbows. All Watchmen are issued armor. Armor is mandatory while patrolling the city's perimeter. While on patrol inside the city, the wearing of armor is at the discretion of the individual officer. Watchmen do not wear the standard army uniform; their uniforms are dark blue and bear the insignia of a disc, in gold. The Watch also eschews military rank, using police ranks (lieutenant, sergeant, detective, officer) instead. They normally patrol in groups of two to four and are trained for actions in groups of this size, rather than mass battles. Although they will fight in defense of the city, they are only nominally under the authority of the Defender.

The Castle Guard - 192
Commander: Prince Root, Captain of the Amber Guard
Sometimes called the Unicorn Guard, this elite fighting force is responsible for the defense of Castle Amber and the protection of the royal family. Its role is both military and ceremonial. The Guard is the public face of the armies of Amber, manning the castle gates and walls and standing guard at state functions. Because they are often present at state functions, they must lend grandeur to the Castle, yet their mission is deadly serious: The protection of the King and his family. While the Guard will fight alongside the army if the Castle is attacked, the Captain has more frequent cause to deal with the Seneschal and the King than he does with the Defender. In no event would the Guard leave the Castle undefended except, perhaps, to send some of their number to accompany the King into the field. At any given time, sixty Guardsmen are on duty at various points throughout the Castle and four more are assigned to protect the King (the twelve most frequently assigned to this duty are sometimes referred to as the Royal Guard). The Guard normally wears swords and goes unarmored. They also have ring mail and crossbows, which they arm themselves with in the event of military operations. Their uniforms are pure white with gold trim. Their insignia is the unicorn, white on a black field.

The Rangers 5,000+
Commander: Prince Dexter, Steward of Arden
The Rangers live in Arden and defend it against all comers, securing the forest approach to Amber. Because they rarely leave the forest and visitors are discouraged, little is known about them. Even their exact numbers are unclear; about 5,000 are believed to have survived the Field of Blood, but it is unclear how many others remained in Arden during the battle and whether Dexter has rebuilt their numbers. Rangers frequently appear in forest camouflage and have been seen to wield swords and bows. They are frequently accompanied by fearsome hunting dogs. The Rangers answer only to the Steward...frequently, they refuse even to speak to outsiders. The Steward answers to no one, but the rest of the army assumes, perhaps optimistically, that the Steward would go along with the plans of the Defender in the event of war. Short of war, the army tends to ignore the Rangers, except for the luckless Eyes who get assigned there as couriers.

The Fleet - 5,000 sailors and 60 ships
Commander: Admiral Grace, Mistress of the Seas
The Fleet is responsible for the defense of Amber from naval attack, the protection of Amber's shipping, and, through the auspices of the Mistress of the Seas, the maintenance of Shadow Paths between the Golden Circle Kingdoms. The Fleet has about 60 ships for these purposes, although only 17 of these are actual warships, the remainder being armed merchantmen and coastal patrol vessels.. In the event of war, several dozen other vessels can be called up from the Golden Circle Kingdoms. The Fleet tends to operate on its own and interacts little with the rest of the Amber forces. It has its own system of ranks, as well as its own uniforms and insignia. Although the fleet was untouched by the recent fighting in Amber, the marines took heavy casualties when Grace lead them onto the Field of Blood. Nonetheless, it was their valor in disabling the enemy siege engines that helped turn the tide of the battle.

Shadow Armies (23,000)
There are two armies located in Shadow near Amber, which the Defender may draw on in time of emergency. Each army numbers about 10,000. One is a feudal army consisting of knights and pikemen, the other can only be described as a barbarian horde. They are not considered part of Amber's normal standing forces and are not integrated into its force structure.