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Dwarven Guild / Re: Dwarves and Military
« Last post by Scrasamax on May 15, 2013, 11:00:08 AM »The first line of the dwarven army are the merchants and free traders.
War with the dwarves starts with economic sanctions, cutting off the flow of goods from the Dwarves to the offending party/nation. As tensions start to rise and negotiations fail, the dwarven cohorts move and start cutting off trade roads and supply routes. Given that most dwarves live in mountains, they are going to have first and best access to the mountain passes. Trade can still flow, through waterways, or by taking major detours around mountains, but it is going to be hindered.
There are no sneak attacks, no pre-emptive strikes. The dwarves are an honorable warfare race (unless we are dealing with honorless creatures) and the march is deliberate. A city will know it has become a target as the dwarven host approaches, clad in heavy armor, with chariots and axes, shield biting berzerkers in the front rows and many gleaming axes, halberds, and crossbows aplenty.
This is military theatre.
At night, dwarven sappers, engineers, and saboteurs have been working diligently. The gates are known and marked, weaknesses in the walls and defenses are known, and there will have been a systematic campaign of covert operations against the target. Random fires started, mercenaries, thieves and troublemakers paid to start riots or inflame issues in the city, and if the situation calls for it, poisoning water and food supplies. Horses are specifically targeted during this time, to weaken or even completely eliminate cavalry.
The city leaders see the army marching on their doorstep, and the thieves guild has gone to open war with the assassins guild, a third of the horses are sick or dead, and the tanner's ward and meat market are still smoldering timbers and ash.
By the time the army arrives at the city or the keep, the saboteurs have already moved on, starting the next round of operations against the cities, fortresses and other second round campaign objectives.
Being honorable opponents, the dwarves are not ones to sack and raze cities to the ground, going on murder sprees and rape-rampages. A city that surrenders is going to pay a tribute to the dwarves, and will be occupied and subject to dwarven laws and tax systems. The builders and engineers follow, and the damage done is rebuilt and repaired.
War with the dwarves starts with economic sanctions, cutting off the flow of goods from the Dwarves to the offending party/nation. As tensions start to rise and negotiations fail, the dwarven cohorts move and start cutting off trade roads and supply routes. Given that most dwarves live in mountains, they are going to have first and best access to the mountain passes. Trade can still flow, through waterways, or by taking major detours around mountains, but it is going to be hindered.
There are no sneak attacks, no pre-emptive strikes. The dwarves are an honorable warfare race (unless we are dealing with honorless creatures) and the march is deliberate. A city will know it has become a target as the dwarven host approaches, clad in heavy armor, with chariots and axes, shield biting berzerkers in the front rows and many gleaming axes, halberds, and crossbows aplenty.
This is military theatre.
At night, dwarven sappers, engineers, and saboteurs have been working diligently. The gates are known and marked, weaknesses in the walls and defenses are known, and there will have been a systematic campaign of covert operations against the target. Random fires started, mercenaries, thieves and troublemakers paid to start riots or inflame issues in the city, and if the situation calls for it, poisoning water and food supplies. Horses are specifically targeted during this time, to weaken or even completely eliminate cavalry.
The city leaders see the army marching on their doorstep, and the thieves guild has gone to open war with the assassins guild, a third of the horses are sick or dead, and the tanner's ward and meat market are still smoldering timbers and ash.
By the time the army arrives at the city or the keep, the saboteurs have already moved on, starting the next round of operations against the cities, fortresses and other second round campaign objectives.
Being honorable opponents, the dwarves are not ones to sack and raze cities to the ground, going on murder sprees and rape-rampages. A city that surrenders is going to pay a tribute to the dwarves, and will be occupied and subject to dwarven laws and tax systems. The builders and engineers follow, and the damage done is rebuilt and repaired.
, good luck with it! 