From: Joerg Baumgartner (joe@sartar.toppoint.de)
Date: Thu 16 Jun 1994 - 05:51:33 EEST
Lew Jardine in X-RQ-ID: 4575
> I am unconvinced about the ubiquity of the scimitar in the Lunar army.
> Sure all the Officers wear them, but can you imagine close order infantry
> using them?
The point in using curved blades for Lunar side weapons is twofold: a) the curve of th blade resembles the sickle of the moon, and b) ever since Yanafal cheated curved blades are the safer way for Lunar warriors against sword-breaking spirits of reprisal.
I think that a) is as important as b). It also includes another quite fitting earth parallel for the Lunars: the Saracenes, fighting under the banner of the half moon, which in turn came from the Prophet's curved dagger stuck into a pole as a standard for battle.
The curved blade also nicely symboizes the Lunar attitude towards death: it's only part of the cycle/circe of existence.
Enemies say that the Luanrs are as bent (or if they are satirical, as straight) as their blades.
> I see expensive swords being used by cavalry and officers but
> not by rank and file close order infantry.
I agree largely that the superior scimitar will be the tool of the officer, and the cavalry sabre was a well established weapon, too. But I see nothing to prevent the regular Lunar soldier, be he Peltast or Hoplite, from bearing a shorter curved blade in his belt. A weapon not unlike the scramaseax of the Germanic peasants, the cheaper version of a sword, or just a long slashing knife. For a quick reference I checked the Palladium book of weapons etc. Almost a third of all the daggers and swords shown, mainly from Islamic or south Asian origin, are suitably curved to pass as sickle. The Kukri of RQ3 is the perfect short sword for Lunar infantry, IMO.
> Spears are much cheaper and more
> effective for close order troops. My idea about the lunars is that they
> are the first people in the region to combine infantry and heavy cavalry.
I don't buy that. The Carmanians had the combination before - mounted knights and armed peasant troops, some of these trained to good efficiency.
The Solars combined chariots and hoplite infantry. The Pentants used nobility cavalry of all types and native infantry before, and to good effect, against the mainly infantry troops of the Second Council.
> Dara Happans had NO cavalry only chariots (both heavy and light).
For the 1st Age Dara Happans I might agree. 2nd Age Dara Happa persisted against Pent, Carmania and the EWF for some time. If they didn't use cavalry against some of these, I doubt they wold have held out as long as they did. their land, even where protected by irrigation trenches, offers few geographical features to hinder invading enemies.
> Yelmalians developed horse archers (or stole the idea from the Pentans) and
> also used to use light chariots (ref: Yamsur & the Dragon...) Perhaps the
> horse archers replaced the light chariots. There is no point in the using
> heavy cavalry in Prax or near Esrolia so perhaps they have never developed it.
Heavy horse cavalry, even though only medium compared to a Bison or Rhino charge, still is a potent tactical unit, and against Sables or Impalas is a shock force not to be underestimated. The Golden Horse people held their position in Prax throughout the EWF presence, and longer. Near Esrolia cavalry seems useful enough that Tatius the Bright detached the Grazeland Horse Army to Esrolia in 1622, as sufficient measure of control against local forces. Only when Brian led the Hendriki forces to Esrolia a year later these troops were defeated.
> On the subject of Dara Happans I believe that the Assyrians or
> Babylonians or Homeric Greeks are a good model. Heavy infantry armed with
> spears supported by lighted troops with Chariots used as the mobile strike
> force. And also the beards are a MUST.
An Indian force with some cavalry wouldn't be out of possibility either...
--
-- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de
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