Difference between revisions of "JesseLowe/MilitaryOrganization"

Revision as of 14:54, 11 July 2005

Realm Legion

• Legion (Brigade): 10 dragons (5,000 infantry), associated skirmishers and archers (2,500), engineers (between 30 and 150), and baggage train. Commanded by a general (presumably also called a Legionlord, or, if we're being Roman, Legate)
  • Dragon ( Battalion): 2 wings (500 infantry), commanded by a colonel (Dragonlord or tribune)
    • Wing (Company-ish): 2 talons (250 infantry), commanded by a major (Winglord; no Roman equivalent)
      • Talon (Company): 5 scales (125 infantry), commanded by a captain (Talonlord; Centurion)
        • Scale (Platoon): 5 fangs (25 infantry), commanded by a lieutenant (Scalelord; no Roman equivalent)
          • Fang (File, Squad): 5 infantry, commanded by a sergeant (Fanglord or Fangleader; Principales)

An organizational idea from the Roman army: Each Dragon might have its shields painted a different color for ease of identifaction and organization in battle. Whether this is standardized throughout the Legions is questionable.

Lookshy

• Field Force: 5 dragons (6,250 infantry) (Taimyo or General)
  • Dragon: 2 wings (1,250 infantry) (Shozei (Major) or Kazei (Colonel))
    • Wing: 5 talons (625 infantry) (Taizei (Captain) or Shozei (Major))
      • Talon: 5 scales (125 infantry) (Taizei (Captain) or Chuzei (Lieutenant))
        • Scale: 5 fangs (25 infantry) (Chusei (Lieutenant) or Sochei (Over-Sergeant)
          • Fang: 5 soldiers (Gunchei (Sergeant) or Gochei (Corporal))

Mongol Organization

• Army: 3 toumans (30,000 troops; 20,000 horse, 10,000 infantry (maybe)) (Commandedy by an orlok)
  • Touman: 10 mingghans (regiments) (10,000 troops) (Commanded by a noyon)
    • Mingghan: 10 jaghuns (squadrons) (1,000 troops) (Commanded by a noyon)
      • Jaghun: 10 arbans (squads) (100 troops)
        • Arban: 10 troops

Movement Rate

Movement is life. In war, getting your forces where you want them when you want them is the key to victory -- or, as Nathan Bedford Forrest was misquoted, "Get there fustest with the mostest!" This is a shot at figuring out how quickly the armies of Creation can move long distances.

Standard army, accompanied by baggage, unaided by magic: 10 miles/day over regular terrain (not roads, nor rough terrain) (This may be only if the army is foraging; if not foraging, it can move faster.)

Logistics

Or, "An army marches on its stomach."

Supplies

90% of an army's required supplies are:

• Food
• Fodder
• Firewood

(Van Creveld, Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton, p. 24)

Support Personnel

Or, "tooth to tail."

Assume that for every three soldiers, you need one support person, be he slave, groom, or surgeon. This can be standard for most Threshold armies. The Realm may have a ratio of 5 troops per one support person, thanks to the discipline of the legions and the likelihood of Dragon-Blooded officers speeding things up magically. Therefore:

• 1 Threshold talon = 42 support personnel.
• 1 Realm talon = 25 support personnel.

-- Source: One of the commentators on the Art of War.

Bibliography

• Van Creveld, Martin. Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton
• Watson, George R. The Roman Soldier
• Lynn, John A. Feeding Mars: Logistics in Western Warfare from the Middle Ages to the Present
• Prestwich, Michael. Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience
• Roth, Jonathan. The Logistics of the Roman Army at War (264 BC - AD 235)
• Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith. The Roman Army at War, 100 BC - AD 200
• Peddie, John. The Roman War Machine
• Goldsworthy, Adrian. Roman Warfare

Costs to Raise and Maintain Unit

Raising a military unit consists of training its members, equipping them, and (if necessary) creating the necessary infrastructure to support that unit. (For most established militaries, this infrastructure will already be in place, but if the unit is a major expansion for the military in question, it will need to be created.)

This is how I suggest doing it.

1. Create a training facility (Boot Camp). This includes:

1. 1. Buildings and facilities (Barracks, mess, parade ground, workshops)
   2. Staff (Instructors, clerks, healers, cooks, grooms, smiths, groundskeepers, carpenters, etc. A fair bit of support work can and will be done by recruits, so Boot Camp can get by with fewer unskilled staff than a full fighting unit.)
   3. Equipment (
2. Figure out the monthly cost of Boot Camp
   1. Pay for staff
   2. Food for staff
   3. Wear and tear for equipment and animals (Figure %5 of

Training cost: Room (1 bunk per recruit) + Provisioning (3 meals a day per recruit) + Pay (if they're being paid). Many militaries will take the cost of training, or at least a portion of it, out of the recruit's pay.

Rough preliminary calculations suggest that the costs given in Exalted and Manacle and Coin are drastically less than what they should be.

Mail and Steel Units

• Armies
• Realm Legion

Mail and Steel Stats Template

ATTACK
Initiative: (Leader's Charisma + Presence) + Drill (X) - Magnitude (X) + 1d10
HTH Attack Modifier: + (Magnitude difference between this unit and its opposition) + ((1/2 the primary HTH attack Accuracy, rounded up) + Might) successes
HTH Damage Modifier: + 1/3 primary HTH attack damage dice
Ranged Attack Modifier: + (Magnitude difference between this unit and its opposition) + ((1/2 the primary ranged attack Accuracy, rounded up) + Might) successes
Ranged Damage Modifier: +1/3 primary ranged attack damage dice
Minimum Damage: +(Magnitude or Average Soldier Essence, whichever is higher)

DEFENSE
Parry Modifier: + (Magnitude difference between this unit and its opposition) + (1/2 the primary HTH attack Defense, rounded up) successes
Dodge: + (Magnitude difference between this unit and its opposition) Armor Soak Modifier: +(1/3 troop average Lethal soak, rounded up)
Defensive Essence Modifier: +Might
Health Levels: x (# health levels of average unit member; 3 for most units)

OTHER
Movement: ((Lowest soldier Dexterity + 12) x 20) yards per long turn
Valor: X
Starting Order: Unordered, Close, Relaxed, or Skirmish (Usually Relaxed)
Magnitude: X (# troops @ X HL each)
Drill: X
Might: X (variables go here)