Doznoud Chinfoot Ubrar's notes and guide to other race warfare tactics

By Doznoud Chinfoot Ubrar, military sociologist

While professional armies are few and far between amongst the other races of welt, some other races have developed a martial culture. The most common of these armies divides itself into units of footsoldiers, archers and cavalry, sometimes supplemented with artillery. Constant warfare has caused a martial class to emerge amongst these races, to the point that military theory and strategy can be observed on the battle field. For example, warrior classes tend to shrink in organized armies, and non combatants are expected to contribute to the war effort.

## Formations

While many, many other races are fond of a brutish charge at the enemy, discipline is drilled into the soldiers of nations with professional armies.

Formations are strictly kept, pushing and rushing is often harshly reprimanded, especially when enemy weapons are facing the formation. While charges sometimes still occur to intimidate the enemy, the rushing and screaming stops when the enemy is in blade range, then the lines form again. However, formations, especially pike formations aren’t meant to last, since enemies don’t like to impale themselves, and they are often dropped or thrown and swords are drawn.

Some other races exploit the sun itself when rushing the enemy; charging with the sun in their backs to blind the enemy.

Similarly, there is usually no chasing the enemy out of formation, to prevent casualties to enemy archers.

## Archers

Speaking of archers, while a simultaneous release of arrows is shock and awe personified, it is rarely effective, most archers will fire without the need for direct orders when a target is in range.

Because armor is often strong enough to keep arrows out (plate armor will keep most arrows at bay), arrows are more commonly used to suppress the enemy into a state of hesitation and caution when advancing.

While the usage of burning arrows are used to inflict fear and burns on the enemy, the other races most often use them for setting things on fire during sieges, to create chaos and destruction or on oiled fields.

## Siegecraft

While sieges are most often a waiting game of mutual starvation when done by competent military leadership, some other races will attempt to break in with ladders, which can be countered using ditches

Similarly, bolt artillery is used to clear walls during sieges, and siege weapons are covered with wet hides to stop them from catching fire (with the aforementioned fire arrows) when advancing. Their missiles are to be used to break and create gaps in the defenders defenses.

While still a cultural artifact, boiling oil is expensive especially if its only to repel invaders, most other races use boiling water.

The besieged aren't usually defenseless, and place artillery on top of the walls when defending

## Cavalry

Cavalry is heteroclite amongst the other races, but there is a clear preference for domesticated horses when the climate can support them. Even so, the other races know that horses will not be effective in forests where root systems can break the animals legs. Similarly most organized armies know of the cost of cavalry, and so do not use them to charge into enemy lines, but rather the cavalry arrives on the flanks when the enemy is engaged with the front lines after passing some of the ditch defenses.

## Analysis

Most of these examples come from battles between cosmopolitan kingdoms with large populations and border disputes.