>But is it ever really detailed on a larger scale, how warfare works
>and how it differs from historical warfare ?
>
>And failing that, what suggestions do you have ? Im mostly looking at
>a "warband" sort of level (30-100 guys) but anything is welcome
'Thunder Rebels' had an overview of how warfare is conducted between Orlanthi clans. They tend to follow a 'heroic' model of warfare: the two opposing armies draw up facing each other and form a shieldwall, then watch their champions and elite warriors walk (or fly) forward and challenge their opposite numbers to a duel. Sometimes the result of this fight decide the entire battle, as the side of the loser decides to give up and go home. Otherwise, more and more warriors get drawn into a running skirmish between the lines in a series of individual combats. Eventually one side's professional warriors will be driven from the field, and the victorious weaponthanes will begin throwing missile weapons and spells at the enemy shieldwall, which until now has been largely passive. Sometimes the shieldwall will break and run under this attack... if it doesn't, the other clan's shieldwall will finally come up and engage in combat itself, in a kind of rugby scrum fought with battleaxes and spears.
The Orlanthi also engage in ambushes, which would involve the same professional warriors swooping down on the enemy unexpectedly, hoping to inflict casualties and break their morale.
Your average Sartarite warrior is equipped with a spear and shield and maybe a leather cap, and knows a few minor bits of magic to augment his skills. The professional weaponthanes have full metal armour and more advanced weapons such as swords and battleaxes, and are likely to know more specialised combat magic (worshippers of Orlanth will tend to know mobility and flying magic). Specialist missile troops are rare in Sartar, but most warriors will carry a couple of hurling weapons such as javelins or axes. Weaponthanes are usually trained riders and own horses, but I don't think it's ever been fully established whether they actually fight as cavalry, or just ride to battle then fight dismounted in the manner of Anglo-Saxon or Viking warriors. An Orlanthi army would also likely be accompanied by a few friendly wind daemons or other supernatural creatures.
As you'd expect from this, Orlanthi warfare tends not to be very bloody, especially during the individual combat stages. A wounded warrior always has the option of retreating back behind his own shieldwall where there will be healers waiting. If it comes down to the two shieldwalls fighting there will be more deaths, especially if one of them breaks and runs and gets pursued. However, in fighting between themselves Sartarite clans are usually reluctant to take things to such an extreme, unless they have a really vicious feud with the rival clan. In wars with non-Orlanthi, things can get a lot more vicious.
As for non-Orlanthi, it's a whole can of worms. You can pretty much assume that any form of combat found in the ancient world exists somewhere in Glorantha... the core of the Lunar army, for example, is its disciplined phalanges of Greek-style hoplites, although the Lunars are also skilled in combined arms tactics using a huge variety of different troop types. They are also notorious for grouping their magicians into specialist regiments, allowing them to work together to cast devastating large-scale magic effects on the enemy. (Such as the Crater Makers, who can call down flaming crimson meteors from the Moon to bombard enemy units). As the Hero Wars progress, the Lunars' opponents copy these tactics and form their own magical regiments.
Stephen
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