Me>> Esrolians use their farmers like Trolls use Trollkin. [...]
>> This sort of tactic means it's not cost effective to teach them
>> battle magic.
>I'm not sure I believe this is their strategy, but even if it is, it makes
>a great deal of sense to teach them battle magic. Firstly, it's extremely
>cheap (especially in RQ3).
I'd never thought I'd see you make an argument from the roolz and RQ3 at that! Secondly I believe the primary factor that determines a troops' effectiveness on the battlefield is their equipment. The amount of magic known IMO is directly related to their experience and ability. Since IMO the Esrolians don't go in for elite spearmen, I believe that the spearman don't know much battle magic.
Martin Laurie:
On Babeester and Maran Gor:
>To a degree but they cannot be a large percentage [of the population]
>or Esrolias character would be very different indeed.
Depends. Of the women that are warrior minded, I estimate that they compose roughly 4-5%. The vast majority are involved in fertility cults and the like.
ML>>> Let us remember that the Sartarites were only conquered by a macho
IoK>>An army, incidently, that got is ass kicked in Esrolia.
>By the whole Holy Country army and the Pharaoh and the Building Wall itself.
And who built the Building Wall? Was it the Pharaoh? Or was it perhaps his Earth Magic Specialists? And where would they come from? Besides, the Lunar Empire also invaded Hoertland and besieged Karse at the same time and were quite successful at it.
>Plainly the Esolians are not that tough given the nightmare time they've had
>agains the vastly outnumbered Ditali.
As has been said before, the Ditali are *raiders*. They don't play fair by bothering to show up to have a scrap with the Esrolian Army. The last major battle, the Lion King's Feast was when the Esrolians (rather stupidly) marched beyond the borders (possibly forfeiting the cover of their spearmen) to punish the Ditali.
IoK>>Everybody else goes behind the earth forts. I'd like to see a bunch
>>of Grazelanders on ponies cart a siege train around with them ...
>I think David Dunham described such a scene rather well, check out his
>section on it on his web page.
Jumping over the gate in the middle of the night is hardly the same thing as having a siege train. And once you're inside the town the danger is much greater as your ability to keep your distance from the enemy is now limited. If OTOH the Esrolians were forewarned and had guarded the gate, the grazers are going to have a nasty surprise...
IoK>>Tut, tut, tut ... enthusiastically charging the routing first line will
>>make you lose to a well discliplined reserve ... look at what happened to
>>the French feudal forces time and time again.
>But of course, this presumes the enemy are so stupid (unlike the brilliantly
>clever Esrolians) that they failed to maintain a reserve too.
Orlanthi barbarians maintain a reserve? Do tell coz I don't think it can be done!
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #493
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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