Gorean Infantry |
| Gorean infantry usually marches light, a factor of the nature of Gorean
warfare. They commonly march at a measured pace, the counting of the cadence
often kept by a drum. Forty pasangs, about twenty-eight miles, is an average
da's march. Thus, military supply posts have been placed at intervals on
major roads, usually about forty pasangs apart. Such major roads are kept
in excellent condition in case there is ever the need for an army to travel
them. The officers will march in the front of the infantry. A standard barrier
will then march behind the officers but a step or two in front of the front
rank of Warriors. Many Gorean standards are over a century old. To supply
the army, the army may bring its own supplies, carried in bosk or tharlarion
wagons. Tarns may also be used to supply the troops. Due to the abundant
availability of game, many armies do not need to bring many supplies. They
can often live off the land. In addition, they can levy the local villages
for provisions if needed. The phalanx used to be the most common infantry formation. A phalanx consists of several rows of men, each row holding a spear. The rearward rows held longer spears than the front rows. When a phalanx would charge, it would be quite the force to be reckoned with. No other military formation was able to meet it headon. You either had to meet a phalanx with another phalanx or try to outmaneuver it. But, such a close-formed military formation is hard to maintain over rough terrain. Thus, the Torian Squares eventually made the phalanx much less common. The Torian Squares possess superior mobility and regrouping capacities, even over rough terrain. The actual make-up though of the Torian Squares is not discussed in detail in the novels. The use of cavalry though drastically changed warfare. The Torian square is still used but the phalanx is almost obsolete. One defensive relic of the phalanx is still used, the Wall. The Wall is a group of massed infantry who remain stationary against a tharlarion charge. It is not a recommended tactic. Dietrich of Tarnburg has been a major innovator in Gorean warfare. He was the first to introduc the "harrow" to positional warfare. The harrow is named for a large rakelike farming tool. In this formation, spikes of archers, protected by iron-shod stakes and sleen pits, are placed in front of the normal infantry Warriors. This formation is meant primarily against cavalry forces. It creates a deadly gauntlet that must be passed through to reach the main forces. But, once the cavalry is heavily wounded, the infantry can then surge forward and decimate the remaining cavalry. Dietrich also introduced the "oblique advance" where large numbers of men are concentrated at crucial points while the balance of the opposing army is unengaged. This allows a smaller force to engage an army up to three times its size. It may be able to turn the flank of the larger force, causing chaos and rout. If the advance fails, you can retreat your men knowing that much of your force probably did not engage in the battle. |