Of Mercenaries: Infantry in a pre-war context
By: Maester Garth
The call of battle has long been a lure for men, for there are glories to be earned and wealth to be won. Few choose a higher path, such as that of the Citadel, but that is to be expected – we are the elite. But, as is natural for man, few like to die for that glory and wealth. Killing is fine but dying is avoided. So, a ladder appears.
The best climb high on the ladder, gathering others to their sides, who are equally as skilled, and band together to beat all others. This can be seen on a tribal level, state level, even bandits display such characteristics. As these men band together, in the case of Essos, they form mercenary companies as they lack Kings and honor to fight for. And the best of those companies grows stronger and stronger, eventually becoming renowned, like the Golden Company. These companies have their strengths, usually some unique niche that they fill better than anyone else, and they select those who would best complement that. They grow picky in who they choose.
For a myriad of reasons, these companies cannot grow indefinitely. Other companies appear to challenge them, but these companies cannot have the best – the best has already been taken. So, they seek out the most to drown their enemies in numbers. Few men, however, dream of being a faceless man in the horde; of being cut down by their betters. Something must change.
While this essay will not focus on anything but infantry, it will also not go in-depth about every single variation. Exceptions to the rule will always exist, and Essos is not a small, continuous region. There are regional pressures that cause differences to arise that I will not account for, since this essay is mainly concerned with those units fighting in the Disputed Lands during the Ninepenny War.
This is an internal essay, with a revision being eventually submitted to [RETRACTED].
Valyria had few infantry traditions; instead they relied mainly on the power of their dragons. Their infantry was mostly garrison work and was how they managed to hold conquered territory. Thus, they had little to give to their daughter cities after the Doom. Following the Doom, Essos ran red with blood in the famed Century of Blood. This period was one of many lessons, in which the victors took what they learned and adapted, while the losers littered the battlefields.
At first, many infantry styles were simply made in the image of the Valyrian armies, but as time went on, each region gained little flairs. Differences began to emerge, little at first, but grew as different regions realized their own needs. Slaver's Bay took heavy inspiration from the legions of Old Ghis, eventually culminating in the Unsullied, while the northern cities of Qohor and Norvos took a lighter approach. The cities learned from each other, and their terrain, but it wasn't until the emergence of the Dothraki threat that the common style was created.
The common style, sometimes referred to as the Backbone style in Essos, is the approach many of the lesser, but more numerous, companies have adopted for a more general, all-purpose fighting style. The Dothraki light cavalry style proved to be deadly to the various military doctrines in Essos at the time, and continue to be to this day, and it caused a shift in how armies fought. In response, the common style adopted the heavy shields of the Lockstep Legions to help defend the wearers from ranged weapons. At first, many used long spears, just as the Ghiscari legions did, but confronted with such mobile opponents, a style shift occurred. At first, they shortened the spears, but this too proved ineffectual as the Dothraki arakhs, combined with the Dothrakis' complete absence of fear, tended to cut through the outstretched wood of the spears. In the time leading up to the Ninepenny War, the most prevalent weapon tended to be longer swords that were made for stabbing. Armor during this time period also shifted to a heavier style, mainly focused on the torso, head, and the right arm.
Other evolutions of military tactics, such as the tactics for ranged men, will be covered in a separate essay.
These evolutions, in response to the Dothraki threat, did not occur in isolation. Wars between the cities continued, and these new tactics were imported to the battlefields. The Disputed Lands became a centerpiece in the conflict and saw many new mercenary companies adopt these new weapons and fighting styles. During this time, many companies saw that this heavier style tended to reduce the casualties of their own troops, which was only enhanced by more conservative tactics. This led to what we call the more traditional fighting in the Disputed Lands, where true battles following the Century of Blood, in the Disputed Lands, became rare. This system is well covered in Maester Calrin's famed essay: The Political Outlook of Southern Essos: A Prewar Outlook.
The changes did not stop with the emergence of the Dothraki and continued as the mercenary companies continued to fight each other. Conservation became favored, and while the core set of the common style would not change again, as of the date of this writing, smaller things did continue to change. Helmet designs changed, as did kits, specialization ruled the day, and the heavy shield went through one more evolution (from a more curved rectangular shape to a slightly lighter and more maneuverable oval shape). The common style began to become the Backbone style – the core of any army. These mercenary companies did not pretend to be a single company army, that had range, infantry, siege weapons, and cavalry. Instead they sought their place on the battlefield in a specific role. In response, other companies began to specialize as well into cavalry and ranged roles, while other, larger and famed, companies, such as the Golden Company, took on a more all-encompassing role.
This shift in tactics, combined with the nature of mercenaries, has led to prolonged wars that see a lower than expected (from a Westerosi perspective) casualty count. These Backbone companies also tend to betray their contracts, at least relative to the major companies, such as the Golden Company, or decide to conquer land for themselves – carving out minor fiefs. This cycle of greed contributes to the title of the Disputed Lands, perpetuating ever-revolving ownership of the lands.
In contrast, the larger companies saw much success based on their reputations as they were hired for riskier (for the cities doing the hiring) and more lucrative work. Additionally, many Westerosi saw profitable opportunities in helping these larger companies adopt new tactics, or even creating their own companies modeled after the fighting style more common to their homeland. Many of these Westerosi companies completely avoided the Disputed Lands during the Ninepenny War. The Golden Company specifically hired many Westerosi in the years leading up to the Ninepenny War, but that is covered in my other work: Skulls of Gold: The Golden Company in the Blackfyre Rebellions and the Wars of the Disputed Lands.
Over time, as the Dothraki khalasars began to break apart into smaller, more manageable sized hordes, fighting against Dothraki became a possibility again, although many cities chose instead to buy off most hordes, and so the common style began to fluctuate between a more spear-based approach and the sword. While many of these more common companies tended to stay in one location, such as the Disputed Lands, for the entirety of their existence, there was still a large enough number that traveled for lucrative contracts which also contributed to this back and forth – as was the sheer distance that the Dothraki hordes tended to travel, so nowhere was truly safe from them. This is where the mercenary companies of Essos sat before the Ninepenny War.