Lore Chatter - the Logistics of War

[Overread]

So discussion around the new Throne terrain has gotten me thinking of the logistics of war in AoS for the different factions. I'd be very interested to hear what your thoughts are and also what lore says specifically on the topic for the different races. From mentions in the Battletomes through to examples from Black Library publications. I Think it could be interesting to consider how different armies conduct themselves in war beyond just one battle. 

 

A few thoughts from my own musings:

1) Stormcast - mostly from reading the Realmwar books. Stormcast appear able to operate for several days through prolonged war and physical exertion. In one book they spend days marching, fight several battles and then scale a vast wall of solid metal before charging into battle at the top. This inhumanity extends further though; they appear quite able to operate with very minimal supplies and also no need to remove their armour or tend to other basic bodily functions that one might expect of regular humans. Of course prolonged stress and strain will break them; but this in itself gives them a key ability in being able to not just strike fast, but also operate well beyond their own supply lines without worry. Giving them an immense ability to operate independent and well within enemy lands. Likely intentional considering that they were made to beat back Chaos where the lands they invaded would have little in the way of resources and food to take to sustain themselves. So being able to go for days on end to push boarders back considerable distance was likely a key element for them. 

2) Daughters of Khaine. Whilst they clearly have to bring along structures like their Thrones and require food and rest; they likely have the advantage over many armies because of their lack of armour. Due to their fighting style being built around speed, deflection and dodging the average Aelf has very little in the way of armour. This likely gives them the ability to march "fully armed" and essentially means that they are ready for battle at a moments notice. 
Whilst I don't think that aelves can operate without food/rest for the same duration as Stormcast can, I figure that they can at least outpace most humans. This would give them a fast level of mobility in general (across all aelves).
However I would expect them to have a regular baggage train supporting most larger army movements. Forges and cauldrons brought along for blade and blood. Indeed considering the nature of their magic they might well have reason to transport capture enemies (fresh hearts) and stored blood in addition to food and water. 

3) Skaven. Their ability to rip into the real world and to travel in underworld/ground passages likely gives them a significant movement  bonus in being able to deploy their armies over large distances with less risk to their own supply lines. Food though is going to be critical for them and they likely require quite significant supplies to sustain themselves. The other option would be for them to travel over the realm itself and to then devour what they find as they go. Pillaging the land for supplies and weakening their enemy. Indeed it might well be a good reason for them to move in that traditional way to effect a moral loss on the enemy whilst the Skaven conduct their invasion. 
Of course their biggest threat pre-battle is likely their own internal politics and shifting alliances. So whilst their supply lines might be more protected than many other armies; they suffer from increased risk internally from their own faction. Cut your rivals supply lines and your rival might well fall to some other force; leaving you free to take his place within the swarms. 

4) Free Peoples. Barring any magical additions, I would expect them to have the most traditional baggage train. Food, supplies, armour, etc... all carried on carts and following along with utility staff and camp followers as well. This might well set them at a disadvantage when conducting war over large distances as it will slow the army  travel speed and means that they are at risk from attack whilst on the move. Living off the land might well work depending on the land that they are operating within; some realms are going to allow for more ready foraging whilst others are going to be far more hostile and require far more supplies to be brought with the army to sustain it. Magic might well help with portals; but likely at great cost and over limited distances/volumes, if at all. 

 

5) Chaos. REALLY variable. From Dark Oath and Slaves who are going to be much like humans; through to Warriors who appear to be like Stormcast in being able to sustain themselves without traditional supplies. 

6) Sylvanath - because so many are basically trees they can likely skimp on supplies and simply plant themselves to take on local resources that way. This gives them a major mobility advantage and a one up on many other armies because; being able to make your own food on the go, means that they can avoid many supply line issues that other forces will suffer from. It would let them operate far from their home settlements and even conduct war without having to pillage the local populations so, moral wise, they could boost moral for a people they are invading - which makes occupation a lot easier. 

 

 

[HiddenElephant]

Ogors:  Their enemy IS their supply chain!

Though, I actually gave this some thought with the Beastclaw Raiders.  It's mentioned that they're always being chased by the Everwinter, so they're always on the move.  They've got noncombatants somewhere, but AoS conveniently glosses over that.  I've thought that a Beastclaw Raiders army acts as a sort of snowplow or forward trawler, stomping out anything they come across or deflecting it away from the front of the force, because behind them are giant sleds pulled by female stonehorns or more thundertusks that contain all the daily necessities and wibbly-gribbly stuff to Beastclaw Raider life.  You know, all the things that you wouldn't see in combat.  Ideally.

[Fairbanks]

1 hour ago, Overread said:

So discussion around the new Throne terrain has gotten me thinking of the logistics of war in AoS for the different factions. I'd be very interested to hear what your thoughts are and also what lore says specifically on the topic for the different races. From mentions in the Battletomes through to examples from Black Library publications. I Think it could be interesting to consider how different armies conduct themselves in war beyond just one battle. 

 

A few thoughts from my own musings:

1) Stormcast - mostly from reading the Realmwar books. Stormcast appear able to operate for several days through prolonged war and physical exertion. In one book they spend days marching, fight several battles and then scale a vast wall of solid metal before charging into battle at the top. This inhumanity extends further though; they appear quite able to operate with very minimal supplies and also no need to remove their armour or tend to other basic bodily functions that one might expect of regular humans. Of course prolonged stress and strain will break them; but this in itself gives them a key ability in being able to not just strike fast, but also operate well beyond their own supply lines without worry. Giving them an immense ability to operate independent and well within enemy lands. Likely intentional considering that they were made to beat back Chaos where the lands they invaded would have little in the way of resources and food to take to sustain themselves. So being able to go for days on end to push boarders back considerable distance was likely a key element for them. 

2) Daughters of Khaine. Whilst they clearly have to bring along structures like their Thrones and require food and rest; they likely have the advantage over many armies because of their lack of armour. Due to their fighting style being built around speed, deflection and dodging the average Aelf has very little in the way of armour. This likely gives them the ability to march "fully armed" and essentially means that they are ready for battle at a moments notice. 
Whilst I don't think that aelves can operate without food/rest for the same duration as Stormcast can, I figure that they can at least outpace most humans. This would give them a fast level of mobility in general (across all aelves).
However I would expect them to have a regular baggage train supporting most larger army movements. Forges and cauldrons brought along for blade and blood. Indeed considering the nature of their magic they might well have reason to transport capture enemies (fresh hearts) and stored blood in addition to food and water. 

3) Skaven. Their ability to rip into the real world and to travel in underworld/ground passages likely gives them a significant movement  bonus in being able to deploy their armies over large distances with less risk to their own supply lines. Food though is going to be critical for them and they likely require quite significant supplies to sustain themselves. The other option would be for them to travel over the realm itself and to then devour what they find as they go. Pillaging the land for supplies and weakening their enemy. Indeed it might well be a good reason for them to move in that traditional way to effect a moral loss on the enemy whilst the Skaven conduct their invasion. 
Of course their biggest threat pre-battle is likely their own internal politics and shifting alliances. So whilst their supply lines might be more protected than many other armies; they suffer from increased risk internally from their own faction. Cut your rivals supply lines and your rival might well fall to some other force; leaving you free to take his place within the swarms. 

4) Free Peoples. Barring any magical additions, I would expect them to have the most traditional baggage train. Food, supplies, armour, etc... all carried on carts and following along with utility staff and camp followers as well. This might well set them at a disadvantage when conducting war over large distances as it will slow the army  travel speed and means that they are at risk from attack whilst on the move. Living off the land might well work depending on the land that they are operating within; some realms are going to allow for more ready foraging whilst others are going to be far more hostile and require far more supplies to be brought with the army to sustain it. Magic might well help with portals; but likely at great cost and over limited distances/volumes, if at all. 

 

5) Chaos. REALLY variable. From Dark Oath and Slaves who are going to be much like humans; through to Warriors who appear to be like Stormcast in being able to sustain themselves without traditional supplies. 

6) Sylvanath - because so many are basically trees they can likely skimp on supplies and simply plant themselves to take on local resources that way. This gives them a major mobility advantage and a one up on many other armies because; being able to make your own food on the go, means that they can avoid many supply line issues that other forces will suffer from. It would let them operate far from their home settlements and even conduct war without having to pillage the local populations so, moral wise, they could boost moral for a people they are invading - which makes occupation a lot easier. 

 

 

Orruks and Grots probably both scavenge what they can find and/or eat whatever is in front of them. As such, everyone in the army is probably in a scramble to get to the front for a chance at any scavenge.

KO have their ships, so probably launch as fleets or individual vessels.

[Yoshiya]

Slyvaneth has another major advantage in being the only(?) race with access to the realmroots which lets them travel across distances without having to take conventional overland/underground routes. This allows to effectively jump from forest to forest without the enemy being able to do much in return.

The realmroots are somewhat dangerous now due to years of chaos preventing the Slyvaneth from being able to attend to them so it's not an 100% guaranteed safe path.

Also, whilst not so much supply side, on the scouting side they appear to have the ability to project their souls to other parts of the forest. I can't remember which story it was but one of the short stories talks about a Branchwych projecting her soul to a forest thought lost to nurgle and accidentally bringing back the corruption with her. Could be a handy skill to gain awareness on their enemies without the traditional need to send back messages/avoid being caught.

 

As for Idoneth, they have almost the sole control of the sea and the unexpected avenue of attacks from waterways etc that the enemy may not think to secure underneath the surface itself. Their memory magics also make it hard to generate reliable reports because even survivors will have no recollection of the enemy nor where they went. They seemingly don't need as much supply chains and support either as they mostly fight in raids rather than open warfare, though I imagine when they do travel afar they take advantage of things like leviadons as beasts of burden. For food it never really mentions what they eat but assuming they do I guess it's mostly fish which they can gather from the seas they travel in, and I'm sure they've already adapted to take the salt out of the sea water to survive off that.

[Overread]

Idoneth, so far, have mostly been coastal raiders so their supplies would be travelling with their raiding party underwater and likely never need to come up on land. Undersea they are the undisputed masters; however atop the sea I think possibly less so. Ships are still powerful and the Scourge still have access to krackens and vast Black Arks so there's two means to at least hold Idoneth back from them.

Idoneth conducting war far from the sea would be an interesting aspect to discover for their lore. Whilst their Aelves are surely fine, their sea creatures might suffer being so far from the actual sea. It might also weaken their mages as they'd have to preserve salt water further and further from access to ready sources. 

 

 

Orks are raiders too, but they are also a nomadic people. Most of destruction are nomadic. I would thus hazard that they'd have tents and supplies that they can take down and move around quite readily. Either moving their main camp or moving for a large war. I forget how orks in AoS breed, but if they have no females and few to no non-combatants then a raid could jsut be the tribe moving itself over the land - a war party out front with a train of baggage and supplies and items. Whilst living off the land can work wonders, it never hurts to bring along spares incase you hit a spot where there are no farms or villages to raid. 

We know that goblins at least cultivate mushrooms and along with their special shrooms they likely also grow a lot of food within their dank and dark caves.