Composition of the Armies of Middle Earth

[JeffF.]

Another re-posting of an old thread:
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These are my conclusions on the make-up or components of each army:

The Army of Rohan would consist mainly of medium cavalry and not as many heavily armed knights. This conclusion is due to the horse herding culture and the fact that the ratio of heavy cavalry to light in historic Scythian type cultures is about 1 to 10. Trade with Gondor would improve general armaments so that the majority cavalry would be partially armored and well armed (thus my conclusion they were medium cavalry). Excerpts from UT and LOTR leads me to believe that one out of ten riders would be horse archers. My conclusion is that in a typical Rohan host 1 of 10 heavy cavalry (envision Norman or Medieval Knights), 1 of 10 horse archers (like Scythian/Mongol), 8 of 10 medium cavalry (like Roman cavalry with torso armor, shields, helmets).

According to UT (Disaster at Gladden Fields) the Army of Gondor was mainly infantry but by the time of the War of the Ring we see evidence that there were significant mounted contingents (like the Knights of Dol Amroth). Archers would also be significant (like those of Pinnath Gelin and the Rangers of Ithilien).LOTR talks about both Axemen and spearmen. The signature weapon of Numenoreans seems to be the longsword. Based on typical historical medieval armies I believe they would have about 1/4 Cavalry (half heavy armored knights, half less well armored mounted sergeants/squires), 1/4 archers, 1/2 infantry (half longswordsmen remainder spearmen and axemen).

Beornings I conclude would be mainly heavy cavalry but by this I mean big men on big horses and not necessarily heavily armored but definitely heavy armed. This is due to their historic ties to the Rohirrim, and the need for mobility in the vales of Anduin and their reputed great stature. They would be also be a form of mounted infantry, that is willing and able to fight in the hills, mountains of the Misty Mountains as well as the eaves of Mirkwood.

Woodmen. These cousins of the Beornings would be mainly archers, axemen and swordsmen. Entirely infantry they would be much like the Rangers of Ithilien. Woodcrafty, they would excel in partisan warfare, the ambush and raid.

Army of Dale. Typical city state medieval army. They would probably have a higher ratio of cavalry due to their common ancestry with the Rohirrim. I'd say 1/3 cavalry (1/4 Knights remainder medium cavalry with a few horse archers). The infantry mainly longswordsmen (as they were in the Battle of Five Armies). They would be exceptionally well armed with their proximity and trade ties to the Dwarves of the Kingdom Under the Mountain with matchless weaponry and strong armor.

Elven Army of Thranduil. 1/2 archers and 1/2 spearmen. Traditionally poorly armored like their relatives the Green Elves of Ossiriand. The bow and spear were their traditional weapons. Spears (long spears/Pikes) are not typical weapons for forest cultures but the short spears that can double as thrusting weapons and (at need) javelins are. Woodcrafty beyond the skill of the woodmen also ambushers and raiders.

Elven Army of Lorien. 1/2 archers and 1/2 spearmen. Similar to Thranduil's host they seem to have superior bows (as described in the gift of the Lothlorien bow to Legolas, said to be superior to his peoples, being stronger and it is assumed greater range and penetrability). Woodcrafty (like Thranduil's) They would have greater morale due to the overlordship of Galadriel and the faith in her power to protect Lorien.

Dwarves (of Erebor and Ered Luin). Almost entirely heavily armored axemen with stout chain mail, round shields and shortswords (as Gimli is described as well as the host of Dain at Battle of Five Armies). Though never mention in any Tolkien writings it would seem to me that dwarves would be partial to crossbows and composite bows both requiring the craftsmanship dwarves were famous for. This would give them a small but very effective body of missile troops (though the overwhelming majority of dwarves would seem to prefer close combat with the axe).

Hobbits/Men of Bree. Typical medieval militia infantry. The hobbits would seem to prefer bows and slings when it comes to combat. Probably 2/3 archers and slingers, remainder militia type spearmen (as most of the Bree men would be) with some armed with wood cutting axes, farm implements like scythes and flails (like giant nunchaku sticks AKA 'Nunchaks or Numchaks' actually evolved from an implement used to thresh grain).

High Elves. These few remaining would be the best armed with the weapons and armor of the Noldor. They would have significant cavalry 1/3-1/4 of the host. They would also be supported by many Sindarin archers. Few in number probably would man defenses of the havens and Rivendell

Haradrim. These actually seem to be a coalition of different peoples similar to African and Middle East warriors. Said to have few horsemen these would be mainly infantry (spearmen with some archers) and medium cavalry similar to Saracens and Turks with light armor, scimitars and spears. They would also have a number of war elephants (mumakil), said to be much larger than elephants we know, difficult to control and liable to go beserk among their own troops as well as the enemy. Variags seem to be undescribed but should be similar to Haradrim in armament. Majority of infantry should be unarmored or with leather armor but all would carry shields and perhaps a few elite units with metal helms and armor.

Easterlings. Again majority infantry with 'few' horsemen. Their armament would be similar to Haradrim but without Mumakil.

Orcs. Varying from heavily armored and armed Uruks to lightly armed goblin archers. These should be the majority of the Dark Lord's Infantry. Uruks seemed to be elite units say one out of ten in ratio.

Trolls. These are the shock troops of the Dark Lord. Armed with great hammers and protected by scales, they seem to be vulnerable only to special weapons like elven swords (like Sting) and barrow swords (like Pippin's). Few in number they are at most described as being 'companies' not battalions. Probably less than 100,Ii there were more they would have overwhelmed the Army of the West (standing before the Black Gate on the two slag hills) in short order, breaking thru their ranks and allowing the horde of Orcs and evil men in.

Dunlendings. A poorly armed people as described in UT (the battle of the Fords). Few with armor (except those with captured armor) and armed with spears, swords. They would also have some cavalry (unarmored except for champions and cheiftains)

[Mel Aina Fea]

My opinions of the armies :

Army of Rohan : I am guessing that the Royal Guards and warriors of a personal eored ( i.e Eomer’s ) would be the best armored. The other Riders that were drawn from the outer lying areas would not have had the best quality armor.

Beornings : Given their stature, they would need large draft horses ( Shire, Percheron, Cyldesdales, etc ), or they would have to compensate for that by using less armor.

Woodmen : I am not sure how much armor these guys would have had. The Eagles in the Hobbit mention the woodmen using bows of yew which gives you a sense of their power and accuracy.

Army of Dale : probably the best weapons of any human army. The Hobbit mentions that Lake Town had a group of permanent guards. Given the amount of trading that Erebor did they might have had a professional or standing army.

Elven Army of Lorien : they also had the power of Nenya ( Lady Galadriel’s ring ) which had the power to cow the servants of Mordor.

Dwarves : I don’t think they would have used any bows or crossbows. I don’t think any of the books mention archery.

[JeffF.]

Actually the Hobbit does mention it. In the Ballantine paperback version on p. 247 the walls protectiing the Kingdom under the mountain are described as having holes through which the Dwarves could see or shoot. On p. 251 as Thorin is negotiating with Bard Thorin threatens Bard to leave "ere our arrows fly" and finally at the conclusion of the failed negotiation, on p. 252 Thorin grabs a "bow of horn" and shoots an arrow at Bard, hitting his shield.

This bow of horn would be like the Scythian bows made of a laminate of wood, bone, sinew and horn. They were the most technogically difficult of all the bows to make and would seem to me to be an obvious choice for the Dwarves who would be challenged by the skill and workmanship required to make them and whose short stature would be better served by short bows of immense strength as the Scythian bows were (historically used on horseback).

Obviously the description of the Dwarf armies shows that the preferred arm was the axe and that dwarf warriors preferred to close with their enemies but they would still require some method of defending their strongholds walls and gates. For that there is no substitute for missile weapons like bows. It also seems to me that the wars they fought with the ancestors of the Rohirrim (mentionted in Return of the King appendices) would require the dwarves to have a missile weapon to keep the horse archers at a safe distance or else they's be slaughterd like Crassus' Roman legionairies were by the Parthian horse archers at Carrhae.

[Gil Galad]

A few points just-
1- would it not be likely that any woodland folk (and perhaps mountain dwellers) would have at least some skill as kerns ore peltast, originally used for hunting (as the better range of a bow would be negated by the trees in the way) but developed into defencive and later offensive weapons.
2- Dawrves would have had bows even if they didnt like using them, it would be a strategic nessicity.
3- I'm not sure about the relatives of the Rohirrim have such high numbers of cavalry, as the Rohans mounted nature may have been what divided the people. but on that i would reckon the Beornings would likely have rode large horses to(and from) battle, but dismounted for the fighting, like viking raiders
4- the men of bree probably had a need for skins etc which would have been supplied by hunters and they likely would have been skillful (if poorly equiped)bowmen and fought allongside the breefolk at need

and what would you know of the forces of Arnor?
I assume they would have started of very simmilar to Gondor, but perhaps evolvd in a different way

[Amroth]

I just wanted to add that even if Sauron was interested in taking Erebor he would be hard-pressed to do so. Even though the forces at Erebor were a lot smaller than Sauron's armies, their more high-tech (for the time) weapons and soldiers could have overpowered Sauron's berserking Orcs, especially if the Dwarves assisted in the battle.