Dwilight University/Military Studies/Preserving Military Equipment and Morale
In this guide, I, Greg Tarr would like to share with you my knowledge about Military Equipment and Morale. Those are two factors which play a big role when you are at war or when you are maintaining an army unit. I have spoken with veterans and military advisors who gave me their tips and tricks about surviving in different difficult situations.
First of all, everything that your troops carry when en route to war is considered as their equipment. You should know that choosing the equipment for your men is not always evident, bad equipment can fatigue your troops or even hurt them. When going to war the commander of a military unit should take care to evaluate the trip to the battlefield, the weather (the commander should take note that at winter in a mountain region the equipment of his men will be different than at summer in a desert region) and the regions where his troops will pass. If there is a long road to be made before the big battle, light armour will be the key to a fast travel. If I had to be on the battlefield as soon as possible I would order an infantry unit to carry short swords with light shields, medium armour and some provisions for the trip after the battle. If I had an archer unit they would be carrying light bows with a big amount of arrows, using only short swords for close combat and light armour. I would not recommend shields; they are heavy and will considerably slow the unit. For cavalry units, I would recommend not to put armour on the horses if you really need the time, but this will eventually expose them on the enemy’s arrows. I consider this to be the best choice if the commander considers speed and time as his key objective to victory.
If the trip would be a long one the soldiers will need something to keep their morale on a high level. If they are only walking until they reach their destination, their morale may fall, because of the weather, the endless walk, and the same habitudes (walk, rest, eat, sleep). I would suggest that If the commander and his unit pass through a region where the men could enjoy themselves before the battle (example : bordellos, inns, marketplace) it will be a big plus concerning the morale question.
