| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Titus le Chmakus |
Posted - 12 Sep 2017 : 09:54:29
Hi folkes
Any idea about how long would it take to set up a unit from scratch, for example for the Knights of the Argent Legion ?
I mean if you are for example Alustriel and you want to recruit a unit of 50 Knights of the Argent Legion from nothing. How long would it take, from the day you start till the unit is complete (equipment and troops training) ? 3 years ? 5 years ? 10 years ? |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| cpthero2 |
Posted - 13 Sep 2020 : 23:57:03
Master Icelander,
You do make a great point regarding the times, culture, etc. of the Realms. In a medieval environment, it would take a country focused on war, that has a culture of training for martial war from youth, to facilitate a valuable, persistent, and consistent SOCOM like unit. I think of Rashemen as a perfect example of that, and Thay as the antithesis of that, as they rely on their magic, and still have a tough go of things because of their lack of focus, discipline, and culture for martial war.
The Tuigan Horde was yet another good example that could have had such elite units with their focus on war between their tribes, as yet another example.
Best regards,
|
| Icelander |
Posted - 21 Jul 2020 : 14:18:19
Note that firearms were completely revolutionary in that they allowed people who had not been trained to arms to become militarily useful through training measured in months. Without firearms as the primary weapon of warfare, turning peasants into soldiers was too expensive and time-consuming to be considered worth doing.
Historically, most soldiers were recruited among social classes that already had the skills required, because they were part of what every man of their culture and birth needed to be able to do. Knights (or mounted men-at-arms), steppe raiders, archers or even just quality infantry were not so much trained by their recruiters in the skills they needed as they grew up constantly practising them for many, many years.
Even in highly professional armies like Roman ones, note that a lot of evidence suggests that Roman boys grew up practising martial skills (for those born near Rome, on the Campus Martius) and that someone who couldn't use sword, shield or spear would probably not be accepted into the Legions unless in special circumstances.
So, the answer to your question largely depends on how many people with the right skills are available. If there are enough, recruiting them and creating a unit can be done swiftly. If not, hiring mercenaries or waiting for a new generation to grow up and learn martial skills from childhood would probably be more practical than trying to train adults with no martial skills into knights. |
| cpthero2 |
Posted - 02 Mar 2020 : 06:55:47
Seeker Titus le Chmakus,
I agree with a lot of what is offered herewithin.
Though, there are some great mixes of what has been offered and what is done in the United States for top tier training. A lot of it is culturally driven though as part of it. If you want a group of specialized warriors to be able to go out and implement their duties to achieve a specific end that is powerfully difficult, you will need to look at special operations training standards.
For example (though I was not ever special operations, I was mechanized Infantry and had a lot of training before I retired), in the U.S. Army, Green Berets have three levels of training before they go down range to a unit (I had friends in the Green Berets):
- Preparation: SFPC
- Assessment and Selection: SFAS
- Q-Course (Qualification Course): SFQC
My friends told me that SFAS was the dump and thin part of training. They lost the most amount of candidates at that phase. So, think about it for your elite Realms unit. Whatever mission it is that they need to achieve, they would be assessed, trained and evaluated being able to achieve that. So, I think you should start with: what exactly would they be doing. All specialized units are not the same: Rangers are blunt hammers, SEAL's are fantastic at snatch and grab, Green Berets primary function is to train third world hellholes how to build a military, etc.
The example of take 500 to 50 is a truism as you look at this.
Best regards,
quote:
Originally posted by Titus le Chmakus
Hi folkes
Any idea about how long would it take to set up a unit from scratch, for example for the Knights of the Argent Legion ?
I mean if you are for example Alustriel and you want to recruit a unit of 50 Knights of the Argent Legion from nothing. How long would it take, from the day you start till the unit is complete (equipment and troops training) ? 3 years ? 5 years ? 10 years ?
|
| Titus le Chmakus |
Posted - 15 Sep 2017 : 12:46:36
Great ! Helps a lot thanks |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 14 Sep 2017 : 16:24:33
quote:
Originally posted by Titus le Chmakus
Hum 3 years seems very quick to me ! But if you say so, you are the Sages :)
How about mages ? Takes what ? 10 years ?
It part I looked at training for SEALS an elite unit of today's world. However it does depend on what you start with and how good the teachers are.
Well as to mages, that would depend on what level you want them to be. PCs certainly gain gain many levels in ten years. NPCs tend however to advance more slowly.
I would guess with a training program you should be able to achieve 5 level casters in perhaps four years. Maybe two years more for each higher level. |
| Titus le Chmakus |
Posted - 14 Sep 2017 : 15:30:33
Hum 3 years seems very quick to me ! But if you say so, you are the Sages :)
How about mages ? Takes what ? 10 years ? |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 13 Sep 2017 : 17:17:17
It may be easier to adapt Birthright rules. And/or cross them with Power of Faerun. |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 13 Sep 2017 : 14:45:26
Given a city, you should already have a Watch and or a Guard. It would make sense to recruit from them. They already have military training. The two more years was after time to recruit and time to develop the unit as a team. I had allowed a year for that.
So yes about three years total should provide a well trained elite unit. What is required is intense training and of course good teachers.
It also can depend on how well trained they are when recruited. Your starting point can take months off the training time. You might cut time to maybe even two years as you draw the best from the watch and besides the first months of training seek to make them feel part of a special unit.
If you have the resources you could take maybe 500 peasants to 50 Elite in the same three years. Keep the best and fire the rest. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 13 Sep 2017 : 14:04:55
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/medieval/8-ways-soldiers-recruited-medieval-england.html
https://www.quora.com/Im-a-freshly-recruited-soldier-in-medieval-Europe-What-kind-of-bootcamp-or-training-would-I-go-through-I%E2%80%99m-not-interested-in-nobility-that-may-have-been-getting-training-all-their-life-to-be-a-knight-or-man-at-arms# |
| Titus le Chmakus |
Posted - 13 Sep 2017 : 11:05:22
Thanks, Knights of the Argent Legion is just an example !
When you say "The training to high standards of elite would take about two more years", do you mean from a peasant to an Elite or is it from some troops already with experience ?
And I was asking it for a Large city/Metropolis, not a town ! So plenty of resources! But from peasants to Elite directly. As I see, equipment is not a matter in this case, it is more related to money ! But my concerns is about time. |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 12 Sep 2017 : 11:00:04
Well it does depend. In part it depends on population you draw from. Recruiting peasants is not the same as recruiting adventurers. The peasants have no training at all as fighters do have some training. It also depends on the population pool. Recruit from a single Town and it will take longer then recruiting from a city or a nation.
It also depends on level of training you require. Weapon specialist in three weapons takes longer then just one weapon.
For Alustriel I would guess she could find 50 people within six month that meet minimum standards for proposed Knights. Training to work as a unit, chain of command likely a another six months. Though misfits might be found and have to be replaced.
Equipment should be easy unless you are equipping with magic. Only a few weapon and armor smiths would be required to produce and maintain equipment. For masterwork I would allow a year, if no equipment purchased already ready. This of course could be done during the same time allocated for recruiting and basic training.
The training to high standards of elite would take about two more years I would guess.
I will repeat it depends on the resources you have to draw from. Trying to make an Elite Unit from a single town will take much longer.
Of course the Knights of the Argent Legion are actually recruited from other armies so already have much training and are already equipped. |
|
|
