"Obtaining women is one of the major reasons Goreans fight. Another is sport." — Vagabonds of Gor, page 272.

Introduction

Humans are humans, no matter where they live, be it on Earth or on Gor. Therefore, there will always be those wars and battles, for whatever reasons; supremecy is usually the factor. On Gor, however, honor is something that is almost reverent among Goreans, and wars and battles fought are usually over such honor, or women. Although additionally, Goreans simply love the thrill of fighting and sometimes see it as a contest of arms.

"Contests of arms, fought to the death… are not unknown on Gor… most often involving criminals and impoverished soldiers of fortune, offer prizes of amnesty and gold and customarily sponsored by rich men…" — Priest-Kings of Gor, page 11.

"I recalled, too, the games of war. They, too, in their awesomeness, must not be forgotten. Why is it that some men seek wars, traveling to the ends of the earth to find them? It is because they have a taste for such things. It is because there, where others fear to tread, they find themselves most alive. He who has been on the field of battle knows the misery, the terror, the tenseness, the racing of the blood, the pounding of the heart, the exhilaration, the meaningfulness. In what other arena, and for what lesser stakes, can so much of man be summoned forth, man with his brutality, his cruelty, his mercilessness, his ruthlessness, his terribleness, these ancient virtues, and man with his devotion, his comraderie, his fellowship, his courage, his discipline, his glory? In what other endeavor is man, in his frailty and strength, in his terribleness and nobility, so fully manifested? What is the meaning of war to the warrior? Sure it is not merely to be found in the beholding of flaming cities and the treading of bloody fields. Sure it is not merely to be found in silver plate and golden vessels, nor even in women lying naked in their chains, huddled together, trembling, in the mud, knowing that they are now properties and must please. It is rather, I think, primarily, the contest, and that for which all is risked, victory." — Magicians of Gor, pages 131-132.

The Warrior

The Gorean Warrior, who is he? Warriors belong to the High Castes. The Caste of Warrior, whose color is scarlet, includes infantry, tharlarion cavalry, and tarnsmen. They have the strictest set of Caste Codes on Gor. Members of this Caste comprise the military branch of Gorean Government. When a girl is born into the Warrior Caste, she does not become a Warrior. For complete information on the Warrior, please refer to the Warrior page in the Castes section under Culture.

"I am of the Caste of Warriors, and it is in our codes that the only death fit for a man is that in battle…" — Priest-Kings of Gor, page 14.

The Mercenaries

Mercenaries are many upon the Gorean world and are not particularly frowned upon, often hired by the militia of a city; no military uniforms or equipment are issued, no insignia worn, these troops are usually disbanded during the winter months, retaining only a handful of officers and professionals. Generally, mercenaries are experienced soldiers who pledge their sword do so voluntarily, but depending upon the situation and the need for men, it is not unknown that a man pledge his sword under duress.

"Many Mercenaries do not wear uniforms. Insignia such as armbands, scarves, ribbons and plumes, of given colors, serve to identify them, making clear their side. Needless to say, such casual devices may be swiftly changed, the colors sometimes alternating with the tides of the battle. Many mercenary companies consist of little more than rabbles of armed ruffians, others, are crack troops, as professional as warriors of Ar or Cosian regulars. In dealing with mercenaries, it is extremely important to know the sort of mercenaries with which one is dealing. That can make a great deal of difference, both with respect to tactics and strategy." — Vagabonds of Gor, page 75.

"Raymond, he of Rive-de-Bois, is recruiting," he said. "So, too, is Conrad of Hochburg, and Pietro Vacchi." These men were mercenary captains. There were dozens of such companies. If one owns one's own weapons, of course, one need not be armed at the expense of the company. Too, if one owns one's own weapons, it may usually be fairly assumed that one knows how to use them. Such men, then, may receive a certain preference in being added to the rolls. They are likely to be experienced soldiers, not eager lads just in from the farms. In many mercenary companies, incidentally, there are no uniforms and no issuance of standard equipment. Too, many such companies are, for most practical purposes, disbanded during the winter, the captain retaining then only a cadre of officers and professionals. Then, in the spring, after obtaining a war contract, sometimes obtained by competitive bidding, they begin anew, almost from the beginning, with recruiting and training.
      It is quite unusual, incidentally, for such men as Raymond and Conrad to be recruiting now, in Se'Kara. It was really a time in which most soldiers on Gor would be thinking about the pleasures of winter quarters or a return to their own villages and towns. There are usually diverse explanations, depending on the situation, for the type of forced recruiting to which men in some of the villages had been subjected. Sometimes a passing army desires merely to amplify its forces, or replace losses, particularly among the lighter arms, such as bowmen, slingers and javelin men. Sometimes the recruiting is done more for the purposes of obtaining a labor force, for siegeworks and entrenching camps, than for actual combat. Sometimes the mercenary captains, whose negotiated, signed contracts call for the furnishing of certain numbers of armed men for their various employers, have little choice but to impress some reluctant fellows, that their obligatory quotas may be met. More than one fellow has sworn an oath of allegiance with a sword at his throat. Most mercenaries, of course, join their captains voluntarily. Indeed, skilled and famous captains, ones noted for their military skill and profitable campaigns, must often close down their enlisting tables early in En'Kara. — Mercenaries of Gor, pages 30-31.

Battle Tactics

Many of the battle tactics employed by the military and mercenary groups were developed by Dietrich of Tarnburg.

Air Forces

Aeriel warfare of course, included the tarn and tarnsman. Dietrich of Tarnburg played a key role in developing tactics relating to aerial warfare, both from the tarnsman's standpoint as well as the ground forces.

"Most impressive to me, perhaps, was Dietrich of Tarnburg's coordination of air and ground forces, and his transposition of certain techniques and weapons of siege warfare to the field." — Mercenaries of Gor, pages 31-33.

Land Forces

Defensive and offensive tactics were diverse, from keeping the ground troops safe against others attacking from tarn- or tharlarion-back to utilizing defensive techniques to push forward and attack.

• Defensive Picket Formation
Military tactic in which an equal number of men are forward as there are standing back within the interstices (the gaps between the forward men), thusly sealing the line making it solid. It allows a good amount of mobility, with allowances for the swordsmen to engage their weapons and properly defend themselves. Similar to the Torian Squares.

"I now stood and faced some six Taurentians who stood in the defensive picket formation, three men forward in this case, and, in the interstices, three men back. This permits the men in reserve to move into the forward line to form a solid line, or, if the first line withdraws, to have space to take its place. It allows a great deal of mobility and, on the level of squad tactics, has its affinity to the Torian Squares; the space allows the swordsmen, of course, room in which to handle their weapons, room in which to properly attack or defend themselves; in this case I expected the center man to engage me, defending himself on the whole, while the flanking men would strike; should one of these three fall, of course, his place would be taken by one of the men in the reserve line. Slowly, swords ready, the picket advanced on me. I stepped back, over fallen bodies. It is hard to break or attack the picket. I pretended to stumble and the center man rushed forward to press his putative advantage." — Assassin of Gor, page 343.

• Defensive Square
A common Gorean defense against tharlarion attack utilizing braced spears.

"The common Gorean defense against tharlarion attack, if it must be met on the open ground, is the stationary, defensive square, defended by braced spears. At Rovere and Kargash Dietrich coordinated his air and ground cavalry in such a way as to force his opponents into sturdy but relatively inflexible defensive squares. He then advanced his archers in long, enveloping lines, in this way they could muster a much broader front for low-level, point-blank firepower than could the narrower concentrated squares." — Mercenaries of Gor, pages 31-33.

• Gorean Phalanx
Military tactic which became obsolete for the most part with the introduction of the Torian Squares. This formation consisted of lines of massed spearmen, carrying spears of various lengths, forming a wall of points. Attacking on the run, preferably on a downgrade, thusly a military avalanche. On its own terrain and under optimum conditions, an army employing this tactic was utterly invincible.

Phalanx
Etymology: Latin phalang-, phalanx, from Greek, battle line, digital bone, literally, log;
       "A body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files; broadly: a body of troops in close array." — Merriam-Webster Dictionary ©2006.

"A close-formed military formation is difficult to maintain over rough terrain. Indeed, the Torian Squares, which I have mentioned, common among Gorean infantries, with their superior mobility and regrouping capacities, had, long ago, made the phalanxes of such cities as Ar and, in the south, Turia, obsolete. The Gorean phalanx, like its predecessors of Earth, consisted of lines of massed spearmen, carrying spears of different lengths, forming a wall of points; it attacked on the run, preferably on a downgrade, a military avalanche, on its own terrain and under optimum conditions, invincible; the Torian Squares had bested the phalanx by choosing ground for battle in which such a formation would break itself in its advance. The invention and perfecting of the Torian Squares and the consequent attempts to refine and improve the phalanx, failures, were developments which had preceded the use of tharlarion and tarn cavalries, which radically changed the face of Gorean warfare. Yet, in the day of the tharlarion and tarn, one still finds, among infantries, the Torian Square; the phalanx, though its impact could be exceeded only by the tharlarion wedge or line, is now unknown, except for a defensive relic known as the Wall, in which massed infantry remains stationary, heroically bracing itself when flight is impossible, for the devastating charge of tharlarion." — Assassin of Gor, pages 343-344.

• Harrow
Named for the agricultural tool which resembles a large rake, this tactic was developed by Dietrich of Tarnburg and is most effective against tharlarion cavalries. In this formation, spikes of archers, protected by iron-shod stakes and sleen pits, project beyond the forward lines of heavily armed warriors and their reserves.

"It was Dietrich of Tarnburg who had first introduced the 'harrow' to positional warfare on Gor, that formation named for the large, rake-like agricultural instrument, used for such tasks as the further leveling of ground after plowing and, sometimes, on the great farms, for the covering of seed. In this formation spikes of archers, protected by iron-shod stakes and sleen pits, project beyond the forward lines of the heavily armed warriors and their reserves. This formation, if approached head-on by tharlarion ground cavalry, is extremely effective. It constitutes, in effect, a set of corridors of death through which the cavalry must ride, in which it is commonly decimated before it can reach the main lines of the defenders. When the cavalry is disorganized, shattered and torn by missile fire, and turns about to retreat, the defenders, fresh and eager, initiate their own attack." — Mercenaries of Gor, page 32.

• Oblique Advance
Developed by Dietrich of Tarnburgh, this formation makes it possible for armies to choose to attack limited portions of the enemy, therefore engaging a much larger army and chipping away at it piece by piece. If the engagement fails, the advancing force can retreat back to their main body with the knowledge that the balance of their army is fresh and prepared to cover them effectively.

"He was also the initiator of the oblique advance in Gorean field warfare, whereby large numbers of men may be concentrated at crucial points while the balance of the enemy remains unengaged. This formation makes it possible for a given army, choosing to attack only limited portions of the enemy, portions smaller than itself, to engage an army which, all told, may be three times its size, and, not unoften, to turn the flank of this much larger body, producing its confusion and rout, Too, if the attack fails, the advanced force may fall back, knowing that the balance of their army, indeed, its bulk, rested and fresh, not yet engaged, is fully prepared to cover their retreat." — Mercenaries of Gor, page 32.

• Shield Roof
Also: Shield Shed
Similar to the formation known on Earth as the testudo, or, "tortoise," this formation is a defensive measure of ground forces from aerial attacks.

In Ancient Roman warfare, the testudo (the Latin word meaning "tortoise) formation was a formation used commonly by the Roman Legions during battles, but particularly sieges. In the testudo, the men would close up all gaps between each other and grab their shields at the sides, rather than the inside grip. The first row of men, possibly excluding the men on the flanks, would place their shields in front of them, from about their shins to the middle of their faces, so as to cover the formation's front. Everybody in the middle would place their shields over their head to protect from above, balancing the shields on their helmets and overlapping them. If necessary, the legionaries on the sides and rear of the formation could stand sideways or backwards with shields held as the front row's, so as to protect the formation's sides and rear, but the shape of the shields would mean that these soldiers would only be afforded incomplete protection. When used correctly, the testudo was an excellent shield against missile troops, and the legions could move with little fear of being slaughtered by arrow fire and javelins. The primary problem with the formation was that it was so tight that the soldiers had great difficulty fighting in hand-to-hand combat. In the Battle of Carrhae, we are met with an example the testudo's limitations; the Parthians shot the Romans with horse archers if they stayed in regular formation, and charged with cataphracts if they tried to form a testudo. Other problems encountered were that the front rank's faces and legs were still exposed, the inability to move very quickly, and adversaries with more powerful weapons (such as the composite bows) which could puncture the scutum and pin the soldiers' hands to their shields under prolonged fire, such as which occurred at Carrhae.

"Most impressive to me, perhaps, was Dietrich of Tarnburg's coordination of air and ground forces, and his transposition of certain techniques and weapons of siege warfare to the field. The common military response to aerial attack from tarnsmen is the 'shield roof' or 'shield shed,' a formation the same as, or quite similar to, a formation once known on Earth as the testudo, or 'tortoise.' In this formation shields are held in such a way that they constitute a wall for the outer ranks and a roof for the inner ranks. This is primarily a defensive formation but it may also be used for advancing under fire. The common Gorean defense against tharlarion attack, if it must be met on the open ground, is the stationary, defensive square, defended by braced spears. At Rovere and Kargash Dietrich coordinated his air and ground cavalry in such a way as to force his opponents into sturdy but relatively inflexible defensive squares. He then advanced his archers in long, enveloping lines, in this way they could muster a much broader front for low-level, point-blank firepower than could the narrower concentrated squares." — Mercenaries of Gor, pages 31-33.

• Siege Weaponry
Dietrich of Tarnburg was attributed with introducing mobile siege equipment, such as catapults, in Gorean field warfare. From these imperfect yet effective weapons, field artillery grew to frightening proportions, introducing the use of burning itch, siege javelins and giant boulders.

He then utilized, for the first time in Gorean field warfare, first at Rovere, and later at Kargash, mobile siege equipment, catapults mounted on wheeled platforms, which could fire over the heads of the draft animals. From these engines, hitherto employed only in siege warfare, now became a startling and devastating new weapon, in effect, a field artillery, tubs of burning pitch and flaming naphtha, and siege javelins, and giant boulders, fell in shattering torrents upon the immobilized squares. The shield shed was broken. The missiles of archers rained upon the confused, hapless defenders. Even mobile siege towers, pushed from within by straining tharlarion, pressing their weight against prepared harnesses, trundled toward them, their bulwarks swarming with archers and javelin men. The squares were broken. Then again the ponderous, earthshaking, bellowing, grunting, trampling, tharlarion ground cavalry charged, this time breaking through the walls like dried straw, followed by waves of screaming, heavily armed spearmen. The ranks of the enemy then irremediably broke. The air howled with panic. Rout was upon them. Spears and shields were cast away that men might flee the more rapidly. There was little left to be done. It would be the cavalries which would attend to the fugitives. — Mercenaries of Gor, page 33.

• Tharlarion Wedge
Also: Tharlarion Line
Obsolete military tactic utilizing tharlarion as a wall.

"Yet, in the day of the tharlarion and tarn, one still finds, among infantries, the Torian Square; the phalanx, though its impact could be exceeded only by the tharlarion wedge or line, is now unknown, except for a defensive relic known as the Wall, in which massed infantry remains stationary, heroically bracing itself when flight is impossible, for the devastating charge of tharlarion." — Assassin of Gor, page 344.

• Torian Squares
Military tactic which shares a likeness to the defensive picket formation, though is more closely related to the Gorean phalanx. It was created through methods of perfecting the phalanx, and combining with other defensive-agressive tactics with the intent of one replacing all.

"I now stood and faced some six Taurentians who stood in the defensive picket formation, three men forward in this case, and, in the interstices, three men back. This permits the men in reserve to move into the forward line to form a solid line, or, if the first line withdraws, to have space to take its place. It allows a great deal of mobility and, on the level of squad tactics, has its affinity to the Torian Squares; the space allows the swordsmen, of course, room in which to handle their weapons, room in which to properly attack or defend themselves; in this case I expected the center man to engage me, defending himself on the whole, while the flanking men would strike; should one of these three fall, of course, his place would be taken by one of the men in the reserve line. …
      "A close-formed military formation is difficult to maintain over rough terrain. Indeed, the Torian Squares, which I have mentioned, common among Gorean infantries, with their superior mobility and regrouping capacities, had, long ago, made the phalanxes of such cities as Ar and, in the south, Turia, obsolete. The Gorean phalanx, like its predecessors of Earth, consisted of lines of massed spearmen, carrying spears of different lengths, forming a wall of points; it attacked on the run, preferably on a downgrade, a military avalanche, on its own terrain and under optimum conditions, invincible; the Torian Squares had bested the phalanx by choosing ground for battle in which such a formation would break itself in its advance. The invention and perfecting of the Torian Squares and the consequent attempts to refine and improve the phalanx, failures, were developments which had preceded the use of tharlarion and tarn cavalries, which radically changed the face of Gorean warfare. Yet, in the day of the tharlarion and tarn, one still finds, among infantries, the Torian Square; the phalanx, though its impact could be exceeded only by the tharlarion wedge or line, is now unknown, except for a defensive relic known as the Wall, in which massed infantry remains stationary, heroically bracing itself when flight is impossible, for the devastating charge of tharlarion." — Assassin of Gor, pages 343-344.

• [The] Wall
A military defensive tactic in which massed infantry remains stationary, bracing themselves for the charge of tharlarion.

"The invention and perfecting of the Torian Squares and the consequent attempts to refine and improve the phalanx, failures, were developments which had preceded the use of tharlarion and tarn cavalries, which radically changed the face of Gorean warfare. Yet, in the day of the tharlarion and tarn, one still finds, among infantries, the Torian Square; the phalanx, though its impact could be exceeded only by the tharlarion wedge or line, is now unknown, except for a defensive relic known as the Wall, in which massed infantry remains stationary, heroically bracing itself when flight is impossible, for the devastating charge of tharlarion." — Assassin of Gor, page 344.

Nautical Forces

Battles waged on Thassa and the rivers as well, and the employment of tactics and defenses generally involved heavy arsenals.

• Pincer Blade
Nautical military tactic in which two forces converge on the opposite sides of an enemy's position.

Etymology: Middle English pinceour, from (assumed) Anglo-French pinceour, from Middle French pincier to pinch, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin pinctiare, punctiare, from Latin punctum puncture; Date: 14th century;
      "One part of a double envelopment in which two military forces converge on opposite sides of an enemy position." — Merriam-Webster Dictionary ©2002-2006.

"My fifth wave was divided into two portions, the pincer blade striking from the north under the command of the tall, long-haired Nigel, with his fifteen ships, supplemented by twenty-five of the arsenal, and the pincer blade from the south under the command of Chung, with his twenty ships, supplemented by another twenty, from the arsenal. All of these ships were tarn ships." — Raiders of Gor, pages 269-270.

Editor's Note

This page is an on-going project and will be updated as time allows.

 

 

*



Special Note

Because of the differences in publishing the books, depending upon whether published in the U.S. or Europe, depending upon whether a first publishing or a Masquerade Books release, page numbers will often vary. All of my quotes are from original, first-printing U.S. publications (see The Books page for a listing of publishers and dates) with the exception of the following books:

  • Tarnsman of Gor (2nd Printing, Balantine)
  • Outlaw of Gor (11th Printing, Balantine)
  • Priest-Kings of Gor (2nd Printing, Balantine)
  • Assassin of Gor (10th Printing, Balantine)
  • Raiders of Gor (15th Printing, Balantine)
  • Captive of Gor (3rd Printing, Balantine)

Disclaimer

These pages are not written for any specific home, but rather as informational pages for those not able to get ahold of the books and read them yourself. Opinions and commentaries are strictly my own personal views, therefore, if you don't like what you are reading — then don't. The information in these pages is realistic to what is found within the books. Many sites have added information, assuming the existences of certain products and practices, such as willowbark and agrimony for healing, and travel to earth and back for the collection of goods. I've explored the books, the flora, the fauna, and the beasts, and have compiled from those mentioned, the probabilities of certain practices, and what vegetation mentioned in the books is suitable for healing purposes, as well as given practicalities to other sorts of roleplaying assumptions.