Military System of the Classic Period Nhgeqmba

[Yačay256]

Well, it has been a wee bit since I have been on this board, but I have something to share with you all today.
Military System of Classic Mbinhgany (197 BCE-493 CE)
This is the first period under which the Nhgeqmba have established a large, centralized state: The Empire of Mbinhgany.
The Military through most of the Classic was dominated by infantry. It was during the Classic that the Noble Guard, elite warriors and police directly controlled by the Keqke, were separated from the larger, general military-police force. Throughout this period, combined arms dominates, with all but the smallest levels of organization being a mixture of slingers, spearpeople, warriors armed with knobkerries and to a lesser extent other weapons. This allowed a complementary unit to operate more effectively.
As today, levels were based according to a hexadecimal system: the 16group was the smallest group and was composed of 16 soldiers with a commanding officer, with the 256 group above it, &c. until we get to the Realm, roughly equivalent to a theater in occidental military systems. Throughout most of the period, the armed forces had a strength of about 600,000 women and men.
Weapons
The most common melee weapons were the wooden knobkerrie and the barbed spear, the latter with a triangular point of steel and a pole about a metre long made of a variety of flexible and sturdy woods. The dominant ranged weapon was the sling, and though all troops were given basic sling training, most slinging was done by specialist slingers; in either case baked clay shot, sometimes heated for use in sieges, was the usual projectile and the sling was of braided raffia. Some archers also existed for use in sniper roles, though these were in a minority.
Knives were similar to the Wharncliffe blade and of steel with a fish leather scabbard and a wooden grip, used as both a sidearm and as a general purpose tool.
Other Equipment
Uniforms were similar to modern uniforms, being a many pocketed blouse and short, plaited sarong of raffia cloth colored light green for both camouflage and unit identification. Helmets were made of woven bamboo strips fastened to the wearer's head using ropes and wooden buckles. Footwear consisted of palm leaf sandals strapped up the lower leg.
Troops carried large raffia backpacks for their and their unit's rations and gear; these backpacks had external bamboo or wooden frames to support the great load, while canteens of gourd and ceramic were used to carry water and cooking was done over heaths. Warriors sometimes slept in hammocks under canopies due to the tropical climate when on the march, though more often they slept in wooden or earthen forts and the abundant blockhouses across the country.
So what do you think of this military system, for its time? What do you think of the organization, the supplies and the weaponry? Is there anything I left out? Thank you for your prompt responses.

[cybrxkhan]

Some archers also existed for use in sniper roles, though these were in a minority.

Archery doesn't work that way. As in, it doesn't usually work the way Legolas does it in Lord of the Rings. Archers usually fired up, into the sky (hail of arrows thing), en masse, to achieve their greatest affect. Shooting with bow and arrow like a sniper or even a modern rifleman wasn't really done, except perhaps if you have no choice. If a pre-gunpowder weapon would be used in a sniper role, it would be the crossbow, but even then I'm not sure how historically plausible that would be. Then again, since these are in the minority as you say, I suppose it isn't as unreasonable than as if you had an entire army of archer-snipers, but it's still something to think about.

Uniforms were similar to modern uniforms, being a many pocketed blouse and short, plaited sarong of raffia cloth colored light green for both camouflage and unit identification.

I'm not visualizing this right - what material makes up that blouse? I would think that a multi-pocketed blouse is, first, a bit implausible for a group of people living in the jungle, and, secondly, that it's a bit too modern of a thing. I'm a bit iffy on this one, though.


Regardless, criticisms aside, it's a pretty interesting thing, especially since yours is a tropical-based culture, so having a mostly infantry army would make sense (though I would say that perhaps in the less tropical areas, like those close to the grasslands or savannah or whatever, that cavalry might be used; for instance, many of the African empires located in more tropical climates but close to the savannah regions would employ cavalry). The military system here vaguely reminds me of the Roman Empire in some ways.

[Yačay256]

@cybrxkhan: I specifically stated that the uniform is made of raffia cloth in the text you quoted; as for the blouse being modern, plenty of premodern civs used blouses: the Mayan Huipil, the Indian Choli, the Dishiki of West Africa or the kuba cloth of Central Africa (which, while not garb in and of itself, could easily be made into a Kanzu or a Kaftan, which are both from similarly hot tropical climates.
As for your critique of my archers, my people did not have crossbows (or any other type of (semi)mechanical weaponry) until the wars with Ethiopia in the 500s CE. I suppose I could have kestros wielding slingers instead as snipers... in fact, I think I will.

[cybrxkhan]

Alright, that's fine. I mean I know the blouse is not that modern, but what caught my eye was the "multi pockets". If you meant, say, just three pockets or something, that probably is plausible; on the other hand, if you meant something like a modern military suit where there are tons of nice little pockets all over the place...

Regardless, as I said, I'm a bit iffy on this one, so take what I say with a grain of salt.