[Chapter 2] Armies Throughout History

The human tribes such as the Arathi who laid the foundation for the emergence the Arathorian Empire nearly three thousand years ago fought primarily with axes and swords, while wearing comparatively little armour and shields. They were organized into war bands and societies under the leadership of a chief, such as Thoradin, and were reputed as fierce warriors. Under the leadership of such individuals as Ignaeus Trollbane and General Lordain they became disciplined soldiers, emotionally strengthed to unite humanity, in which they had great success. The only dent in Arathor's military capacity took its form in the opposition met by the Amani Empire, who engaged in skirmishes with the humans across the borders.



Not all human tribes fought on foot. Horses were bred and trained for war, and soldiers adapted to mounted warfare. The use of cavalry not only gave the men of Arathor a presumed advantage over the Amani trolls, but also allowed for swift and expedient communication across their growing empire.



Following the fall of Arathor, most fighting in lands across the Eastern Kingdoms occupied by humans for the next few centuries involved clashes of foot soldiers. One exception might have been infrequent battles with pockets of Amani trolls in the east, although we have no evidence that victories were due to the use of cavalry. Another exception was the armies of Azeroth in the south who fought in the much later Gnoll War, and secured human dominance in the region. The strength of their army in this period was cavalry. The men of Stormwind benefited also from both superior leadership under Barathen Wrynn, "the Adamant", and an understanding of tactics that the gnolls and other local humanoid creatures lacked.



Fighting in the earlier centuries of humanity's history rarely involved groups that could be classified as armies in the modern sense. They were the same war bands as before, small by the standards set in the Troll Wars, and employing limited tactics or strategy. The main military activities across tribes were most likely raids to obtain spoils, food, livestock, and weaponry. The more aggressive tribes are thought to partake in devastation of their rivals' food production so as to starve them out. Leather armour was common; only the elites wore chainmail before better equipment became the status quo following the establishment of a centralised powerbase.



In Year 597 of the King's Calendar, Stormwind fell to the warriors of the Orcish Horde after five ruthless years of fighting following the opening of the Dark Portal. The backbone of Azeroth's army at the time were its footmen and trained archers, who turned the tide of more than one battle in favour of humanity. Yet it stands to reason that without the excellent use of Stormwind's knights, and in particular the members of the Brotherhood of the Horse, the human kingdom would not have held out as long as it did. Following the events of the First War, warfare in the Eastern Kingdoms saw a gradual shift towards mounted combat. This conversion continued most notably in the Second War under the Alliance of Lordaeron. Knights who fought in the Second War were humanity's heavy cavalry, and followed the genesis and example of those who came before them, and came to typify future warfare.



During the Second War, the Alliance of Lordaeron conducted military campaigns across Khaz Modan and Quel'Thalas to halt the advance of the Horde. The Alliance army consisted of both infantry and armoured cavalry, with the latter being a particular valuable force. It could move quickly and strike hard against the orcish grunts and troll axethrowers. The Alliance's campaigns were further conducted as economic raids to disrupt oil production in attempts to grind the Horde's naval prowess to a still.