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How could Dothraki threaten walled cities w/ no armor or siege weapons?


Ocelot

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The rulers of various Free Cities often pay tribute to the Dothraki so the Dothraki won't attack and sack them. However, it doesn't make any sense to me that walled cities could be seriously threatened and even sacked by undisciplined hordes w/ no armor to protect from arrows shot by the city's defenders or siege weapons for breaking down walls and destroying other defense forces. The Mongols had armor and actually advanced the strategic use of siege weapons. If Dothraki were to surround a walled city, couldn't the city's defenders just send volleys of arrows and other projectiles at them which they would be defenseless against because they had no armor?



I'd really appreciate comments from someone who knows something about medieval warfare.


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There are a lot of things that can be done to lay siege to a city, aside from tearing down walls and building. I would imagine a lot of the threat the the Dothraki posed was in inhibiting trade necessary to keep cities fed. They would not have to get through city walls to prevent food from making it into the city as the pastures and herds would be outside the city walls. Cities are densely populated but tend not to contain self-sustaining resources. Also, its probably just easier to pay them to go away, rather than building and maintaining the sort of standing force that would be needed to drive away every Khal with a wild hair for some Pentoshi wine.


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Dothraki are no undisciplined hordes, GGRM created them based on central asian nomadic tribes who were among most fearsome armies in the mankind, and you do not have to sack a city to have them yield, a typical tactics of them would be raid your countryside when it is the season for planting seeds, and come again in the fall to ruin your havest, repean these action for a few years, then unless you can defeat them in an open battle, you would have no other choice but to yield


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The rulers of various Free Cities often pay tribute to the Dothraki so the Dothraki won't attack and sack them. However, it doesn't make any sense to me that walled cities could be seriously threatened and even sacked by undisciplined hordes w/ no armor to protect from arrows shot by the city's defenders or siege weapons for breaking down walls and destroying other defense forces. The Mongols had armor and actually advanced the strategic use of siege weapons. If Dothraki were to surround a walled city, couldn't the city's defenders just send volleys of arrows and other projectiles at them which they would be defenseless against because they had no armor?

I'd really appreciate comments from someone who knows something about medieval warfare.

The Dothraki can't take cities, but they can still burn and loot the surrounding countryside. Cities are going to have a hard time feeding their people if they don't have the countryside growing food, particularly if it gets burned and looted on a semi-regular basis.

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We're talking about cheesemongers, slave masters, winesellers and other plumpy useless lord that depend on sellswords and slaves... Yes, thick walls may keep the dothraki out, but khalasars can simply starve you out and you don't want to depend on slaves and sellswords when it comes to a very long siege.

It just simpler to pay tributes than having to mantain great forces at all times just in case some Khal wanted some pentoshi cheese.... you just need to remember Vaes Dothrak to realize how many other cheesemongers had the same idea and then paid with their heads and their women.

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They can't.



The Free Cities pay because it's vastly cheaper than raising an army to destroy the Dothraki once and for all, or to suffer the economic consequences of the Dothraki raiding the countryside.





Dothraki are no undisciplined hordes, GGRM created them based on central asian nomadic tribes who were among most fearsome armies in the mankind, and you do not have to sack a city to have them yield, a typical tactics of them would be raid your countryside when it is the season for planting seeds, and come again in the fall to ruin your havest, repean these action for a few years, then unless you can defeat them in an open battle, you would have no other choice but to yield




Nope. Mongols and huns and skythes and all the rest had elaborate societies, brains, heavy armor and a lot more going for them.



Whom they are modelled after are these guys: http://abortionsforall.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/road1.jpg


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They could surround cities and do it quite well. They are used to living off the land and probably drink mare's milk like Mongols so they could outlast most walled cities. The answer to being fired at by arrows and artillery is simply moving further away. (duh)



The other option is if they captured slaves from previous conflicts is to force them to build siege equipment. Again what the Mongols did. They could also sack and destroy unfortified towns until the owners are forced to come out and do something.



I find the idea that it's cheaper to pay tribute complete BS. Civilizations have pride and don't like to be some one's bitch. Can you imagine any nation in real life paying tribute to another nation that they themselves could easily destroy. It doesn't happen. It also might be "cheaper" but I guarantee it isn't cheap.



The slave trade thing is also bull because imagine this. Your garbage man is a little person. He does his job quite well but every now and then he knocks on your door and demands a few hundred dollars or he'll burn your house down. No one would take that shit. They'd either kick the little guys ass or get him arrested. Then they'd easily find some other guy willing to take out their trash.



I await the illogical replies.


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So the Danegeld wasn't a thing?

Can you imagine any nation in real life paying tribute to another nation that they themselves could easily destroy.

If the French and English could have handled the Viking menace then there's not a chance they would've payed that tax.

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I find the idea that it's cheaper to pay tribute complete BS. Civilizations have pride and don't like to be some one's bitch. Can you imagine any nation in real life paying tribute to another nation that they themselves could easily destroy. It doesn't happen. It also might be "cheaper" but I guarantee it isn't cheap.

Civilizations maybe. Merchant princes, less so.

And bribes to the leaders of barbaric tribes which could theoretically be easily destroyed are older than the written word. Egyptians, Macedonians, Romans, medieval Europeans, colonialist Europeans and Americans, even modern countries do it. It's happening right this moment.

If the French and English could have handled the Viking menace then there's not a chance they would've payed that tax.

Oh, they could handle them, and did. It was sometimes just easier on the economy to pay a bit of silver instead of rebuilding an entire region.

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Illyrio says that the Lord of Light would hold Pentos against a million Dothraki. I believe him.


Actually Illyrio's comments about the Dothraki throw a lot of insight into the thinking of the free cities.



The Dothraki do not really threaten walled cities, but they raid all the surrounding villages and are a general nuisance. That's why they are bought off.


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The slave trade thing is also bull because imagine this. Your garbage man is a little person. He does his job quite well but every now and then he knocks on your door and demands a few hundred dollars or he'll burn your house down. No one would take that shit. They'd either kick the little guys ass or get him arrested. Then they'd easily find some other guy willing to take out their trash.

I await the illogical replies.

Ur, um, I am not sure this is the best analogy.

Imagine yourre a spice importer in Myr. You make a tidy profit selling spices from the far east to people in Myr. You would rather not send your fleet to Quarth or Asshai . It's easier to send them to Mereen or New Ghis. How does Mereen and New Ghis obtain valuable spices? They trade slaves for spices.

So what happens if there are no slaves for Mereen or New Ghis to trade? Well, you don't get your spices, at least not without having to send a merchant fleet half way around the world . And who ensures that that there a healthy supply of slaves? Apparently the Dothraki.

You're a Banker in Pentos. You make a tidy sum financing and insuring Mr. Myr Spice Importer's activities. You now the basics of Mr. Spice Importer's operation. Accordingly, you know that if Mr. Spice Importer can't get spices in Mereen he isn't probably coming to you for a loan and insurance. You might, therefore, want to keep the Dothraki in business.

Or you are a wealthy merchant in Pentos. Most of your business is legit, but you make bit of coin selling slaves illegally to selected clients. You might not want to see the slave trade end.

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Civilizations maybe. Merchant princes, less so.

And bribes to the leaders of barbaric tribes which could theoretically be easily destroyed are older than the written word. Egyptians, Macedonians, Romans, medieval Europeans, colonialist Europeans and Americans, even modern countries do it. It's happening right this moment.

Oh, they could handle them, and did. It was sometimes just easier on the economy to pay a bit of silver instead of rebuilding an entire region.

1st Give me some examples.

2d The fact that they were still a big enough threat have to pay off kind of proves you wrong.

Ur, um, I am not sure this is the best analogy.

Imagine yourre a spice importer in Myr. You make a tidy profit selling spices from the far east to people in Myr. You would rather not send your fleet to Quarth or Asshai . It's easier to send them to Mereen or New Ghis. How does Mereen and New Ghis obtain valuable spices? They trade slaves for spices.

So what happens if there are no slaves for Mereen or New Ghis to trade? Well, you don't get your spices, at least not without having to send a merchant fleet half way around the world . And who ensures that that there a healthy supply of slaves? Apparently the Dothraki.

You're a Banker in Pentos. You make a tidy sum financing and insuring Mr. Myr Spice Importer's activities. You now the basics of Mr. Spice Importer's operation. Accordingly, you know that if Mr. Spice Importer can't get spices in Mereen he isn't probably coming to you for a loan and insurance. You might, therefore, want to keep the Dothraki in business.

Or you are a wealthy merchant in Pentos. Most of your business is legit, but you make bit of coin selling slaves illegally to selected clients. You might not want to see the slave trade end.

You totally missed the point. There will always be someone willing to take out the trash.

In this case you destroy the Dothraki Khalasars that have the gall to threaten you and the weaker ones learn not to mess with you.

EDIT: Someone will fill in the missing part of the food chain. They always do.

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