Do you think the Unsullied can withstand a heavy horse charge?

[Garbad]

As mentioned in the books, they gained their reputation hundreds of years ago by withstanding a Dothraki attack of mounted archers and charges. Presumably, this means charges with their arakhs, as no mention is ever made of Dothraki using any weapon other than whip, bow, or their curved sword.

But there is a fundamental difference in withstanding a charge by horsemen who ride past you and swing a slashing weapon and armored men with lances riding OVER you.

In actual history, the heavy cavalry charge was able to punch through the front of most spear infantry throughout most of the middle ages. Only the most elite infantry with full plate armor, long spears, and good discipline could withstand an attack. The unsullied certainly have the discipline, but lack the plate or the long spears (they use short spears, as I recall).

What do you think?

[Ramsay Gimp]

Yes

[Ser Cold Fingers]

Very much yes.

Spears, shields, discipline, numbers, training.

[Red Typer of Dorne]

I don't think so, as op says Dothraki are unarmored warriors who ride past shooting/ slashing, a knight on an armored horse with an 8' war lance would just ride though them

[Trickrs]

Only the most elite infantry with full plate armor, long spears, and good discipline could withstand an attack.

And Plot Magic.

The Unsullied surely have this one.

[Ser Cold Fingers]

I picture the Unsullied fighting similarly to the Ancient Greeks in a Phalanx Formation.

[The Bastard of Walton]

I think it says in twoiaf booK that they stopped the Dothraki a few times.

Different when your dealing with war horses. Sure we'll see such a encounter at some point.

[Ser Cold Fingers]

I think it says in twoiaf booK that they stopped the Dothraki a few times.

Different when your dealing with war horses. Sure we'll see such a encounter at some point.

Battle of Qohor.

During the Century of Blood after the Doom of Valyria, the Dothraki first rode out east of the Dothraki sea. KhalTemmo led 20,000 Dothraki, in sacking and burning every town and city in their path.

Aware of the khalasar's advance, the Qohorik strengthened their walls, doubled their garrison, and hired two mercenary companies, Bright Banners and the Second Sons.

They also sent a man to Astapor to purchase three thousand Unsullied.

During the first day of the fighting the Dothraki were unmatched. Qohor's forces were shattered, with its heavy horse annihilated and the hired sellsword companies fleeing in the face of hopeless odds. The Dothraki retired to their camps to drink, feast and rest before their final assault at the break of dawn. However, during the night, a reinforcement of three thousand Unsullied reached the city. Come dawn, the Unsullied awaited the Dothraki horde, arrayed in battle formation before the city gates.

The Dothraki could have easily out flanked such a small force. In their contempt for infantry, the Dothraki riders launched a direct frontal assault in an attempt to simply ride down the heavy infantry. Eighteen times they charged and attacked the Unsullied ranks and thrice their archers wheeled past raining arrows on the Three Thousand, each time failing to break through.

Finally the Dothraki halted their attacks after Temmo, his bloodriders, and the khal's sons had been killed. Their losses of 12,000 dead were staggering. Only 600 Unsullied remained, but the victory was theirs nonetheless. Four days later, the new khal led his remaining khalasar past the city gates in a stately procession. Each man cut off his braid and threw it down before the Unsullied.

But as mentioned above...heavy cavalry might be more difficult than Dothraki. But I think it can be done.

[James Steller]

With the right discipline, training, equipment, and numbers, they'll hold off all the king's horses and all the king's men sitting on those horses. Unless they stood back and let the horse archers have their fun.

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

Theoretically if knights could get their horses to charge into the unsullied then they could be smashed with heavy horse, after all they don't have very much armour and their spears won't offer the same protection as massed pikes would.

However I don't think it is likely that riders would have much success in manoeuvring their horses into dense infantry formations. Maybe I'm wrong on this one, BBE will probably have something to say on the topic, but I simply don't know of any cases where standing intact formations of men were destroyed by cavalry charges.

Decent commanders would usually put their cavalry in the rearguard, because their infantry would need to engage the enemy infantry before their cavalry could be put to use.

[Damp Hair - The Prophet]

A shield/spear wall works great against a horse charge, heavy or not. The unsullied proved this at the Battle of Qohor.

[Berkilak]

Very, very few of the military forces of Essos would fare well against a Westerosi army. There's a reason you don't see phalanx formations with relatively short spears being used in medieval times.

[Maid So Fair]

Isn't that the point of the Unsullied? You know, the elite spearmen?

[Juan_Snow]

Against giant armored war horses with riders wearing full plate and lances? Not a chance in hell. They'd be massacred

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

Battle of Qohor.

During the Century of Blood after the Doom of Valyria, the Dothraki first rode out east of the Dothraki sea. KhalTemmo led 20,000 Dothraki, in sacking and burning every town and city in their path.

Aware of the khalasar's advance, the Qohorik strengthened their walls, doubled their garrison, and hired two mercenary companies, Bright Banners and the Second Sons.

They also sent a man to Astapor to purchase three thousand Unsullied.

During the first day of the fighting the Dothraki were unmatched. Qohor's forces were shattered, with its heavy horse annihilated and the hired sellsword companies fleeing in the face of hopeless odds. The Dothraki retired to their camps to drink, feast and rest before their final assault at the break of dawn. However, during the night, a reinforcement of three thousand Unsullied reached the city. Come dawn, the Unsullied awaited the Dothraki horde, arrayed in battle formation before the city gates.

The Dothraki could have easily out flanked such a small force. In their contempt for infantry, the Dothraki riders launched a direct frontal assault in an attempt to simply ride down the heavy infantry. Eighteen times they charged and attacked the Unsullied ranks and thrice their archers wheeled past raining arrows on the Three Thousand, each time failing to break through.

Finally the Dothraki halted their attacks after Temmo, his bloodriders, and the khal's sons had been killed. Their losses of 12,000 dead were staggering. Only 600 Unsullied remained, but the victory was theirs nonetheless. Four days later, the new khal led his remaining khalasar past the city gates in a stately procession. Each man cut off his braid and threw it down before the Unsullied.

But as mentioned above...heavy cavalry might be more difficult than Dothraki. But I think it can be done.

I didn't notice that part before. I guess Qohor equipped them in heavy armor (which is the best armor in the world) before the battle.

[Berkilak]

Isn't that the point of the Unsullied? You know, the elite spearmen?

Against barbarian hordes and stork-men. They don't hold a candle to Westerosi cavalry. This isn't video game logic where X unit is weak to Y unit and strong against Z unit - a heavily armoured cavalry charge trumps most things in the Middle Ages, and wouldn't even break a sweat against a group wielding technology and tactics about 1,500 years less advanced.

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

I think it's not a good idea to charge into pikes. A lot of the riders will die, and it's hard to maintain a charge when your comrades and their horses are falling around and in front of you, tripping you too. I think yes, a charge would most likely get stopped.

Shoot arrows on them, send heavy infantry to fight them, then try to break their lines with heavy horse when they are already engaged.

[Mal Malenkirk]

Could enough knights charging break an Unsullied shield wall?

Probably but why try? Why play into their greatest strenght? Play instead to their weakness.

Just send heavy infantry (dismounted knights, even). Favor axes and hammer as weapons; they can be used to 'hook' the shields and pull the wall apart. The unsullied are castrated men, even the good masters admit that makes them less physically powerful. Use and abuse that, force them into packed close combat where skill matters less and where the quality of your armor is crucial and the importance of raw physical might is at a premium.

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

Against barbarian hordes and stork-men. They don't hold a candle to Westerosi cavalry. This isn't video game logic where X unit is weak to Y unit and strong against Z unit - a heavily armoured cavalry charge trumps most things in the Middle Ages, and wouldn't even break a sweat against a group wielding technology and tactics about 1,500 years less advanced.

Well, they are using pikes, aren't they? I could be wrong, but I think that's one of their 3 spears. A throwing spear, a short spear and a pike. Pikes are good for stopping heavy cavalry.

[Berkilak]

I think it's not a good idea to charge into spikes. A lot of the riders will die, and it's hard to maintain a charge when your comrades and their horses are falling around and in front of you, tripping you too. I think yes, a charge would most likely get stopped.

Shoot arrows on them, send heavy infantry to fight them, then try to break their lines with heavy horse when they are already engaged.

The Unsullied are not equipped to face an armoured cavalry charge. Their "spikes" would simply shatter, their phalanx would ensure that they're all totally trampled into a single gooey mess.