The size of the Reachs military?

[Lee-Sensei]

So Renly assembles an army of 100,000 men . 20,000 of them being Stormlanders. The Redwynes haven't provided any men because the Lannisters have hostages. Where do they come from though? The Hightowers can field three times as many men as any other Tyrell vassal, but it's even if they have as many men as one of the weaker Great Houses (25,000 - 30,000), they shouldn't have 100,000 men. Stannis says the Florents can field 2,000 men and they're supposed to be one of the strongest bannermen in the Reach.

[pettes]

I'm quite sure that they iven the proper time and ability to raise all of their men can raise about 130.000 men, but i may be wrong

[The Drunkard]

Some of your information is wrong.

Renly's army at Bitterbridge consists of eighty thousand men, and Mace has another ten at Highgarden. 'A hundred thousand' comes from a boast he makes to Stannis (and he's only talking about his infantry), not the accurate information he gives Catelyn. That only twenty thousand of the host at Bitterbridge were from the stormlands is either the result of speculation or people not understanding what happened at Storm's End, the real number could be higher or lower. Also, I don't remember the Florents ever being considered one of the most powerful bannermen, merely that they were prestigious and had the best claim to Highgarden (three hundred years ago).

[Damp Hair - The Prophet]

The 80,000-100,000 men claim always rang as unrealistic to me. The logistics alone to organize that is gob smacking. Even if there's that many, a goodly portion are scrawny farmers with hoes and pitchforks that don't want to be there.

[GallowsKnight]

@The Drunkard.

A lot of people don't understand what went done at Storm's End.

[Prince Davos Martell]

As the Reach is the most fertile and largest kingdom in Westeros, It might support more than 100.000 soldiers. However i think this is unlikely that so many would be massed at one point.

Reasons for this is:

1: Logistics, It's a nightmare to supply 100.000 soldiers

2: Uncertain loyalties of the Reach lords. I always have a feeling that the Tyrells are not too loved by the Reach lords (the whole descends from the Gardeners thing), and because of this the lords would probably keep a certain amount of soldiers themselves, rather than sending them to join the Tyrell main force. That way, you can always usurp or defend yourself if things comes against you.

3. The Reach don't rally thrust Dorne, so it is always good to keep some soldiers at home. Just in case.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

A whole bunch of smaller Lordships.

By and large, lordships in the Westerlands, Stormlands, Dorne and the Reach seem to be smaller than the ones in the North, Vale and Riverlands. But there are way more of them.

The Florents aren't exceptionally strong either. At their level and social standing, they are actually rather weak in the military department. Likely because the Tyrells have made it a policy for 300 years to weaken their chief rivals at every opportunity. Their power originates from their claim on Highgarden.

[Prince Davos Martell]

The Florents aren't exceptionally strong either. At their level and social standing, they are actually rather weak in the military department. Likely because the Tyrells have made it a policy for 300 years to weaken their chief rivals at every opportunity. Their power originates from their claim on Highgarden.

The Redwynes and Hightower are probably the strongest Houses besides the Tyrells.

Redwynes basically have the Tyrell navy, making them a house of great importance.

Hightower have oldtown, and seem quite rich from the trade to oldtown. Housing the Maesters is probably not a bad thing either, as no one is going to mess with your town then,

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Definitely, and either of those two houses has about 15,000 men, give or take. Maybe 20,000.

[The Holy Goat]

I imagine the Reach can muster at least 120,000 men or more if they had to. It would be hard to gather them all at the same time and in the same place though, and even harder to organize them afterwards. The Case with Renly and his march on King's Landing was certainly extraordinary and possibly the biggest gathering of men seen so far in the history of Westeros, barring the Battle of the Blackwater, if you count both sides of the conflict.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

I imagine the Reach can muster at least 120,000 men or more if they had to. It would be hard to gather them all at the same time and in the same place though, and even harder to organize them afterwards. The Case with Renly and his march on King's Landing was certainly extraordinary and possibly the biggest gathering of men seen so far in the history of Westeros, barring the Battle of the Blackwater, if you count both sides of the conflict.

The Battle of the Blackwater saw about 50,000-60,000 men, no more.

Renly's camp at Bitterbridge enjoyed a main trading route, the harvest, the Reach and, most important of all, no danger of enemy contact. These are all major logistical advantages.

Please remember that he only took 20,000 men into contested territory. That great, big assembly was intended to intimidate everybody into submission, not to fight actual battles.

[Ingelheim]

Well, the Hightowers could field 15,000-20,000 men easily. Let's say the other Houses have around 3-5,000 men each, and you have there your army.

[Pod The Rod]

The Battle of the Blackwater saw about 50,000-60,000 men, no more.

Renly's camp at Bitterbridge enjoyed a main trading route, the harvest, the Reach and, most important of all, no danger of enemy contact. These are all major logistical advantages.

Please remember that he only took 20,000 men into contested territory. That great, big assembly was intended to intimidate everybody into submission, not to fight actual battles.

Eh, IIRC he only took the cavalry to Storm's End because he wanted to get there ASAP. The rest of his army being big and clunky wasn't why he left it behind, it was because it was all infantry.

[The Holy Goat]

The Battle of the Blackwater saw about 50,000-60,000 men, no more.

Renly's camp at Bitterbridge enjoyed a main trading route, the harvest, the Reach and, most important of all, no danger of enemy contact. These are all major logistical advantages.

Please remember that he only took 20,000 men into contested territory. That great, big assembly was intended to intimidate everybody into submission, not to fight actual battles.

It definitly saw more than 50,000-60,000 men.

Tyrion had 6,000 Goldcloaks, 800 sellswords, and at least 50 ships (their toal crew and combatants numbering in the thousands) under his command. Stannis had 21,000 Crownlanders, Stormlanders and Reachmen (the 16,000 he took from Renly and the 5,000 he brought from Dragonstone), and at least 200 ships (their total crew and combatants numbering in the thousands) under his command. Tywin, Mace, Garlan and Randyll had had 70,000 - 90,000 Westerlanders and Reachmen at the least. Tyrion points out to Oberyn Martell that Oberyn's escort of 300 is nothing compared to the 20,000 Westerlanders Tywin commands, or the 50,000, 60,000 0r 70,000 Reachmen Mace commands. And that is after Randyll Tarly have moved north with an army to meet Helman Tallhart and Robett Glover. Randylls army was noted to be much bigger than The 3,000 solders Tallhart and Glover had.

In fact, by my estimations, the total amount of men involved in the Battle of the Blackwater was around 140,000, counting the crews of the ships. Note that this is after making note of every single mention of the army numbers found in the books, and while taking the more outrageous claims with a grain of salt. Why you would insist on making the armies smaller than stated in universe is beyond me.

The 20,000 men Renly brought to Storm's End was nothing but knights and horsed men. He took them in order to move quickly, not because he never intended to use any of the others.

[GallowsKnight]

The Redwynes and the Hightowers are basically without peer. No one except Manderly comes close to that power without being a Lord Paramount.

That kind of makes sense when you read in the World of Ice and Fire that the Reach was actually multiple Kingdoms before the Gardeners united them.

[Chaircat Meow]

Renly supposedly had 80,000 men at Bitterbridge and another 10,000 at Highgarden. He sometimes claimed he had more. Undoubtedly Renly had a lot of men, but we should keep in mind the fact intimidation through display of numbers was part of his strategy. Those figures could therefore have been inflated. The alleged 60,000 foot left at BB did not all take part at Blackwater either, because some went home on hearing about Renly's death and the Tyrells could not necessarily afford to march them all to King's Landing.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Eh, IIRC he only took the cavalry to Storm's End because he wanted to get there ASAP. The rest of his army being big and clunky wasn't why he left it behind, it was because it was all infantry.

That's one reason. And the one Renly states. But the logistics is another reason. Please remember that the 55,000 men at the Field of Fire had to keep moving to avoid starvation.

Or Robb and his <20,000 men at Moat Cailin.

It definitly saw more than 50,000-60,000 men.

Tyrion had 6,000 Goldcloaks, 800 sellswords, and at least 50 ships (their toal crew and combatants numbering in the thousands) under his command. Stannis had 21,000 Crownlanders, Stormlanders and Reachmen (the 16,000 he took from Renly and the 5,000 he brought from Dragonstone), and at least 200 ships (their total crew and combatants numbering in the thousands) under his command. Tywin, Mace, Garlan and Randyll had had 70,000 - 90,000 Westerlanders and Reachmen at the least. Tyrion points out to Oberyn Martell that Oberyn's escort of 300 is nothing compared to the 20,000 Westerlanders Tywin commands, or the 50,000, 60,000 0r 70,000 Reachmen Mace commands. And that is after Randyll Tarly have moved north with an army to meet Helman Tallhart and Robett Glover. Randylls army was noted to be much bigger than The 3,000 solders Tallhart and Glover had.

In fact, by my estimations, the total amount of men involved in the Battle of the Blackwater was around 140,000, counting the crews of the ships. Note that this is after making note of every single mention of the army numbers found in the books, and while taking the more outrageous claims with a grain of salt. Why you would insist on making the armies smaller than stated in universe is beyond me.

The 20,000 men Renly brought to Storm's End was nothing but knights and horsed men. He took them in order to move quickly, not because he never intended to use any of the others.

Tyrion had about 10,000 men, Goldcloaks, ship crews, sellswords, all told. Stannis had about 20,000 men. Tywin had about 15,000 men. The Reach had maybe the same (at the time), being reinforced only later (by the survivors of Stannis' host and others brought up from the Reach). M

Don't forget that most of the Lords of the Reach were either part of Stannis' host or stayed sort-of-neutral between Renly's death and the Blackwater, only aligning with the Tyrells again afterwards.

[Chaircat Meow]

That's one reason. And the one Renly states. But the logistics is another reason. Please remember that the 55,000 men at the Field of Fire had to keep moving to avoid starvation.

Or Robb and his <20,000 men at Moat Cailin.

According to Cat Ned would have brought the whole army and Renly was foolish for outrunning his supply train. Sounded off to me but there you go.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

According to Cat Ned would have brought the whole army and Renly was foolish for outrunning his supply train. Sounded off to me but there you go.

Meh. I value Cat under most circumstances, but her strengths are not in the military part.

The supply train is correct, but the whole army is a misjudgement. Anyway, there can't be a supply train to feed so many men and horses. Food needs to be locally acquired or brought by ship.

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

As previously pointed out he had 80,000, the 100,000 is clearly a boast. 80,000 might be a boast but not by much I think, remember we know for a fact that he had 20,000 cavalry in his army, he probably shouldn't have a better cavalry to infantry ratio than Tywin Lannister, and the Lannisters had 10,500 cavalry and 24,500 infantry in the original Riverlands invasion.

10500/35,000= 0.3 20,000/0.3=67,000

So by that logic Renly almost certainly couldn't have had less than 65,000 troops, but I think we should just accept the figure that have gives us.

A 3:1 split between the Reach and the Stormlands seems about right, there is also another 10,000 men with Mace at Highgarden.

Some of the Hightower bannermen (most notably Cuy) are in Renly's host, but it is unknown if the major lords sworn to lord Leyton count as his ability to field 3 times as many as any other Reach bannermen, either way the Hightower doesn't seem to have invested as strongly in Renly's army as they should have.

Redwyne is not that big a factor, there is no reason to believe he can field any more than any average lord in the reach, he is powerful because of his ships and his wealth. The Arbor is smaller than (what are presumably) Florent lands, and the Florents can only raise 2,000 according to Stannis. Also since the Redwynes have to man a huge fleet it is possible they would have less than would normally be expected.

It should be noted that this won't represent 100% of the available men, lords won't bring every single man trained in arms when they march to war.

Overall I'd estimate the Reach as having >90,000, which is probably why in previous wars the reach mostly sat out, else was split and destroyed much of its own strength.