How are westeroi armies recruited

[Melisandre's White Pubes]

There will be many peasants who have the funds to spend time on training and provide some of their own gear…as an example, it appears that, in the North at least, that millers often own their mill as opposed to simply being skilled workers who are working a mill owned by their own lord.  Though not nobles, they own their mill, make money from the milling of grain, and can pass the ownership of the mill to their family (Ramsay's mom being the example I am thinking of).  A miller, therefore, should be able to afford at least some basic armor for when he is called to war, and if he's been around long enough, he probably has some of his own weaponry, either bought or taken from the corpse of another soldier during previous conflicts.  There were a LOT of millers in medieval times, pretty much every village of significant size would have a mill nearby.

Likewise, blacksmiths would be likely to be better armed than your typical serf, as would other skilled tradesmen.  They might not be REQUIRED to provide their own arms, but if you could afford to buy a helmet and some armor of your own, you would definitely be motivated to do that for when you are called to your lord's service.

Regarding archers, they would often be peasants given a crash course in using a shortbow, which can be learned to use effectively enough to be functional in a group of archers in a couple of weeks.  Peasant landowners who had enough station in life to be trusted not to poach would probably keep and train on their own, just so they have a combat skill that makes them more likely to survive a war.  Longbow users were rare in most medieval countries, would be restricted to professional soldiers, but England had a huge edge over other European nations in that they were able to field thousands of skilled longbow users because their laws required all men of the yeoman class (free landowners who were not nobility but wealthy compared to most peasants) to train regularly.

[Melisandre's White Pubes]

There will be many peasants who have the funds to spend time on training and provide some of their own gear…as an example, it appears that, in the North at least, that millers often own their mill as opposed to simply being skilled workers who are working a mill owned by their own lord.  Though not nobles, they own their mill, make money from the milling of grain, and can pass the ownership of the mill to their family (Ramsay's mom being the example I am thinking of).  A miller, therefore, should be able to afford at least some basic armor for when he is called to war, and if he's been around long enough, he probably has some of his own weaponry, either bought or taken from the corpse of another soldier during previous conflicts.  There were a LOT of millers in medieval times, pretty much every village of significant size would have a mill nearby.

Likewise, blacksmiths would be likely to be better armed than your typical serf, as would other skilled tradesmen.  They might not be REQUIRED to provide their own arms, but if you could afford to buy a helmet and some armor of your own, you would definitely be motivated to do that for when you are called to your lord's service.

Regarding archers, they would often be peasants given a crash course in using a shortbow, which can be learned to use effectively enough to be functional in a group of archers in a couple of weeks.  Peasant landowners who had enough station in life to be trusted not to poach would probably keep and train on their own, just so they have a combat skill that makes them more likely to survive a war.  Longbow users were rare in most medieval countries, would be restricted to professional soldiers, but England had a huge edge over other European nations in that they were able to field thousands of skilled longbow users because their laws required all men of the yeoman class (free landowners who were not nobility but wealthy compared to most peasants) to train regularly.

[direpupy]

14 hours ago, Tarellen said:

Lot of people travel in westeros when they go to war

yes they do

13 hours ago, Pod The Rod said:

That's a modern rule. The tail-to-tooth ratio would have been a lot more even in medieval times.

No it is not a modern rule, in modern armies its much higher becouse al the people would have just one skillset, where as in mediëval times the soldiers themselves not being fulltime soldiers bring there peasetime skills to the table. Thus significantly reducing the need for servants and craftsmen to be dragt along.

Of course this does not mean that the camp followers who atatch themselves to the armie don't eventually outnumber the armie but they are not the people the lord's themselves take along.

[Tarellen]

On January 20, 2016 at 3:53 PM, A Song of Ass and Fire said:

There will be many peasants who have the funds to spend time on training and provide some of their own gear…as an example, it appears that, in the North at least, that millers often own their mill as opposed to simply being skilled workers who are working a mill owned by their own lord.  Though not nobles, they own their mill, make money from the milling of grain, and can pass the ownership of the mill to their family (Ramsay's mom being the example I am thinking of).  A miller, therefore, should be able to afford at least some basic armor for when he is called to war, and if he's been around long enough, he probably has some of his own weaponry, either bought or taken from the corpse of another soldier during previous conflicts.  There were a LOT of millers in medieval times, pretty much every village of significant size would have a mill nearby.

Likewise, blacksmiths would be likely to be better armed than your typical serf, as would other skilled tradesmen.  They might not be REQUIRED to provide their own arms, but if you could afford to buy a helmet and some armor of your own, you would definitely be motivated to do that for when you are called to your lord's service.

Regarding archers, they would often be peasants given a crash course in using a shortbow, which can be learned to use effectively enough to be functional in a group of archers in a couple of weeks.  Peasant landowners who had enough station in life to be trusted not to poach would probably keep and train on their own, just so they have a combat skill that makes them more likely to survive a war.  Longbow users were rare in most medieval countries, would be restricted to professional soldiers, but England had a huge edge over other European nations in that they were able to field thousands of skilled longbow users because their laws required all men of the yeoman class (free landowners who were not nobility but wealthy compared to most peasants) to train regularly.

Hm interesting 

[Back in Black-Snow]

Aren't they pretty much obligated to fight in time of war, especially if their liege commands it? There truly doesn't seem to be any freedom at all in the World of Ice and Fire (Westeros), ecxept for maybe the king.

[SeanF]

Aren't they pretty much obligated to fight in time of war, especially if their liege commands it? There truly doesn't seem to be any freedom at all in the World of Ice and Fire (Westeros), ecxept for maybe the king.

If you're employed or retained by a lord to fight, or a lesser landowner who's sworn to him, yes you are so obliged (or maybe to provide money in lieu if you're the latter). If you're a peasant, you're probably liable to conscription, but in practice, the lord prefers to hire those who well-trained and well-armed. A medieval economy will collapse if most peasants stop working in order to go to war.

[Tarellen]

On January 23, 2016 at 1:08 PM, SeanF said:

If you're employed or retained by a lord to fight, or a lesser landowner who's sworn to him, yes you are so obliged (or maybe to provide money in lieu if you're the latter). If you're a peasant, you're probably liable to conscription, but in practice, the lord prefers to hire those who well-trained and well-armed. A medieval economy will collapse if most peasants stop working in order to go to war.

Yeah hiring some barly armed peasant is probley a last resort for most lords

[mmenolas]

On 1/20/2016 at 1:42 PM, Ser Arthur Hightower said:

It is most evident with Tywin's army, in which it is made fairly clear that that absolute number of men is 20,000, and the number of soldier also seems to add up to 20,000. With 7,000 men-at-arms all of whom need at least one squire,

Regarding the squires, I would think they'd be considered soldiers/fighting men as well.  If you look at the Combat of the Thirty, each side fielded "equal" forces of 30 fighting men.  The French had 10 Knights and 20 Squires, while the Anglo-Britons had 7 knights and 23 assorted squires/men-at-arms.  It was considered equal and balanced with 30 combatants on each side.  So I think it's safe to consider squires in the total number of soldiers, as they are combatants.

[Tarellen]

On January 27, 2016 at 2:06 PM, mmenolas said:

Regarding the squires, I would think they'd be considered soldiers/fighting men as well.  If you look at the Combat of the Thirty, each side fielded "equal" forces of 30 fighting men.  The French had 10 Knights and 20 Squires, while the Anglo-Britons had 7 knights and 23 assorted squires/men-at-arms.  It was considered equal and balanced with 30 combatants on each side.  So I think it's safe to consider squires in the total number of soldiers, as they are combatants.

Didn't a lot of squires in the late middle age didn't become knight because it was too exspensiv?

[Nittanian]

1 hour ago, Tarellen said:

Didn't a lot of squires in the late middle age didn't become knight because it was too exspensiv?

SSM

Quote

We tend to think of squires as teenaged boys, knights in training, but that is only part of the truth. Historically, there were many men who spent their entire lives as squires, and never became knights.It was quite common to have thirty- and forty-year-old squires, even some in their fifties. Such men perhaps did not have the wealth to become knights (knights had to pay for their own equipment), or perhaps did not have the inclination. They were the medieval counterparts of the career army sergeant who has no desire to be promoted to lieutenant. let alone general.

 

[Tarellen]

21 hours ago, Nittanian said:

SSM

 

So grrm confirmed it as happening in westeros. Cool