Little Hypothetical game: Say you could pick warriors from across the world(Time span 3000bc to 1200 AD), you get to choose 4 to take over the world with and hold it for as long as possible, please explain your selection. For me: 1. Roman Legion, Highly Trained, Highly organized, Highly Disciplined, capable engineers to overcome walled cities and create sturdy defensive lines. 2. Mongol Horse Archers, Highly Mobile, Fearless, Ranged attack, capable of living of the land. 3. Varangian guard, great tacticians, brutal warriors, would be used as shock troops and body guard. 4. War Elephant just because they are bad ass, and could change course of battle.
I would add one more, the Israelis. Israel was one of the most in demand militaries during the Bronze age. Their slingers were legendary, and they could pump out huge numbers of them. Most people tend to forget the power of slings in ancient times. One of the resaons they were under the gun so often is that they would support a side in a conflict which ultimately ended up being the looser in a conflict. Plus they were right in the middle between various empires to their North, and Egypt. War Elephants were not all that useful in real battles. It was quickly realized that they would retreat when faced with large fires, and their upkeep was a huge problem to an army on the move. In fact, the very term "Pyrrhic victory" comes from the Battle of Asculum. The Greeks won the Battle against the Romans, but the Elephants were largely decimated, and ultimately the losses in "winning" the battle cost them the war.
The stories of Joshua's battles and conquests are fiction.. Archeologist have not found any evidence of interruption in Canaanite towns and cities.
I am going to add the Vikings, not so much for their undoubted fighting ability, but for their ship building and navigational skills. The Viking longboat was capable of ocean crossings, and if our army is going to conquer the world it is going to have to find it and get there! http://sciencenordic.com/how-vikings-navigated-world Also going to add a complement of Welsh Bowmen. They were to revolutionise warfare after 1250 but existed before then and had some notable victories http://www.fletcher-family.co.uk/origins p1.html Being Welsh has nothing to do with my choice, honest!
its really not true that war elephants weren't useful in real battles. They were used for thousands of years in the east and successfully. Before the widespread use of cannons it was necessary to prepare to counter elephants when facing certain foes such as the Khmer or Indians. Khmer successfully dominated relying heavily upon elephants. Timur was almost defeated by use of elephants and adapted them to his army. It's true that elephants could be unreliable when there are flaming war pigs around or when under javelin fire, but they were very difficult to stop and can be prevented from crushing your own forces with a kill bolt. In addition to being very powerful horses not trained to tolerate their scent can be prone to panic, and they can cause lower quality troops to rout.
Vikings sometimes had Arab navigators.. Viking had furs which the Arab loved and the Arabs had gold which the Vikings loved. There is an excellent account by Fadal... I think his name was Fadal.. I'll find it for you. Vikings in the East. http://www.politicalforum.com/history-past-politicians/207553-vikings-east-normans.html
Why would you ever have the Varangian guard on the list? It would be like adding the Praetorian Guard instead of the Roman legions. These guys would be my choice. Belisarius created the best force of the period you set in the OP. Having the Varangians instead is extremely weird.
I am not talking about Joshua. I am talking about real history, of which there are many written records (mostly Assyrian and Egyptian). Both of those empires and others either hired the Israelis as mercenaries, or fought against them. Ancient Israeli armies were typically lightly armored, little more then leather coats and wood-leather-wicker shields. Armed with long thrusting spears and slings. They were never a large kingdom, but like the Swiss a millenia later made their name by hiring themselves out to other nations. They were recognized as some of the finest auxilliary troops in the region, and their long history and unique religion left them largely indifferent and immune to the factions that created and destroyed the myriad kingdoms that rose and fell around them. I have fought against Ancient Israeli armies in 15 and 25mm miniature wargames. Their biggest drawback against their contemporaries is their lack of really heavy units. No war chariots, no chariot archers, no "heavy infantry". But lots and lots and lots of slingers and spearmen. And on an equal point for point engagement, they were amazingly effective.
I'd pick something along the lines of Parthian army in the battle of Carrhae. Horse archers and сataphracts are deadly by themselves, double that when properly massed and used together. Cavalery, especially horse archers, was dominating the battlefield pretty much till the firearms became widespread so the infantry can finally outrange them. Before that there was no way you could possibly defeat highly mobile range attack horse archers without terrain or quantity advantage with your infantry, consequently leaving your own light cavalary as only viable counter to the threat. The moment higly armored and resistant сataphracts kick in. Using that tactics saved the Parthians' day in Carrhae, despite they were facing the most disciplined and well-equiped army of the time and were outnumbered 7:1.
Okay - Persian Assassins - covert ops is important and eliminating major leaders and threats using the deadly arts can often avoid a war outright. Roman Legions - seriously well rounded and disciplined military including cavalry and siege engines besides ground troops and archers. Roman Navy - it beat Carthage and other navies to dominate the seas and you need that for mobility over enemies. King Helü's Wu Army - commanded by Sun Tzu, enough said, that plus the above forces would be brains and brawn with covert ops for a deadly empire.
Phalanx, Teutonic Knights, Korean-style War Wagon, English-style longbowmen Some mobility would have been important too, to deal with marauding forces, so something on a horse...
I'm going with these guys: The tree army was badass. I'd probably throw in some Carthaginians just to be on the safe side though.
