User blog:Deathblade 100/Break battle: Cave Troll vs Greek War Elephant

Okay, I will be doing a battle between two colossal beasts;

Cave Trolls- Brutal beasts, that followed Sauron's every command

Vs

Greek War Elephants- Pyrrhus's ancient battle tanks, that smashed the Romans at Asculum

Both are great beings, both crushed their enemies under foot. So we must find out the answer to the age long question;

WHO...IS...DEADLIEST?

To find out the history of war and modern science collide, as we test the weapons and armour these two being of war brought to the battlefield. In this battle of the giants we breakdown the power and strength between these two creature and reveal their weaknesses and tactics for a final battle to the death.

Cave Troll info
"They have a Cave Troll"

- Boromir

The Cave Trolls were a subspecies of troll in the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. They had thick skin, which could not be pierced even by Elvish blades. They were rather dimwitted and would turn to stone if exposed to sunlight. They were usually used by Goblins and Orcs as beasts of burden and heavy weapons in their wars for Sauron. Due to their vulnerability to sunlight and inherent lack of intelligence, Sauron later replaced Cave Trolls for the Olog-Hai, or Troll Folk; as the Olog-hai had no such weaknesses. Cave Trolls were famously used by the goblins against the Fellowship of the Ring at the Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul.

Cave Troll weapons
Long Range: Boulder (Thrown), Weighted Chain

Mid Range: 3 metre spear

Close Range: Club

Armour: Leather Armour/ Toughened Skin

Greek War Elephant info
""...Pyrrhus raised the signal for the elephants. Then, indeed, at the sight of the animals, which was out of all common experience, at their frightful trumpeting, and also at the clatter of arms which their riders made, seated in the towers, both the Romans themselves were panic-stricken and their horses became frenzied and bolted, either shaking off their riders or bearing them away. ""

- — -Cassius Dio Cocceianus, Dio's Roman History

The Greeks were first introduced to war elephants at the battle of Gaugamela, where Alexander the Great defeated King Darius and his supposed million man army. Darius had 15 such animals from India, but for some reason they were too exhausted to take part in the fight. Later Alexander faced the Giant King Porus of India he battle of the Hydaspes, where his phalanx clashed with 200 Indian war elephants. Though a victory, the phalanx only barely defeated them, and saw such carnage that they were never the same again. Afterwards the Greeks sought to aquire more of these creatures, which could spook enemy horses, rendering enemy cavalry useless.

Perhaps the most famous use of Greek war elephants was by King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who unleashed them on the Romans in southern Italy. At the battle of Heraclea, in 280 B.C., the Romans were making progress in the battle until Pyrrhus gave the signal for his twenty elephants to attack. The Romans had never seen such vast animals, and their sight, trumpeting, and the clatter of the weapons of the soldiers riding on their backs in the tower made the Romans panic-stricken. Their horses were terrified, and bolted from the battlefield. Disheartened, the Romans fled, many being killed in pursuit by the elephants and their riders. Before the Romans could be pursued further, an elephant was wounded, and as it struggled with the wound and trumpeted, it threw the others of ts kind into confusion, and thus the Romans were spared.

The Romans once again fell to the elephants at the battle of Asculum in 279 B.C. The Romans made 300 anti-elephant carts loaded with hooks, burning torches, and troops, which held the elephants back for a time. However, the soldiers in the elephant's towers rained down with javelins, and supportive light infantry disabled the oxen pulling the carts. Once again, Greek war elephants sent the Romans to flight. Only later at the battle of Maleventum, in 275 BC, did the Romans get revenge (according to some ancient sources, pigs wee set on fire and let loose among the elephants, who panicked). Later, Pyrrhus used the animals in the failed siege of Sparta and then foolishly in the siege of Argos, sending the animals inside the city. Pyrrhus was killed in battle, and his forces were defeated.

Greek war elephants varied considerably. The two species used were the Asian elephant and the now extinct north African elephant, which was smaller. They Sometimes had the lower part of their tusks capped with metal, and while all had caparisons and towers, some had little to no armor, while others had armor on their heads (sometimes plumed), laminar armor on the legs (several leather or metal bands) and scale armor. The scales of elephant scale armor are directed upwards, which offered good protection from ground based attacks. At least an average of three people rode an elephant : one mahout and two warriors in the tower, who had bows and arrows and either javelins or lances. Sarissas were also sometimes used. The towers were depicted as wooden frameworks with rawhides stretched across. To add sufficient armor, it is believed that they were covered with boards. Another alternative was that they were made of hurdles fixed won a wooden carcass, similar to a Pluteus, a mobile wooden siege shield that was well used at the time. Whatever the case, rawhides (most likely hanging loose) would have covered the towers, to protect against incendiary weapons.

Greek War Elephant weapons
Long Range: Toxotes Bow, Javelin

Mid Range: Sarissa

Close Range: Stomp, Tusks

Armour: Bronze Scales