| “ | To make them fiercer and more terrifying the elephants where given prisoners to trample to death...
— John M. Kistler, War Elephants
|
” |
When it came to War Elephants, both Carthage and Rome had a rude awakening. Pyrrhus of Greece used them effectively against both before the first Punic War, winning the battles of Heraclea and Asculum in Italy and devistating Carthaginian infantry in Sicily. The Carthaginians beat the Romans in aquiring the new weapon, ordering the capture of North African Elephants (which are smaller than African Bush and Asian Elephants. African Forest Elephants are likwise smaller than both and will be used t stand in for the extinct North African elephants (in size. Will also use DW stats, which are close to African Forest Elephants). However, some Indian elephants where aquired by Carthage, and one of them, a huge male Christened "Surus", was Hannibal's elephant mount.
War elephants could panic if wounded enough, but one had to wound them severely in order to do this to a trained war elephant. These animals were poked repeatedly by arrows to train them not to panic after being wounded, and they would charge into infantry and cavalry, suffering damage yet still fighting. Eventually, war elephants replaced war chariots in ancient Carthage, as they had done in other ancient nations.
Contents
Battle vs. Warg Rider (by GSFB)
Wargs 
Elephants 
In the valley between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains, five war elephants walk a vast wheatfield, dotted now and again by large limestones rising from the ground. The elephants trumpet as their crews, consisting of three men each, watch the countryside, observing this New province of Carthage.
Behind two of the stones, Warg riders watch them, waiting for their time to attack.
"Remember: while we ride out and fire off our arrows, Boldog here will rise up on a stone and leap down on one of those baby Mumakils, slaying its host and savaging the steed. Two others of our kind are behind the rock to the north, where they shall do the same! Wait for my word!" The lead Orc said. The Orcs and Wargs nodded, though the Wargs thought it was a stupid strategy. They had said so, but of course, Orcs never did listen well.
The Carthaginians approached. The Mahout on the main Elephant in the center raised his hand, calling for the others to stop. The elephants, sensing the orcs and Wargs, grew nervous. The Mahouts read the signals and whispered to their men to be ready. They looked all around them.
"...Strike hard!" the head Orc said.
From the tops of both rocks appeared three Warg riders, which leaped onto the backs of the elephants and attacked their crew. At the same time the lead Orc and his remaining soldier rode out from behind the elephants and fired their arrows, striking the animals in the back and rear.
The first Warg to land on an elephant caused it to collapse onto its knees; the 3,000 lbs elephant could only take a quarter percent of its bodyweight onto its back, and the warg and its rider combined weighed more than half of the brute. The Warg took out its two riding soldiers quickly, but was felled by the Mahout using a Soliferrum to the neck. The beast tumbled over past the elephant's rear and down to the ground, falling right on top of his rider . The Orc, broken in body and riddled with pain, soon bled to death. The Elephant, shaking its head, stood up again, dusting itself off with its trunk.
At the same time another Warg also brought its targeted elephant to its knees, frothing at the mouth as it attacked. It snapped and bit the head off of one of the riders while its Orc faced another riding warrior. For a short time both fought ferociously with their swords, but the Warg turned and bit the man in the gut, crunching the bronze Musculata in its teeth. The Orc chopped his head off. Just then, two Carthaginians from another elephant, one not attacked, threw their soliferrums at the Orc and his rider. The Orc was impaled lethally, but the Warg managed to leap off the elephant and run despite a spear in its neck. One of the Carthaginians threw another soliferrum, and it hit the back of the Warg, ramming it into its chest cavity. Though the animal was strong enough to run to safety, it could not charge back for a counterstrike; when it tried, the effects of the javelin caught up with it. The Warg fell down, its legs parted, its tongue hanging out of its mouth. It closed its eyes, and breathed no more .
The third Warg landed on an Asian Elephant, an import from India that had seen much battle in its day. Though it shook when the Warg landed on its back, it did not collapse, and though its human crew were being mauled and gave to panicking, the Pachyderm remained calm. Raising its head, it reached out with its trunk and quickly grabbed the Warg by its tail. Within two seconds the Warg went from the elephant's back to the ground, with enough force to kill both rider and steed . Sneering, the war elephant crushed the corpses of its enemies underfoot.
"Are you alright?" The lead Carthaginian said, himself a mahout of an Asian elephant. His was one of the few that were not attacked.
"I'll manage!" the other Mahout said, nursing a shattered right arm and a bleeding back.
Just then, another volley of arrows met them from in front. The Carthaginians ducked and raised their shields, firing off Javelins in return and commanding their elephants to charge. As the Elephants picked up speed the Wargs galloped like racehorses, their riders delivering volley after volley. The Warg Riders would let the elephants draw close, then ride off and fire, let them draw close, ride off and fire, always keeping a saf distance from the behemoths.
Yet the Carthaginians kept coming. They had lost formation due to trying to reach two different speeding targets, but their crews or Mahouts fired their Soliferrums back at the Wargs. At first, this proved as successful as the Orc's firing on the Carthaginians themselves; useless. Both sides had trouble hitting their targets, the Orcs surprisingly so despite their superior weaponry. Thw Wargs kept telling them to aim at the elephants instead, which made for bigger, better targets, yet their growls went unheeded, either ignored or unheard during the chaos of battle. Running low on the Soliferums, the Carthaginian commander ordered a halt to their usage, until they were close enough for a good shot. The warriors readied their sarissas for close quarter strikes. Soon even the Orcs Ran out of projectiles, and the Wargs were growing restless, ever more risky in their movements.
Finally, one charged, leaping up. One of the Mahouts saw this and ducked.
"Javelin!" he screamed.
One of his crew, holding the last Soliferrum, threw it at the Warg, striking the beast past the jaws and into the throat. The creature sailed past a rising sarissa spear and over the head of the elephant and onto its rear, rolling onto the fresh wet grass . The Orc left the Warg and was confronted by the two Carthaginians, both of which were from the elephant his mount attacked. The Orc, turning to his fallen Warg, shed a tear.
"I'll get them for you, Blackheart! I will get thee revenge!"
Spitting, the snaga Orc drew his scimitar.
The first Carthaginian approached, a shield in one hand and a falcata in the other. The Orc blocked two of his strokes and then whirled around and sliced his head off. The other Carthaginian approached with a shield and spear, and tried to jab at his opponent. The Orc Blocked with his sword and punched the shield, denting it and knocking the Carthaginian down over ten feet away. The Orc raised his hand and bellowed in pain. He stamped his right foot while he held his hand, and the Carthaginian got up, grabbing his spear again. Before the Orc could react the spear was in his gut and out his back, spilling oil-black blood.
The Last Warg, a huge female, was enraged at the terrible performance of her kind, even more so at the Orc that rode her. This was a disaster, one that could have been avoided if the Orcs had listened to her and her fellow wargs. Just keep their distance and fire volley after volley after volley, and those baby Mumakils would have fled from the excessive wounds. Orcs were bad shots, but they would have hit a lot more if they just kept their focus on the elephants and not on the men riders. Shaking her huge head and wanting revenge, she bucked the Orc commander off and sped away, soon beyond the sight of the Mahouts and their elephants.
The Orc, snorting and grimacing, turned over to get up. As he did so, his forehead hit a huge rock in the ground, three feet high and a foot wide. Grabbing his head, the Orc moaned in pain. By the time he came to his senses, he was surrounded by war elephants. Slowly he stood, raising his hands in surrender. The Mahouts looked at each other, speaking in a language the Orc didn't understand. Then two mahouts gave a shout. The Orc felt something on his legs. Looking down, he say two elephant trunks wrapping around them. Looking up with self pity and shock, the Orc suddenly had his feet pulled out from under him. After falling on his back his lower arms were also grabbed by trunks. As the Orc looked above him, the Elephant that had not grabbed him stomped and raised its trunk, making a deafening vocalization. The Orc looked at each trunk holding him, and suddenly realized what was happening.
"...Mother!" The Orc said.
With a command from the lead mahout, the elephants jerked their trunks, ripping the Orc to pieces.
Several miles away, the Female Warg listened to the squeal of the Orc with satisfaction. When the Orc grew silent, the Warg looked to the west, howling to her brothers and sisters of the Misty Mountains, calling for aid.
Soon, as the sunset became obscured by the peaks, howls filled the foothills all around, the earth shaking from countless paws quickly striking the soil...
Winner: CARTHAGINIAN WAR ELEPHANTS!!!
Expert's Opinion
While the Wargs had quite an advantage in speed, agility, and fierceness, they lacked the pure strength, durability, and size of the war elephants. The Warg riders lacked the teamwork necessary to take down their opponents, and were therefore trumped by the Carthaginian War Elephants' sheer brute force.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Olog-Hai (by GSFB)
Trolls: 
Elephants
Scenario:
On a thick grasscovered steppe, five Olog-Hai Trolls march. As they progress southward, they spot an unusual force: five Carthaginian War Elephants. When both armies are aware of each other, they react with astonishment. The elephants are startled, but reassured by their mahouts and a drink of alcohol. The Olog-Hai have their jaws drop: they think they are encountering baby Oliphaunts, creatures that most have neve seen before. The commanders of both forces order a charge.
The Elephants pick up speed, runing at 25 mph. The Trolls move faster, moving their weapons about, roaring like monster bears. As the two armies close in, a few seconds away from the clash, the Carthaginians unleahs a salvo of soliferums. One trolls is struck on the cheek but pulls the weapon out. Another is struck in the eye, collapsing . The Leader of the Trolls roars, shouting "Have at thee" in Black Speech. The remaining trolls are stuck with one or two soliferums before they can get close. Another troll, struck in the neck, falls
Then, the armies collide! The commanding Troll, wielding a massive Troll Saber, stabs his blade through the bronze helmet of the elephant, bringing it down . With two strikes of his sword, the three Carthaginians riding the elephant are slain. Another Troll slams his spiked mace onto his facing Elephant, quickly following with a crushing blow to the mahout. The Elephant collapses . The two remaining Carthaginians recuperate and throw soliferums at the troll, but the spears are deflected by the trolls mace, and the Olog-Hai swats them dead. The third remaining Troll strikes his Great hammer onto an incoming elephant's mahout, crushing his skull. As Soliferums hit his armor the elephant tackles him in a rage, piercing his chest with its helmet spike. The Troll wrestles with the elephant's head, punching its head and prying off its trunk while soliferums fill him. Finally the Olog-Hai pulls off his horned helmet and jabs it into the top of the elephant's head, piercing the brain . The Carthaginians resume their soliferum throws, and the beast staggers. The wound in his chest, combined with broken ribs incured by the elephant and the 14 soliferums sticking out of him, cause the creature to fall to his knees. One of the Carthaginians runs over and cuts his throat with a falcata, but it was not needed: in seconds he was breathless . The Lead Troll, seeing his comrade fall, runs over and cuts the Carthaginians in half with one stroke. The other faces the last two remaining elephants, which were turning for another charge. The Troll runs after them, the commander not far behind, barking orders. The elephants trumpet and snarl, the Carthaginians hurling more soliferums. five of the spears pierce the trolls before the beasts clash.
The Commanding Troll slices through the elephant's head with one blow of his saber, and makes short work of his crew afterwards . The Carthaginian Commander's elephant rams its head into the other Troll, its bronze spike crumbling on the Troll's steel chest plate. Enraged, he snaps one of the elephant's tusks with his hand, stabs its face with the broken tusk, and, with both hands grapsed together, swats the Elephant on its head . The Commanding Troll charges with his saber, and the two Olog-Hai finish off the human survivors. The commanding Troll turns to look at his comrade, who shakes. Before his foul, horrid eyes, his soldier falls, bleeding profusely from 15 soliferums .
Seeing no other combatant around, the Olog-Hai roars, raising his sword, screaming in black Speech "For the Eye!"
Winner: Olog-Hai!
Expert's Opinion
The Olog-Hai were victorious primarily due to greater intelligence and combat ability. That, along with the fact that they possessed superior armor, weapons, and were able to more directly apply their weapons, won them the day.
