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Native America Battle Royale
An all-out war rages the pre-Columbian North- and South-American continents! From the bloodthirsty conquering Aztecs, to the butchers of the Western plains, the Sioux, it's a battle between the dominant military forces who ran rampant across the Western Hemisphere before the Europeans came to take over!
The Aztecs
The Aztecs were the dominant empire of what is now central Mexico and this was due to their superb engineering feats and large military force revolving around hand-to-hand combat. The majority of the Aztec fighting forces were commoners with a very limited training program since they had to fulfill duties as farmers or shopkeepers or laborers in peacetime. A smaller elite class, the Jaguar and Eagle Knights, were a fearsome fighting force that had organized warrior societies based on their combat achievements. Flower Wars, or the wars waged for ritual human sacrifice, was a part of Aztec society but not their main military goal, as is commonly mistaken. In fact, the Aztecs had to keep an iron grip over the small tribes that lay scattered around the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, that they had conquered. Uprisings and rebellions early in Aztec history were met with brutal, swift, and lethal responses. The Aztec suppressions over the tribes they controlled were not sacrificial and were deadly efficient. Expect the Aztecs to kill in battle, and to kill quickly.
Aztec Weaponry:
Close Range: Maquahuitl Sword-Club, Cuauhololli Club
Mid Range: Tepoztopilli Spear
Long Range: Atl-Atl Launching Spear, Tematlatl Sling, Tlahuitoll Bow and Arrow
Armor: Wood/Hide shields, animal pelts, sandals, cotton armor
Aztec Tactics:
The Aztec way of combat was an initial release of volleys of spears, slings, and arrows into the air in the direction of the enemy before a rapid, brutal charge into their forces. The Aztecs specialized in close combat and often targeted the opponent's legs for disabling strikes - even if the Aztec was cut down in battle later, he would have left several immobilized enemies on the ground that would be butchered during the fight or afterward. The Jaguars and Eagles were much more sinister in combat, going for the heads of opponents, so that they could bring the skulls back to Aztec temples. Expect a lot of close combat and ruthless efficiency from the Aztecs in this fight.
Analysis:
Strength: Close combat, durable weaponry (wood, obsidian, stone), armor usage
Weakness: Ranged combat, lack of professional troops (with the exception of Jaguars and Eagles)
The Apache
The Apache were a Native American tribe in what is now the Southwest United States. Although in their later years they engaged in ferocious struggles with gun-toting Spanish settlers, they also had beaten countless opposing tribes into extinction. Nearly all of the Apache men were warriors, although it wasn't a profession - it was an expectation. The Apache were ferocious up-close fighters and accurate at a distance. They were famed for lying in ambush for opposing soldiers before rushing out with their blood-curdling war cries and butchering the confused men before they could fight back. The Apache were very spiritual and fought at first to expand territory, but later out of true desperation. They were not afraid of death and often met it when fighting a large enemy force, but nonetheless, the Apache warriors struck fear into the hearts of many. Expect the Apache to wait and prepare before they strike in battle.
Apache Weaponry:
Close Range: War Club, Tomahawk, Knife
Mid Range: Thrown Tomahawk, Thrown Knife
Long Range: Bow and Arrow
Armor: Wooden/Hide Shield
Apache Tactics:
Apache combat was quick and precise. Usually ambushed awaited those who would fight the Apache and the battle wouldn't even begin until the Apaches launched their attacks. The ambushes were formed in small groups and the warriors would coordinate their actions for maximum effect. Usually the arrows would be shot off from an elevated position as the ground forces moved in with club and knife. Even against an aware enemy, they were a threat with ranged weaponry no matter what - their tomahawks and knives could be thrown just as accurately as they could shoot an arrow. Expect trickery and ambushes from the Apache in this fight.
Analysis:
Strength: Mid-ranged combat, stealth, deception, psychological warfare
Weakness: Conventional combat, lack of armor
The Inca
The Inca were like the Aztecs of Peru - fierce, empire-building warriors who conquered the smaller tribes surrounding them. The Inca capital, Cuzco, was the home of the civilization and was the place where the ruthless training of the Inca took place. The Inca warriors were literally brainwashed to have no fear of pain or death, and to have no remorse in slaying an opponent. With military service all but mandatory, training and indoctrination started at the age of 16, and those men who pushed through were mindless killing machines. Besides expanding their empire, the motivational force pushing the Inca onward to fight was divine inspiration. They believed that their sun god had ordered them to conquer the nations surrounding them to earn a place in the afterlife. Expect the Inca to move forward in units and kill without discrimination.
Inca Weaponry:
Close Range: Mace, Knife, Hand-Axe
Mid Range: Bola-Bola, Feathered Lance
Long Range: Sling, Bow and Arrow
Armor: Bronze Helmet, Shield and Breastplate
Inca Tactics:
Surprisingly organized compared to the militaries of other Native American tribes, the Inca military was divided into units commanded by an officer, designated by a special bronze badge. The Inca troops were obedient and highly mobile, with only small shields and bronze breastplates and helmets for armor. However, since a lot of the tribes they conquered were using only flint or stone for weapons, the bronze was supremely effective. Expect the Inca to march in and hold their ground.
Analysis:
Strength: Mid- to Close-Ranged combat, military organization, use of bronze
Weakness: Unconventional warfare, individualized combat
The Sioux
The Sioux were a Native American tribe that lived in what is now the U.S.'s Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota. They were a small tribe divided into 13 subgroups but they shared a common foe in the U.S. pioneers moving west and the government sanctioning the forced removal of the Natives from these lands. The Sioux, along with the Apache in the Southwest, are one of the most famed tribes for their resistance to Western expansion. They were responsible for the ambushes and massacres at the Little Bighorn and the ones who annihilated 80 U.S. soldiers led by Captain Fetterman, in what became known as the Fetterman Massacre. The Sioux did not enjoy their lands much longer, however; shortly after, the U.S. military increased soldiers in the area and Sioux Chief Crazy Horse surrendered in Nebraska while Chief Sitting Bull was forced to flee to Canada with his people. Expect the Sioux to lie in wait and attack only when the time suits them.
Sioux Weaponry:
Close Range: Stone Axe, Knife, Club
Mid Range: War Lance
Long Range: Bow and Arrow
Armor: Buffalo hide shield, bone shield
Sioux Tactics:
The Sioux way of war was highly similar to the Apache style, but with horses involved. The ground troops would lie in ambush until the last possible second before they would burst out with knives and axes at a highly close proximity and decimate as quickly as possible. However, the Sioux would have the backup of hidden mounted warriors with lances or bows to strike from a distance. Usually this would end up with the enemy becoming completely surrounded, and what would follow would be nothing short of a bloody rout. In a conventional fight, the Sioux would spread their forces out and envelop the enemy in a circle of raining arrows and close-quarter mayhem. Expect the Sioux to move smartly and quickly before attacking precisely.
Analysis:
Strength: Long range combat, ambushes, large scale combat
Weakness: Poor armor, lack of armor-piercing weaponry
The Maya
Possibly the one civilization that has been most unfairly dismissed as peaceful, the Mayans did have a working military. While the Maya are still being learned about, their motives for warfare seem to be over political control over areas and people. The Mayans had several small city-states (mcuh like the Greeks) but were never conquered by a European force, instead being wiped out by a large fire. The Mayans purposely built their cities several days' travel apart from each other, so as to wear out enemy forces in the event of an attack. Sacrificial victims were used similarly to the Aztecs, and this could be a further reason for Mayan violence. They used a material similar to obsidian, known as chert, for sharp edges in weaponry. Expect the Maya to bring X-Factors into the fight that the other tribes won't expect.
Mayan Weaponry:
Close Range: Macana Club, Sickle
Mid Range: Barbed Spear
Long Range: Blowgun (usually poisoned), Atl-Atl Launching Spear, Bow and Arrow
Armor: Wooden Shields and Helmets, Tight Cotton Armor
Mayan Tactics:
Mayan warfare was on the medium scale, with only around 500-1,000 soldiers present per battle on average. Usually combat was restricted to highly trained nobles, who would unleash a volley of long-distance projectiles before closing in and fighting in close combat. Discipline was loose and warriors would single one another out for individual feats of bravery. Individual armies were led by a single commander and the main populace of the Maya were not present during battle, unless it would be during the overthrow of a ruler. Expect the Maya to seek out individual opponents and fight for their reputation.
Analysis:
Strength: Individual combat, training, decent weaponry and armor, unusual style of fighting
Weakness: Unconventional warfare, large-scale warfare, unusual style of fighting.
For Voter Information
The battle will take place in an area alien to all tribes to give none an advantage: the Scottish highlands. There will be no Scottish people to interfere in the battle. The weather will be mildly foggy. The Sioux will NOT have horses. The tribes will arrive in armies. Loose diplomacies may be formed in battle.
Battle:
The fog swirled across the Scottish plains, and the air was cold. Barely audible footsteps padded across the grassy ground, as two Apache warriors, bows drawn with an arrow ready, peered through the swirling mist and down a hill at the encamped Inca army. Bronze armor gleamed through the morning fog and the soldiers below readied weapons and armor, prepared for the battle about to take place - although they knew not all of the combatants who were to fight in it.
The Inca chief, Ahuitzotl, talked among his leading officers - they had bola-bolas slung over their shoulders and leaned on their lances slightly. They had been complaining of a lack of food, but their was not much Ahuitzotl could do until they had gotten rid of the Aztecs and Mayans. These new territories of the Scottish highlands would prove to be a good new home for them, after the Spanish swept across South and Central America, but they weren't the only ones who had a claim to the land.
Across a small creek the Aztecs were waiting. A small forest dotted the areas of their encampment, which provided excellent cover for the Apache and Sioux who were waiting there, as the two North American tribes had formed a hasty alliance. The Jaguars and Eagles roamed about the camp, weapons ready, along with the common soliders. The Aztec chief, Montezuma IV, readied his men and had them march on the Inca camp, leaving a few officers behind to guard the camp. No sooner than the main body of the army was out of sight and out of earshot, the Apache and Sioux raised blood-curdling war cries and surged out of the trees. Arrows rained down upon the unsuspecting Aztecs. They charged forth, recovered, with casualties from the long-range attack. Atl-atls and Tlahuitoll arrows returned the fire from a distance but were ineffective for the most part. The head of the Apache/Sioux force were crumpled over like paper in water - the Maquahutils hacked through their unarmored bodies with ease. The Aztecs didn't even bother to kill the injured and left dying men to clutch at their intestines spilled out on the grass. The Sioux slink back into the forest, leaving the Apache to try to fight an increasingly angry enemy, with armor and weapons that outclass their own. The Apache have men elsewhere, but the Aztec elimination plot has failed and their allies have fled.
The Maya have begun a minor engagement with the Inca when the Aztecs appear on the other side of their positon. It becomes a vicious melee as the Aztecs, in their battle-hunger, leave the Apache for dead and the far from defeated guerrilla unit slinks away to lick its own wounds (figuratively, of course). The Maya fall quickly in confusion and are crushed by the Aztec and Inca on each of their flanks. Just as quickly the Inca and Aztecs fall upon each other, but the more organized Inca with stronger weapons begin to rout the Aztec forces.
The Apache stumble right into a Sioux ambush, and arrows rain down on the wounded guerrilla fighters. After a few volleys of the confusion the Apache draw their bows and fire off into the trees where they are being fired on from. Sioux warriors with lances and axes rush out at the Apache, who respond by charging back with tomahawks and clubs. In a close-ranged battle the frenzied Apache have an advantage, quick strikes braining the Sioux braves and leaving them clutching at their innards spilling out from horizontal knife slashes. A few Apache meet their ends on the middle of a war lance but it's not enough - the Sioux flee the battlefield, defeated.
The Inca have also broken the Aztec war machine, but they are not fleeing, instead vying for individual acts of heroism. The Maquahuitl is inflicting serious casualties on the Inca, lopping heads and limbs and disembowling with a terrifying ease. It's not enough though. Ahuitzotl raises his hand-axe high over Montezuma's head and brings it down with a sickening crunch, sending liquid and brain-matter flying through the air.
The Apache and the Inca, high off of their victory and ready to continue the bloodbath, march on each other. Arrows and stones and bolas fly across the field and more men fall like stones. The Incas lose more than they can sustain, however, and even with superior training and armor, the crazy Apache fighting style is completely alien. Ahuitzotl swings his axe at a charging Apache and cracks the skull of his attacker open, but is stabbed in the back with a stolen Sioux war lance. It comes out his stomach and he's impaled to the ground, before a war club breaks his spine. The Incas fall back in panic and are massacred by the pursuing Apaches.
The Scottish highlands are dotted with the discarded weapons of the slain. The body parts and blood and brains scatter the sick fields. Corpses lay sprawled in the sun. Among it all, the Apache raise their war cry high in the sky.
WINNER: APACHE
Expert's Opinion
I'm glad I didn't write the battle when I was going to, because sock puppets would have made the Inca win. Luckily I waited months to write it, and the Apache are the true winners because of their guerrilla tactics perfect for an army-on-army fight - they would wait out until the situation was in their favor. Their alien fighting styles would confuse their foes from any region, and this is what carried them to victory.