Brief History of Uraz military capabilities and doctrines
Brief History of Uraz military capabilities and doctrines
Uraz enjoyed total military superiority over all humans prior to the introduction of to a lesser degree crossbows, and a greater degree hand held gunpowder weapons; before that strength and reach were more important, and uraz had both. It is notable that after the introduction of gunpowder uraz almost faced extinction, old tactics of arrogantly walking up to your enemy and smiting them were hopelessly outdated. After the collapse of most uraz civilizations and populations, their best defense became isolation and harsh climates.
In inter-tribal conflicts each tribe developed their own unique methods and weapons. Rock and metal tribes focused on digging in to strong and well hidden defensive positions, with rock tribe excelling at ambushes, sling sniping, and controlling remote and rugged mountain terrain.
Metal uraz relied on stealthy subterranean mazes, traps and kill zones to defend there mines. Snow tribe usually just chose to remain elusive, only fighting if absolutely required, and if success was all but guaranteed. Fights with snow tribe were sudden and quick, with the snow tribe breaking contact and fading in to the rugged terrain. The forest tribe was not known for great martial prowess, but more the notion that every bull that took part in civic duty or function was required to fight in defense of the whole. This was the foundation of the imperial conscription system that would later evolve. Shadow tribe was divided between a highly militarized warrior-artisan class of assertive males, and a religious priest-scholar class of passive males. The warrior-artisan class strove for martial perfection in the dark tunnels, armored and armed with iron. Rigid formations and tactics were prefered, and practiceed. They were locked in constant political conflict with the priest-scholar class they were sworn to defend. The scholars were often versed in a form of dance like martial arts, and though forbidden from military matters, were quite formidable in their own.
Inevitably encroaching human spheres of influence forced evolution, and uraz tactics in the eighteenth century revolved around hit and run, evasion and a general lack of fixed locations for humans to control, Combined with a doctrine of letting nature and weather take their toll before attacking, if at all.
As the century turned, the fledgling unified state moved from helpless to having ambitions on the world stage. At first doctrines revolved around creating a deterrent to foreign intervention by making an attack unsustainable. The concept of a navy was realized very quickly, equipping sky Uraz raiders with torpedo boats and other small fast craft well suited to the hit and run tactics they practiced since time immemorial, making a naval landing or resupply much more difficult.
The biggest change was a national army of soldiers. The warrior class was transformed in to positions of military leadership and smaller prestige or elite units, or more political roles as a compromise to maintain loyalty to the new emperor. The transformation of the tribes in to a nation was exemplified by the new imperial army. No longer were a small band of bulls who grew up together and sworn to the local tribal leader a core combat unit. With conscription and training camps, bulls from every tribe were forged together in to regiments, brigades, and armies in the European model. Armed with rifles instead of spears and arrows, and put to effect in quelling the unrest in the aftermath of the royal deception.
This new nation had much to do to prove itself to the great European powers.