Dwarven Table of Organization and Equipment

This post expands on the organization and equipment table of the traditional dwarven armed force in the third and fourth age. 

The Mansion Watch

The mansion watch is the citadel inner guard for a King. It is composed of elite units. Back in the days of Khazad-dum, all member of the MW were equipped with magic armors and weapons.

• Mansion Watch (Leader: Lord Warder, 392 dwrv)
• 1 X Mystic-Warders (Leader: High-Mystic, 49 dwrv)

• 7 X Roam-Watch (Leader: Old Mystic, 7 dwrv)  : scale+sheild, Hand-axe/Hammer, Mace, dagger
1. 1 X Lane Guard (Leader : Warden, 343 dwrv)
1. 7 X Deep Guard (Leader: Deep Warden, 49 dwrv)
1. 7 X Guard (Leader : Guard-Warden, 7 dwrv) : Battle-Axe or War Mattock, hand-axe or hammer, throwing axe.

The weapon host

The weapon host is the standing army based in a mountain home. In peace time, 2 of 3 Units will be stood down to work in the mines or in the various workshops. The rotation increments every year. Dwarves do not have specialist units such as artillery. Each dwarf is trained in all forms of warfare. This also holds for logistical duties, which are handled organically by the unit itself.

• Weapon-Host (Leader: Weapon-Lord, 7203 dwrv)
• 7 X Unit (Leader: Unit-Lost, 2401 dwrv)
• 7 X Attack (Leader: Attack-Lord, 343 dwrv)
• 7 X Lot (Leader: Lot-herd, 49 dwrv)
• 3 X Battle-guard (Guard-Herd, 21 dwrv) : Chain or scale, Hammer or Mattock, Hand-Axe, Throwing-Axe, dagger
• 3 X Axemen (Axe-herd, 21 dwrv) : Battle-axe or hand-axe, throwing axe, dagger
• 1 X Archer (Bow-herd, 7 dwrv) : Hvy X-bow, Pole-Axe or spear, Mace

The officers are coming from the gentry. Royal lineage individuals are often attached to units for specific battles as free skirmishers. Weapon-host and Mystic Guard dwarves are standing units made of trained professionals.

Logistic aspect

In this campaign, the logistics will be abstracted. This doesn't mean that it will be ignored. Here are some details on what it takes to take an Attack-host to the field. It takes between 36 and 42 carts per months to carry the material for such unit: most of which for food and drinks. Making it to Khazad-dum will take about 40 days, so make it a 50 carts per Attack just to get there plus at least 1 month of food stores (20 more carts), two months is probably safer. 

Food

Each dwarf requires 3 meals per day. That's roughly 1000 meals per day. For a month of campaigning, the requirement is thus 30K meals. Approximating to 1lb per meal, and carried into 1,500 lb heavy carts, this means 20 carts of food per month per Attack. The bright side is that 20 horses provide enough food for 15 days!

Sustainable foraging from the wilderness is unlikely to be possible, particularly for Dwarves. Possible source of food will be Lorien (the elves!, immediate neighbors), Rohan (20 days caravan), Esgaroth/Dale/Erebor (40 days caravan around Mirkwood). 

Once in Khazad-dum, food production of fungis and cave plants can hopefully be resumed after 2-3 months of work.

Water/fluids

Each dwarf needs 2 liter of water per day. This means access to 600l per Attack. It should be carried in jars around Mirkwood where the supply may be irregular. Given 20l jars, and 25 jars per cart, a 10 day supply of water would require 15 carts per Attack. 

Strategic Equipment

Abstract collection of armorer's tools and material. Leather, steel wires, studs. Sharpening stones, files, woodworking tools. An attack requires at least 1 cart for this purpose. 

If the commander plan to move faster overland, it may make sense to offload tents, pots and personal gears into carts. 2 carts are needed for this, up to 7 carts if one is assigned per Lot. At 7 carts, dwarves are going to be travelling light, maybe even without weapons and armor and walk as fast as the carts can go.