[Osse]

<NOTE: To avoid boredom, please skip to 'Section II'>


The only verified instance where Orcs/Goblins rode Wargs is during the Battle of Five Armies.

If you think about it, the Wargs were not really being used as chargers by their Goblin riders, but rather the Goblins are riding shotgun, as it were, to the Warg.

Here you have a huge, demonic wolf with an IQ far higher than the average Orc...

Who's controlling who?

I'd always imagined that the orc was really just clinging on for dear life as this gigantic beast ran around ripping the throats out of people underneath it - the orc just hacked and swung as best he could from his hairy vantage point. Tolkien explained, in the Hobbit, that the alliance between the Goblins and Wargs was only a tempory truce, that the races had had many a tiff, and they only joined together because it was convenient. He also mentions that the Warg was as likely to get stuck into his ally as his enemy.

As for how to counter a Warg charge: Spearmen.

A wolf's range is severly limited; it can only attack those foes within jaw-reach or within range of its forelegs. As for the rider, unless he is equipped with a spear himself, he has similarly limited range.

Someone above mentioned using pikemen or spearmen in a defensive line, much in the same way one would counter a regular calvary charge. This tactic would be highly effective against charging Wargs, with or without riders - as long as the line held, and didn't lose its nerve, and as long as the defenders had time to prepare it. However, even if there is no time to prepare a defensive line and the force being charged is already engaged, by far the best weapon for tackling Wargs is a medium-length, strong spear, with a broad head preferably. A spear keeps the defender out of range of the weapons of both Warg and rider, whilst putting them in a good position to pull the rider out of the saddle and thrust at the Warg's exposed flanks. Of course, the defenders would be less effective against regular infantry, or de-wolfed goblins, and would need to outnumber the Wargs quite considerably - otherwise, spear or not, the Wargs would tear the defenders apart.

Dwarves - Heavily armoured infantry would be rather too slow and cumbersome to be effective against the quick, agile and deadly Wargs, needing plenty of time to menouver. Also, the short-ranged axe would be quite hard to utilise against a fast moving Warg and would only be able to be used once the initial charge is over, and then only from the sides of the beast, where the jaws and forelimbs are less effective. Added to this, if a heavily armoured infantryman is knocked down by a Warg, he is far less capable of defending himself, and when on the ground is nearly useless, whereas a lightly armoured spearman would be able to still have good range of motion, being unencumbered by bulky arms and armour.

Felagund, it's my opinion that Dwarves would only be effective in large numbers, as a Warg can easily outpace and outmanouver a lone, fully-armoured, axe or mattock-wielding Dwarf, so the Dwarves would need to out-number their attackers.

Archers: Good for thinning out advancing groups of Wargs or wolfriders, but at close quarters are near-useless unless equipped with some other weaponry.


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Section II
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(The race of the troop types mentioned matters little in my theories, as Elves and Men (if not Dwarves and Hobbits) can perform their roles quite well, they require discipline, but not particularly great skill, obviously Elves would probably mop the enemy up quicker... <cord pulled>)

An ideal (at least in my humble opinion) situation for repelling a wolf/Warg charge would be:

1. Gain possesion of higher ground, preferably a hill with a bottle-neck or choke point, so that your troops can be concentrated against the one direction of assault and avoid being flanked.

2. Position lightly armoured troops, armed with both spear and sword below crest or crown of hill, in a well formed line consisting of two or three ranks, those behind supporting their kneeling comrades. Position archers behind this defensive barrier, laying down volley after volley until charge is upon the defensive line. Ensure either archers are equipped with hand to hand weaponry, or have a group of heavy/medium infantry defending them.

3. Once the charge has hit the lines, keep troops fighting in small or medium sized groups so as their spears have most effect against the wolves and their riders (keep them aware of possible supporting enemy infantry coming on scene, or have back up infantry/archers support the spearmen)

4. Mop up surviving Goblins and Wargs, have archers fire at any retreating.

5. Cheer, blow horns, dance around, sing.

6. Get really, really drunk.




Regards,
Osse