Dinosaurs

[BJ Swabb]

Hey yall! I'm back with a few questions on dinosaurs. You see I have already brought them into my book, but I was thinking about what races would ride what dinosaurs for battle sense. See I can't really decide what to do on this matter as I want dinosaurs into atleast one or two of my battles. I already have neanderthals riding triceratops, stegasaurus, pteradactyles, and anklysaurus. But I was thinking of having a few elves, dwarves, and other speicies ride a few. As well as a few trolls and orcs. Any suggestions?

 

[ABearsGarden]

( I'm under the assumption only a few of these groups are important outside of conflict, but will be speaking generally as to not create an overwhelming response. )

In my opinion, anyone whose leaders—if not whoever brought up the idea and obtained funding—have enough influence could better handle introducing them than those that lack majorly supportive candidates to partake in the raising/taming process, no less be willing to use them as though they were just your typical steeds. Consider their technology and resources, too. Each groups ability to feed and maintain care for all these demanding beasts is going to be important. Now, I imagine your story may not focus significantly on dinosaurs and their services, since you specify "one or two of my battles", but are they used for anything else? If so, finding answers to those concepts can help. Even if it is not going to be touched on in-universe, I'd recommend considering what you can to make things easier on yourself.

Furthermore, ask yourself how many risks is every individual group willing to take: Do elves, for example, want something as huge as a Brontosaurus or Spinosaurus near their homes? Would they prefer to settle for "small enough" species that might not instantly wreak havoc?

I suggest, depending on what can be applied to each culture:
Allosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, Corythosaurus, Nanuqsaurus, Nodosaurus, Tarbosaurus, and Utah Raptor.

 

[pmmg]

If the question here is what race would look cool riding which creature, I dont know. I would think a reference book on Dino's would give lots of options and you would have to imagine which looks good on which.


My approach to this question would be along a much different line of thought. I would be asking what is likely, what makes sense in the story, what is possible? And with that, I would try to have an understanding of the biome, Eco-system, climate and all that. If Elves are fighting orcs and they are both riding Dino's, wouldn't they be choosing from Dino's in the same relative place on the planet? and if so, wouldn't there be some that were just better to bring into the battle than others. If the Raptors turned out to be great battle mounts in one culture, wouldn't they turn out to be the same in the other?

And if there are different kinds of Dino's that would be capable of this, might they not use them as something similar to modern day tanks? Really big dino's to absorb damage, fast quick one to rout enemy lines, something in the middle for mixing it up in the middle?

If the orcs and elves are far enough away from each other that the choice of Dino's changes, why would they be at war? They dont live close enough to matter in everyone's everyday lives.

I would also have to be asking, and including, how this changed the cultures of elves and orcs as well. They have to upkeep and maintain them. And there may be more than just surface level changes for having dino's.

 

[Karlin]

Stegasaurus- I've tried this, and do not recommend it. Really uncomfortable ride.

 

[CupofJoe]

All realities aside, I love the image I have of a sauropod like an Apatosaurus, rumbling into battle with a huge fort-like howdah on its back brisling with archers and ballistae. They would be flanked by waves of Utah raptor cavalry. And for some reason I am seeing Elves doing the riding. That might be a hangover from my Warhammer days.

 

[Orc Knight]

Why stop at riding? True, many dinosaurs would make awesome mounts and as Joe said, lots of potential of howdah's on titanosuar's or even triceratops. Your stegosaurs and anklysaurs in war would more then likely be used with those lovely thagomizers and clubs to absolutely ruin infantry formations. Of course there will eventually be counters to that. And any predatory ones may eventually break some suspension for some because of the sheer cost of feeding a large obligate carnivore on a campaign much less regular upkeep domestically. Though obviously in a fantasy world with a large amount of magic, it becomes less of a problem.

As for your pterosaur's and riding them, might want to bump up the scale to the azdarchid's like the good old Quetzalcoatlus. Giant giraffe stork is pretty damn terrifying, in my opinion. Though you may need some fairly small pilots, even on something that big.

Then there's putting them into the culture and working with it. Hadrasuars as beasts of burden, food, leather, eggs and the like, basically big lizard cows without the milk and fur. Ornithomimid's like gallimimus and struthiomimus as both ridable birdies and another food. Compies like chickens and other small birds. The dromeosaurs could possibly be used like, well, hawks by way of canines, Raptor Squad style. As for the big giant therapod predators, well, from guardian beasts, hunting animals and the like.

As for putting them with the various species on the world. Going with what pmmg said, there's environmental factors (of course, dinosaurs in pretty much every biome anyways) and what use they have for the dinosaurs. Dwarfs with protoceratops for packing, hauling and beaky little war doggies or taking the position of mules. Orcs warlords on carnotaurus with war paint. Elven gallimimus calvary. Big Bad Evil Empire using corrupted magical therapod predators like a classic Rexy or a Giga just for sheer power of fear rather then any actual tactical advantage.

No, I've clearly never thought about this before. Not at all.

 

[BJ Swabb]

Why stop at riding? True, many dinosaurs would make awesome mounts and as Joe said, lots of potential of howdah's on titanosuar's or even triceratops. Your stegosaurs and anklysaurs in war would more then likely be used with those lovely thagomizers and clubs to absolutely ruin infantry formations. Of course there will eventually be counters to that. And any predatory ones may eventually break some suspension for some because of the sheer cost of feeding a large obligate carnivore on a campaign much less regular upkeep domestically. Though obviously in a fantasy world with a large amount of magic, it becomes less of a problem.

As for your pterosaur's and riding them, might want to bump up the scale to the azdarchid's like the good old Quetzalcoatlus. Giant giraffe stork is pretty damn terrifying, in my opinion. Though you may need some fairly small pilots, even on something that big.

Then there's putting them into the culture and working with it. Hadrasuars as beasts of burden, food, leather, eggs and the like, basically big lizard cows without the milk and fur. Ornithomimid's like gallimimus and struthiomimus as both ridable birdies and another food. Compies like chickens and other small birds. The dromeosaurs could possibly be used like, well, hawks by way of canines, Raptor Squad style. As for the big giant therapod predators, well, from guardian beasts, hunting animals and the like.

As for putting them with the various species on the world. Going with what pmmg said, there's environmental factors (of course, dinosaurs in pretty much every biome anyways) and what use they have for the dinosaurs. Dwarfs with protoceratops for packing, hauling and beaky little war doggies or taking the position of mules. Orcs warlords on carnotaurus with war paint. Elven gallimimus calvary. Big Bad Evil Empire using corrupted magical therapod predators like a classic Rexy or a Giga just for sheer power of fear rather then any actual tactical advantage.

No, I've clearly never thought about this before. Not at all.

LOL. Well I would like to say that I know what all these dinos are but clearly I have some research to do with them all. Mostly I was thinking that the Neanderthals who are allied with Damien would lend their dinos for war as far as like using for rampaging through large militias, knocking down catapults, and of course to ride and fight with. But I could see where the culture would need to be worked in with the different species. It was just a thought I had, not sure if I will even go this route.

 

[TWErvin2]

Don't know if this fits in your world, but what about Woolly Mammoths, Mastadons and Woolly Rhinos? I know you have Neanderthals already slated for some types of dinos, but this might be a better fit, and would open up some of those other dinos for other races.

As for dinos, there are Styracosaurus (sort of like a triceratops but with only one nose horn and horns around the the protective frill) and monoclonous (which is sort of like a triceratops, but with only one nose horn.)

Some races, like stegosaurus, with its plates would be trickier to ride, I think.
Also, how some of the dinosaurs would fight, would obviously affect if there were any sort of formations (triceratops would possibly be good for a cavalry charge) and ankylosaurus for static defense or retreat (its tail swinging attack/defense does not lend itself to charging into battle and moving forward). Such types of tactics could lend themselves as to what races or groups use such mounts.