A Question about WoW Lore Peasents, and the average footsoldier.

[Loilaton]

Hello, I have a small question about something I can't seem to find anywhere. Are Peasants/Commoners treated as horribly in WoW lore as they were in real life? And I assume Peasants make up the vast majority of the military, if the real world is anything to go by. If so, then do WoW Military Strategies share similarities to Medieval Europe? And Conquest, does burning/pillaging happen too? I know this is seen in Camp T. But is it common place?

[Shixin]

Well, I think it depends on your perception of how peasants of were treated. I assume you're talking about medieval European commoners, which, by and large, weren't treated badly at all. They simply had rough lives.nnCommoners do make up the vast majority of foot soldiers, in the infantry. Their tactics in a large scale battle would likely be typical of medieval times (all in an RP-sense, of course, as you don't actually see parades of men in platoon formation marching around Azeroth). Likewise with the burning and pillaging. It happens, you just don't see it in-game.

[Loilaton]

Ahhhh I see. Thanks, so Large-Scale warfare is present in Warcraft Lore?

[Shixin]

I would think so, yes. But remember, massive battles where both armies march on to the field and have at it until one or the other is destroyed or routed is too costly to maintain at all times on every front. Therefore, what you see in WoW, such as in the case of the Northrend front, is that the battle lines have been drawn but both sides are in a bit of a respite.

[Thida]

It also depends on the race. For Tauren, they don't seem any different, but Orcs, you need only make a new orc character and run the 'Lazy Peons' quest to see how they treat peasants. It seems a good idea to think on the races' temperaments to get an idea of how they treat the low.

[Loilaton]

@Thida, Thanks, What I'm interested in is Blood Elf Peasantry, Blood Elves seem like the kind to allow the low to be crushed beneath the mighty. Anyone know where BE peasants even live? Even after the Scourge Silvermoon is definitely no big enough to host any large number of people. Speaking of that, where IS the Blood Elf military deployed at? Garrosh doesn't seem the kind to allow them to stay idle any longer, even with that, how do Blood Elves fight? I've always imagined lines of those pike/glaive things the guards carry backed by archers and mages, with rangers providing harassment on the flanks. Is there any lore on this?

[Thida]

...Actually? There are no Blood Elf peasants. After Arthas obliterated Quelthalas, Kealthas gathered as many of the Quel'dorei (High Elves) as would fight to seek vengeance on Arthas. He named his group the Sin'dorei (Blood Elves). So, technically, unless any of them lost their desire to restore Silvermoon, there are no peasants. I figure that any who are are forced into menial labor and become basically the equivalent of minimum-wage workers. They deploy from Silvermoon directly, now that they are separate from both Kaelthas and the Scryers. Their fighting is largely guerrilla tactics, fighting and running with melee being stall for the artillary- at least, if they have not changed since Sylvannas's days as general. For more insight, I would suggest Warcraft 3, and Christie Golden's Arthas. Hope this has been helpful!

[Loilaton]

Thanks, though I always assumed Peasants were just anyone who wasn't a noble, but a more apt word may be commoners. And thanks, though I was referring to more Large-Scale open war, unless that WAS Large-Scale Open War, I just was always under the impression the main army never really got ralied in time when Arthas invaded, thanks for the answers!