Apache profile

A Brief History of the Apache

The Apache are not one people, but rather a label applied to a group of tribes the inhabit the Southwestern United States. There is much debate as to their origins, and while it is generally accepted that they arrived long after the Pueblo people that also inhabit the Southwest, from where and when the Apache migration occurred is unknown. Some speculate that they migrated from the Great Plains, others say they came from the Pacific Northwest. They are first mentioned by name in 1598 by the Spanish, even though they likely resided in the Southwest earlier than that. It was the Spanish first who coined the term Apache, believed to come from a Pueblo word for enemy. As this would imply, the Apache were not a people who shied  away from warfare, and their raids against their neighbors earned them a fearsome reputation.  An American general is said to have grudgingly labeled the Apache as "The Tigers of the Human Species". Conflict was constant between the Apache and Spanish settlements, and this extended to the Mexicans after they gained their independence. The most famous Apache struggle however has to be the Apache Wars, a series of conflicts fought between the United States government and the Apache people in the latter half of the 19th century. While the conflicts began as skirmishes between American settlers and Apache, it soon turned into a battle for existence as the American government attempted to remove the unruly Apache and relocate them in reservations as they had done to tribes in the East. It was in this struggle that one of history's most famed heroes emerged.

Sure doesn't look like a man who could terrorize

 the Southwest for nearly 30 years

Following the death of his family at the hands of the Mexican army in 1858, Geronimo became one of the most successful war chiefs the Apache ever had, battling both the Mexican and American armies. He was captured and sent to a reservation in 1880, but left two years later to continue the struggle. But by now the writing was on the wall. Between 1880 and 1885 coordinated efforts between the United States and Mexico had effectively brought the remaining free Apches to their knees. The 40 year conflict finally ended in 1886 when 5,000 American troops forced the famous Geronimo and his band of 30 Apaches to surrender in Arizona. He and his followers were sent in exile to Florida, where Geronimo lived out the rest of his days. While the war was lost by the Apache, their reputation in history had been cemented. Today, the Apache live mostly on reservations in the Southwest, and are one of the largest surviving Native American tribes, numbering about 65,000. 

Weapons


Long Range

The Apache Bow

This weapon was a staple of Apache warfare. This is going to be one the the weapons the Apaches have the most skill with, as it is also used in everyday life for hunting. Supposedly, an Apache could fire his bow fast enough to have 7 arrows in flight at any one time. There would have been little to no recurve in these bows, and its going to be a lot weaker and have a lot less range than its counterparts in the old world. They were small, as you can see above, and sacrificed a lot of power because of that. They were usually made out of mulberry, a strong but flexible wood, with arrows made out of reeds or harder woods. It was fired horizontally when range was needed, and vertically for closer, more accurate shots.  I have found one or two sources claiming the Apache would sometimes poison their arrows as well, further increasing their effectiveness. 


While far from the most deadly of bows, all the Apache will have one and be very good with it. Against the Gladiators almost complete lack of ranged attack, this could be the difference in this fight. 


Mid-Range
Apache Spear

Not the best picture, but unfortunately there don't seem to be many on the internet. Does give you a good idea of the size of the spear.


Unfortunately for the Apache, this weapon is not that common, and only one or two members of their squad will probably be carrying one. As with all weapons the Apache have in this fight, this was not constructed with metal, instead having a flint tip. This will do fine against skin, but won't provide much penetration against an armored foe. They will fight with as much skill with the spear as they would with the bow, since both were used for hunting,  but usually only the most skilled and fastest warriors would carry one, which could be a problem considering this is their only real mid range weapon. This weapon would become somewhat more common after horses were introduced, but unfortunately for the Apache that doesn't fit into this time frame.

This weapons effectiveness is going to be pretty limited, both by its design and its rarity. It's not that long as far as spears go and the bone or stone tip will be susceptible to breaking.


Short Range
War Club


Unlike the previous two weapons, this was not used for hunting: the War Club is designed solely for war. It was usually the close quarters weapon of choice for the Apache, and while it may not be the most advanced weapon, it could be constructed pretty easily if need be. It was pretty much just a rock, covered in rawhide, tied to a stick.

While this weapon has the potential to be pretty devastating, the only way its going to earn a kill is via a shot to the skull, which may be difficult considering many of the gladiators are bringing helmets to this fight. It may have to be used more as a disabler against limbs. Altogether, not an especially dangerous or effective weapon.


This is an example of a more hastily made war club as opposed to the first one pictured. The differences in the quality of construction is apparent, and while this one will still cause a lot of damage, it seems like it would be much more unwieldy and break easier. 


Tomahawk

The only difference between this and what will be wielded by the Apache is the materials. The tomahawks in this fight will be made of stone. 

The classic and widespread Native American weapon. Its not quite as common as the war club, but is very versatile and will cause a lot of damage. As shown in Deadliest Warrior, it can be thrown effectively as well as used in close quarters. It's reach isn't great, most were around 18 inches, but its enough to compete with what their opponents have. It was actually developed post-contact, but due to its simple design and iconic status I'm keeping it in. Definitely a potential game changer for team Apache.



Special Weapons
Knives

Once again, in the time frame I'm looking at the blade would probably be bone or flint.


One of the hardest weapons to judge the effectiveness of. While the weapon itself is not wildly impressive, its versatility and the skill it is wielded with is. They can be thrown pretty accurately, and the Apaches would have a lot of skill fighting hand to hand with it, which may make up to a degree for the shortcoming of the weapon itself. They were long as far as knives go, usually around 12 inches with half of that blade, but still not long enough to compete with some of the blades the Gladiator is bringing.  It was also one of the most common weapons carried by the Apache, all of them will have at least one on their person.




Armor


Head

They got nothing here. At most, the Apache have a headband or bandanna, which will obviously do nothing. I suppose their senses will be less impaired, but their really nor bringing anything to the table.

Torso
Leather Shirt

Depending on the geographic location of the Apache, these shirts would be made of either buffalo or deer hide. Either way, again the Apache will have minimal protection. Best case scenario, this shirt will protect from grazing strikes. Some Apache would begin to wear leather breastplates modeled off the Spanish in the 1600s, but that falls outside of this time period. The mobility it allows will be factored in as one of the Intangibles.

Arms
Nothing
Not much to say here. The Apaches relied on their reflexes here as they did for most of their defenses.

Legs
Breechcloth

Same material as the shirt, probably a little thinner if anything. Very often, they would just have a breechcloth, so the Apache's legs probably won't have even this minimal protection.

Shield
Animal Hide Shield

Finally, an armor category where the Apache have something. This shield would be made out of rawhide, again depending on where the Apache lived in the Southwest. If they were closer to the Great Plains, buffalo hide will have been available, otherwise they would have had to make do with thinner skinned animals, most likely deer. The shield is convex, and pretty small by the standards of shields: The one pictured here and in the Natural History museum has a diameter of only 2 feet. The toughest hide available would have been buffalo, so that's probably what I'll give this squad of Apache. The neck skin of of the buffalo, the part the shield is going to be made of, is extremely tough. While it may pale in comparison to a metal or even most wooden shields, the Apache shield will be pretty much as tough as a hide shield can be.

Blocking
The Apache's have some skill in this area, but their very limited by their weapons. The knife and tomahawk can both be used to parry blows, but questions of their durability will arise when going up against the Gladiator's iron weapons. The War Club just isn't designed for parrying. The Apache's natural quickness and knife fighting techniques will be a boon here.


Intangibles

Tactics

Apache tactics are, rightfully, famous. When fighting the more numerous and better armed armies of Mexico and the United States, they used extensive guerilla tactics and lightning fast raids to bloody their opponents with minimal risk to themselves. After these hit and run assaults, they were also incredibly difficult to then follow and hunt down. Knowledge of their terrain was a major advantage of theirs, and they were known to simply disappear at times. When fighting was underway, they were very aggressive. Unless desperate, they never started a fight without superior numbers, and they would quickly try to overwhelm their enemy before fading back into the wilderness. Unless these superior numbers were on their side, fighting would never get hand to hand. Their population was often smaller than that of their opponents, and as such they were always careful to keep their own losses to a minimum.

Teamwork/Cohesion

Most Apache culture centered around the family, and loyalty would naturally go to them first. In times of war, however, the leaders of these families would meet and choose a war chief. It was not an absolute decision, and those who disagreed were free to follow who they choose, but a system of command was in place. They did have unofficial “squadleaders” on raids, which will suit the scale of this fight nicely. While not organized in the sense of formations and other "official" forms of organization, they successfully executed some pretty complicated ambushes and assaults in their history, which says something for how well they operate in tandem. 

Morale

The distinction between the two kinds of combat an Apache an Apache might find himself in is important here. The most common situation is a raid. Raids are as much a part of Apache existence as farming was for other cultures. For them, raids were a form of sustenance, a way to survive. Even when the Apache had the resources they needed, raids would be done just to intimidate their neighbors. The other, rarer form of combat the Apache would take part in is full scale war, like during the Apache Wars. Here it was about actively driving other people away, and preserving their independence as a people. While the Apache will obviously be more motivated on a full scale war, raids were very important to their existence as well, and the Apache will fight fiercely in all situations. While not a culture where martial prowess was the main judge of success, like that of Sparta or the Rajputs, a great deal of pride was involved in military successes, and the raids especially were a part of their culture. The Apaches willingness to retreat should not be confused with a willingness to lose.

Training

Formally, not a ton. They will have been taught by the older members of their family the basics of how to hunt and how to raid. There was no formal schooling, things like tactics and strategies will have been passed on simply through word of mouth. The only two weapons that would have any real training behind them would be the bow and knife. Everything else will have been learned on the job.

Experience

The Apache are used to small scale warfare. They were in a condition of more or less perpetual hostility with their neighbors, and as such will have had plenty of experience fighting. Hunting also gave them a lot of experience, even though this would be pretty exclusively with the bow and arrow and against an opponent that does not fight back. The opponents that they did fight were other tribes such as the Pueblo and Yavapai, and as such would probably be armed and armored similarly to the Apache themselves. The most deadly enemy these Apache will be used to fighting are other Apache. The Apache will not be used to armored opponents or steel weapons. It is worth pointing out though, that when the Spanish arrived the Apache wasted little time adapting to their new foe, and proved a deadly opponent even without prior experience  with them.

Physical traits

The average Apache male is in between 65-67 inches, a bit on the short side. They live a nomadic lifestyle, the hardships of which alone should give them a pretty good degree of strength, even though more on the wiry side due to limited food. Apache endurance is legendary.  The effectiveness of their guerilla tactics was largely built off of their ability to relocate quickly after an attack and operate over long distances. They were supposedly able to run for days without tiring, and while this may be an exaggeration, exhaustion should not be a problem for them in this fight.

Mobility

Not enough can be said to praise the Apache here. This was arguably their biggest advantage over the better armed forces they faced later in their existence. Their style of battle is largely built around their ability to attack and retreat quickly. Their armor and weapons are going to have pretty much no encumbrance as well. Don’t be surprised about a perfect score here. 

Prologue

Modern-day Luna County, New Mexico, 77 A.D

“Roman” Bindusar said it slowly, enunciating every sound, then shook his head. “An odd name”

“For an odd people” Askadodilges said, nodding his head in agreement. Ten men, all heads of their families, sat in a circle in Askadodilges’s hogan. It was lit only by a beam of light through the entrance, dimly illuminating the room and casting most of the men in shadow. The sun outside was oppressive, as it always was here, but inside the temperature was pleasantly cool. A meeting of this many leaders would only occur if a decision of great importance was to be made. Between these men and their allies, hundreds, if not thousands, of Apache could be mobilized. Most were local, either Chiricahua or Mescalero, but chiefs from as far away as the Jicarilla tribes were present as well. They had gathered to decide if the time had come for the Apache to go to war.

“They are more similar to the Pueblo than us.” Askadodilges continued. “They are forming great towns, with huge buildings. They draw even more food from the ground than the Pueblo.” Another chief cut in “If I may.” Askadodilges nodded. “My family lives only a few miles from one of their new towns. We’ve raided them twice, nothing large mind you, but what we’ve brought back… let’s just say it reflects what they have managed to bring from the ground. As they live like the Pueblo, so they are weak like the Pueblo. I see no reason to go to war against such an easy source of resources.” Several of the chiefs murmured in agreement. Askadodilges slowly shook his head, and the hogan went silent. Despite his short stature, and his face beginning to show the lines of age, he still radiated the same power and demanded the same respect he had 10 years ago. His arms still showed the wiry muscles of a man much younger than him, and his eyes showed an intense intelligence. His success as a leader, both in war and in peace was unsurpassed by any other man in the hogan. “I thought the same as you. An entirely logical way to look at it. But then, I heard a story, from one I trust. It would seem my mother-in-laws family, some of them went on a raid.” he paused, trying to decide how to express in words what his nephew, who had been there, had so struggled to. “They had warriors there. Good, steady warriors. Their knives were made of a very strong rock, and their clothing as well.” Here he got the confused reaction he had expected. “A man cannot wear rock.” One of the chiefs, a man with an irritating habit of stating the obvious, noted. “I know.” Akadodilges replied, forcing his voice to show patience his mind did not share. “Yet it turned back the arrows of the raiding party. It you can come up with a better explanation, than please do.” “Hide?” Natchinilkkisn, one of the younger chiefs, guessed. Akadodilges shook his head doubtfully. “If it is hide, it is of a creature far stronger than the buffalo. From ten yards, the arrows were not just stopped, but were broken.”

An uneasy silence lay over the hogan like a heavy blanket. All that could be heard was the distant sound of men’s voices hundreds of yards away in the rest of the encampment, and the wind blowing through the sands outside. Throughout their lives, and that of their fathers, and that of their fathers, things had changed little in the life of the Inde. They all realized that may well be over. The chief who had earlier spoke of raiding the Romans reached for the tomahawk lying by his feet, and removed twp of the beads. “This.” He said simply. The chiefs peered in curiously, and soon realized these were not normal stone beads, or even the rarer ones made of shells. They were small hoops, each only a few centimeters long. They were as yellow as sunlight, and glimmered like it as well. “From the Romans?” asked Askadodilges. The other man nodded solemnly “A women had them in her ears.” Askadodilges examined them closely. There was a pattern of small dots and lines, far more intricate than anything else so small he had ever seen. He tapped it. Hard. Very hard. Much sturdier then any rock that thin should have been. The other men in the Hogan exchanged uneasy glances at yet another new element being introduced, and Askadodilges decided it was time to take the situation back under his control.

“These men are dangerous” he said. “We are lucky that now they are still few in number. We must strike them now, when numbers are on our side.” Reluctant, nervous nods, were had around the room. Bindusar spoke up again “We don’t know what we’re up against. Your description, these are not like any warriors we have faced before. If our weapons cannot hurt them…” his voice trailed off, his fears not needing to be spoken to be known. Askadodilges nodded slowly. “Agreed. We need to know more about them if this attack is to work.” He paused for effect. He had this planned for a while, but let them think it was a group decision. “We’ll put together a scouting party, 4, 5 warriors, and see what is going on. I will go. Any other volunteers?” 

Natchinikkisn and Bindusar, the two youngest men there, both volunteered quickly, and a not present son and younger brother were volunteered as well, with their family members assuring Askadodilges of their martial prowess. One of these men spoke up. “Are we all in agreement that Akadodliges is to lead this expedition?”Akadodilges let out a quiet sigh of relief. He was afraid he may have to nominate himself, an embarrassing notion. Before he could speak, however, another voice cut in. “I would like to be considered.” All eyes in the tent turned to Natchinikkisn. “Foolish child” Akadodilges thought to himself, but he said nothing. Natchinikkisn was promising, no doubt, his brilliant raid against the Yavapai a year ago was already the stuff of legends, and he cut a physically imposing figure, standing a few inches taller than any other man in the hogan, and with more colorful beads and dye on his clothing than any of them as well. Still, he lacked the experience and reputation of Akadodilges, and it showed. After ten minutes of discussion, mostly consisting of everyone agreeing with each other, the other chiefs present decided Akadodilges would lead. Natchinikkisn looked like he had bit into something sour. Ignoring this, Akadodilges announced to the assembled group “We will leave in two days. Begin preparing your warriors for war now. Remember, the faster we strike, the less ready for us they will be.” All the assembled leaders nodded: this was as true to them as any religion.

The chiefs began filing out of the hogan. “Natchinikkisn, stay.” Akadodilges thought he saw a hint of fear in Natchinikkisn’s eyes. “Good.” Akadodilges thought to himself “I am a man to be feared. Maybe he is not a complete fool.” The young man sat back down. “I am a skilled warrior. You know this. It would be foolish to leave me behind.” Natchinikkisn said matter of factly. Akadodilges sat in stunned silence for a second. He had expected embarrassment and apology, not defiance. After a few moments, he laughed. Natchinikkisn looked confused. “You are truly an arrogant man.” Natchinikkisn’s eyes hardened. Akadodilges raised his hand “That is not necessarily a bad thing. Confidence comes with arrogance. A leader, and a warrior, must be confident. I just called you back to be sure I could trust you to follow me without question. You know can always organize your own party if you wish.” To Akadodilges’ relief, Natchinikkisn shook his head. “No. Your’s is the party that the people will care about, that has the best chance of getting something done. I will go with you, and I will follow you. ” It wasn’t the ringing endorsement he had hoped for, but Akadodilges had not expected one. “Good” he said “Get prepared. I’ll see you in a few days.” Natchinikkisn nodded and walked out.

Akadodilges waited a few minutes than left too. He needed to talk to the other three warriors who were going. They must be ready, for before long the Apache would be going to war.