in a world with cat size mosquitos, larger predators have to exist or the only things that are left are rotting cat-size mosquitos.
No, that's for trap-door spiders the size of cattle dogs.
They do need to come up for air, though, just like the wrigglers. I do like your suggestion of baking them in clay. Perhaps coat them in some herbs and spices first, so the flavours can permeate through them as they cook.
That seems a little on the small side. In one of my Traveller games the PCs ran into what they called 'spider-bears'. They were vaguely arachnoid, about the size of a small brawn bear, and hid in trapdoor spider-like holes, from which they'd leap on their prey. Their natural prey was roughly human-sized, so when humans (such as the PCs) walked by, well...
Spears and polearms preferably in formation.Imagine you lived in authentic medieval times and yet (merciful heavens) you had to regularly fight against aggressive mosquitos roughly the size of cats. Keeping in mind that they are airborne, agile, thin, and quick to react, what weapons would you select to combat them? What equipment would you bring along for best results? What combat techniques would you employ?
What formation against flying enemies? Turtle?
You'd think so, but when they lack firearms and armoured spacesuits characters who face trap-door spiders any larger than a Rottweiler seem to decide that the goal is to keep them in their burrows rather than to smoke them out.
I wouldn't try using pikes but halberds and spears sure.
If cat-sized mosquitos were a thing, I am sure seasoned warriors would figure out a formation for the job. Likely something like a zone defense in basketball where each man in the formation is trained to protect the area above them including being aware of the areas of those around them. Unless they are closer to the edge in which case the bubble would extend outwards. If it was a one on one fight it is usually the animal that lost out when an armed human was involved. Especially when we are talking cat-sized and not something like a grizzly bear.
Textile armour will stop them pretty well, so they'll be forced to go for the face. Meanwhile, even a gloved hand will be able to smash their wings and knock them to the ground, where upon they can be stomped. And they have limited manoeuvrability when trying to close with men in a closely packed formation. At best, they'd be a 'spoiler', distracting men and making the formation a bit ragged, perhaps allowing an enemy unit an advantage if it charges while the mozzies are swarming. Now, how do you get the mozzies to swarm only the other side?
Ah, but is it me showing two-dimensional thinking
? Because what I'm seeing is you ascribing two-dimensional thinking to the creatures.
. IMO, it would simply require more men than you can fit within the space of a formation. And also "far more people than you have in an average adventuring party".
).Assuming that textile armour would stop them, you wouldn't even need a formation...
?
I expect the result will probably look like a pin cushion packed with pins if a swarm is attacking from all sides. As for needing to swing as you and V VisionStorm mentioned the point of a formation is that each man is expected to cover his designated position in concert with his teammates. It will be organized in a way that a semi-sphere will be covered by the folks in the formation with each covering small areas that overlap.
But would it? I have been pricked by regular-sized mosquitoes through summer clothes, and those aren't even as dangerous as the mosquitoes they've got in places like Africa and Asia (they don't transmit malaria, for starters).
What would a cat-sized one be able to do, with something like a thousandfold increase in size
Even there were quick and nimble there is a reason why nimble light armor warriors with weapons like swords that could be used quicker don't prevail against phalanxes and pike formations.
Sure, but that's because a goose's muscles aren't strong enough. Insects can be stronger than mammals of the same size, and besides, the jaws of many species have a higher strength than their muscles...including humans. Most people's bite is probably stronger than their punch...and even Tyson decided to use his jaw muscles when he was losing, as we all remember
!I completely agree, but wargamers like formations...
Well, guess that depends on whether the GM agrees with you or with me on the armour issue. I look at it like this, insects are notoriously strong for their size. That would diminish as they grow, but it's going to be still real damn strong, so at about 5 kgs, let's give them a bite only equal to a dog that's a bit heavier: the Sheltie, at 7-9 kgs.
1) Thought you're not talking pikes, but active-use spears?
Yeah, I'm with you on that account.
Again, too many people for an adventuring party.
Exactly. But you obviously aren't picturing how to fight a smaller, flying opponent. It would need to be about the swing, not the trust...or else you're not going to land.
Yup. And the problem is in cramming enough people that they could do so from all directions.
The tercios were also fighting human-sized opponents.
robertsconley. Mosquitos can fly wildly in all directions, and we're talking cat sized mosquitos, not cow sized. If they were the size of a cow, then sure, a porcupine formation with lots of thrusting would probably work, since they'd be too large to slip through. In that case polearms would be my first choice. But you're probably not gonna hit a cat sized mosquito with a trust. Which means that you're gonna have to start swinging like crazy to actually hit one.
Formations are fine and dandy when you are defending the village against another terrestrial force. Flying foes simply fly over your phalanx and prey upon the livestock and children in your rear areas — the phalanx has no way to force the mosquitos to engage, and can't protect anything except itself.
My reading of the OP and thread title is that the humans are hunting them.
And when your palate tires of mosquito-egg omlettes and giant wrigglers Thermidor, you can try burning their habitat to the ground.
Historically speaking, the traditional solution is habitat destruction. That makes them move house, saving you the bother.
Swamp-draining? How feasible is that in a low-tech society?
Well, these insects can even fight an armed human, obviously, so there's probably something they've figured during evolution that you're missing
!True that, but the muscles that move the head can also be insanely strong (the head can often be supported by the whole body). I was just comparing them to bites because of the location of the proboscis - as a shortcut, basically. Admittedly, then I got kinda carried away...something that very rarely happens on the Pub
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