The Insane Cost of Tywin Lannister’s Army

Summary

This video humorously explores the cost of raising a Westerosi army, using historical analogies from 14th-century England to estimate wages and equipment for knights, archers, pikemen, and cavalry. Through a mix of playful narrative and historical reasoning, it calculates the staggering modern-day equivalent of Tywin Lannister’s forces, highlighting the immense expenses and logistical challenges. The script balances entertainment and education, offering insights into medieval military economics while poking fun at George R.R. Martin’s world and its characters. Ultimately, it reveals the fantasy army’s enormous financial demands, emphasizing both the realism and absurdity of war in Westeros.

Takeaways

• 🛡️ Estimating the cost of a Westerosi army requires historical analogies due to George R.R. Martin's mix of medieval periods in Westeros.
• ⚔️ Tywin Lannister's army is composed of 9,000 knights, 6,000 pikemen, and 6,000 archers, showing clear functional divisions.
• 💰 Knights earn 2 shillings per day, which converts to £900,000 per day in modern terms for Tywin's 9,000 heavy cavalry.
• 🏹 Archers earn 3 pence per day, and pikemen earn 6 pence per day, reflecting historical wage hierarchies.
• 🐎 Equipping a knight costs £70 (1350 currency), or £630,000 for all 9,000 knights, considering horses and armor.
• 📦 Pikemen and archers cost £5–7 and £2 respectively to equip, amounting to £85,000 and £153,000 in modern terms.
• ⏳ Tyrion's one-year campaign cost approximately £363 million in today's money, excluding food, replenishment, and extended operations.
• ⚖️ Heavy cavalry dominate the wage bill; Jaime's 42% cavalry force costs 32% of wages, showing imbalance in unit costs.
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• 📉 Historical to modern conversions are rough approximations; medieval economies differ vastly from modern post-industrial economies.
• 🏰 Westerosi armies may be funded largely by plunder or mines, but the financial burden of professional soldiers is enormous.
• 😂 The video uses humor and narrative exaggeration to make historical analysis engaging while presenting the massive costs of war.

Q & A

Is it possible to calculate the cost of a Westerosi army?

Yes, but only as a rough estimate. Westeros mixes medieval socio-economic structures with fantasy elements, so any calculation requires approximations and assumptions based on historical parallels.

What historical period was used as a model to estimate Westerosi army costs?

The 14th century, specifically the 1350s, was used because it is a well-documented period with semi-professional armies due to the indenture system.

What is the indenture system?

It was a system where the English crown paid nobles or gentry a lump sum to raise a certain number of men for military campaigns, a step toward semi-professional armies compared to feudal service tied to land.

How much did a knight in Westeros theoretically earn per day?

A knight would earn two shillings per day, which converts to 900 pounds in modern terms for the Lannister core of 9,000 knights.

What were the approximate wages for archers, pikemen, and light cavalry?

Archers earned three pence per day, pikemen six pence, and light cavalry or men-at-arms one shilling per day, based on 14th-century English equivalents.

How much would it cost to equip a knight?

Equipping a knight, including armor and at least two spare horses, would cost at least £70 in 14th-century currency, which is roughly £70 million in modern terms for 9,000 knights.

How much would equipping archers and pikemen cost?

Outfitting archers would cost about £2 each, while pikemen would cost £5–7 each. Total initial outlay for the Lannister infantry would be around £85,000 or £85 million in modern terms.

What is the total estimated cost for Tyrion's army over nearly a year?

Including wages but excluding food, replenishment of weapons, and armor, Tyrion's 334-day campaign would cost roughly £363 million in modern terms.

Why is there a difference between Jaime’s and Tywin’s forces in terms of cost distribution?

Jaime’s force, while 42% of the total army, represented only 32% of the wage bill due to having fewer expensive heavy cavalry. Tywin’s larger proportion of knights made his army much more costly per day.

What does the transcript imply about the economy of Westeros?

Westeros appears extremely wealthy, as fielding large armies with thousands of knights and infantry would be prohibitively expensive in real-world medieval terms.

How does historical inflation factor into the calculation?

A rough conversion is used: £1 in 1350 is considered equivalent to £1,000 today. However, this is a simplified approximation since medieval and modern economies are not directly comparable.

Were camp followers and mercenaries included in the cost estimates?

No, camp followers like cooks were ignored, and mercenaries or special groups often served for plunder rather than wages, which reduces their calculated cost.