Tri-Compact Alliance Military, Tactics and Evolution of Warfare: Pegasus Tribe

Equestria, on the surface at least, gives the appearance of a peaceful and united civilization. However, it has a dark and somewhat hidden past, filled with conflict. Long before the rule of the two sisters, and the founding of Equestria, the three pony tribes of Equis engaged in bitter struggles against each other, aiming for total domination. Such brutal hostility towards one another would have given rise to varying forms of military technology and tactics, unique to each tribe.

Pegasus Tribe

The pegasi, proud and noble wardens of the sky, are perhaps the most military orientated of the three tribes, so much so that their system of government appears to be a military autocracy. Intertwining politics and warfare on a scale unmatched by any other tribe. This can be seen from Commander Hurricane’s involvement in the events surrounding the hearths warming eve tale. With this seemingly obsessive focus toward warfare (Much like the Spartans) it can be assumed that military service is mandatory on an extreme level. To the point at which young fillies are sent to a camp at a young age were they are taught how to fly. Those who refuse to contribute to the state (militarily or otherwise) are likely shamed, exiled or executed. Diplomacy for the pegasi is likely brief, forceful and ends with both sides at each other’s throats. Commander Hurricane demonstrated such brash and forceful behavior during the meeting between the three tribes, after which the commander threatened all out war.

The existence of Cloudsdale is perhaps the most telling sign of how the pegasi of the early eras lived and fought. Although not explicitly stated in the show, pegasi cities can be seen as mobile fortresses that could act as a forward base of operations for ongoing military campaigns. It is likely that due to the military nature of the pagasi, their cloud cities would in fact be military complexes with the trappings of civilian life mixed in. It could also be assumed that, at the time, the only major danger in the air was the weather (and the pegasi themselves). Since the weather was easily controlled by the pegasi, it is likely that the cloud fortresses had minimal protection against danger from the air, and focused more on protection from their primary enemies, the earth ponies and the unicorns. Although, it is also likely that, due to their aggressive nature, the pegasi placed more focus on a powerful attack being the best defense.

Major weather changes have be seen to require hundreds of pegasi working in unison to take any effect, so I would hazard a guess that weather manipulation would only be used in major conflicts.

The growth of any sustainable food source or the acquisition of materials is near imposable in the upper cloud layer. In Cloudsdale, only facilities related to weather manipulation can be seen, which seems to suggest that the pegasi are heavily reliant upon supplies from the ground and subsequently the other two tribes. As such the pegasi, using their mobile cloud fortresses, conducted raids on Earth pony and Unicorn towns to acquire food and raw materials. This, however, isn’t to say that the pegasi haven’t invested in their own farming industry, only that they have less of grasp on farming than the other tribes.
Raids and lightning assaults are perhaps the most essential tactics of the pegasi military. The lack of raw materials has left the pegasi lightly armored and more capable of conducting intense aerial maneuvers. Weather manipulation would allow the pegasi to hinder their foes on the ground whilst they speed through the skies unaffected, wreaking havoc and causing fear. It is possible that, due to the lake of ground forces, the pegasi were armed with blades mounted to their hooves and or wings. This would allow for quick and deadly strikes at enemy lines, without the need to deploy soldiers on the ground.

Currently, during the reign of the two sisters, the pegasi military now occupy a more ceremonial role in the form of the Royal Guard and in the Wonder-Bolts aerial display corps. The many numerous cloud cities that might have once dominated the skies would have been made redundant after the founding of Equestria. And so, over time, each city was probably cannibalized to create Clouds-Dale, the now sole remaining Pegasus bastion and a stark reminder of a past filled with turmoil.