When SHTF who would be potential warlords and how do you avoid them?

reply to post by Soloprotocol


if gonna drink your self to death might as well be 180 proof no?

Question if SHTF who would really be potential warlords and would you join them or fight them. Also how do you avoid them? In what areas do potential warlords can hypothetically establish his/her fiefdom?

I think the biggest factor would be charisma. Knowledge is secondary, but the person has to be a natural leader. Different areas will see different warlords. In the cities, this is likely to be gang leaders or high-ranking police officers. Those with people already looking to them for direction, so a built in army. In rural areas, the one with a large group, and access to resources.

Joining or fighting....to be honest, my goal would be more to coexist. Strike a deal. Food for protection kind of deal. Monthly stipends of food or other supplies, in exchange for them not attacking me, and agreeing to aid me if another warlord tries to interfere. That would be my preference. Joining, I have no desire to kill others for their stuff. Fighting, I don't like dying either. If it came down to fight or be enslaved though, I'll take a bunch with me (even after I'm cold, such as poisoning my stores, etc.)

How do you avoid them? As a loner, be off in the woods, or stick to untraveled parts of the city post SHTF. Otherwise, being in a rural area should work. (waste of fuel to go off looking for you or others out there).

I think fuel will be the biggest hurdle for warlords. It will force them to have a limited range of influence. Very localized. So, will be hard for them to mobilize a large force far from their base of operation. Not really worth it for them to go out looking for rural properties that may or may not have supplies, and if so, are far apart (and likely full of armed nervous folks)....

Whomever controls the most precious resources or ways to get them: I would think fuel, water, maybe transportation routes would be at the top of that list.

ETA: book recommendation: Lights Out by David Crawford

Personally, I'll be avoiding anyone with an eye patch and / their own tank. I'll do it by bugging out in my very own DUMB - my fully loaded streamline, buried in the ground. If they threaten me I shall dispatch them with my trusty katana or crossbow. lol!

Local law enforcement, they have been transformed into military groups. I assume they will each tend to there own families and then secure the local resources. I bet they already have the plans in place they would just have to enact them. There problem would be the sheer numbers that would riot for these resources. More than likely they would be forced to draft people into there ranks to hold the many different areas they wish to control. Bridges and highways would be a boom as you could charge whatever toll to cross, grain elevators and warehouse complexes would also be on the list.

it would get ugly really fast

starwarsisreal
When SHTF who would be potential warlords and how do you avoid them?

After reading the book called Dies the Fire by SM Stirling an idea came to me about potential warlords in SHTF scenarios. In the book SHTF in the world because all electricity shut off for some unknown reason, thus bringing humanity to stone age and it shows how a history professor was able to become a warlord and establish his fiefdom due to him getting the most food and having expert knowledge of medieval weaponry and lifestyle. He was able to gather up followers and bring order to his domain. Then he ordered his followers to attack farms and take all the food.

Question if SHTF who would really be potential warlords and would you join them or fight them.

Also how do you avoid them?

In what areas do potential warlords can hypothetically establish his/her fiefdom?

edit on 22-3-2014 by starwarsisreal because: (no reason given)

so the age of Comic Book Guy is finally upon us...

politicians(like governors and mayors) and their followers

the aforementioned gangs who already have a command structure and ranks and a set way of doing things

police/national guard troops

pepper and militia groups (ranging from dumb small groups to full on companies or divisions with intelligence and ruthlessness)

probably best to think of post shtf as going back to semi industrialized feudal times with fiefdoms and small city-state/kingdoms springing up in the more rural areas and those that manage to survive and thrive in the city's more as roving military camp (akin to the mongols).

stronger factions will form around the wiser more charismatic leaders of both the good and evil variety and any exploitable resources and or fortified positions in the region will add to the abilities and size of the groups in question

stuff like access to oil or oil refining equipment

salt mines (see jehrico) citrus fruit(prevent scurvy) and those with large swaths of fertile soil for supporting larger groups

brewery's,factories,recycling facilities or other places that can either make things or power things(hydro electric) or have large amounts of useful things on site

some of it will come down to geography and environment those in the desert face a much harder life then those with abundant water and states with large national guard depots and other resources like wall mart distribution centers or cheaper then dirt factories,gun makers plants(like Remington or Winchester plants)farming equipment and livestock areas will also probably get a boost

id assume alot of native groups (native Americans,groups of immigrants congregated in certain areas) will form cliques along cultural and religious lines

reply to post by starwarsisreal



Id actually locate them and offer them my unique skill set with chemicals

Embrace yourselves and remain strong

reply to post by prevenge


It's not a comic book it's a novel. I recommend it (Dies the Fire by SM Stirling) And the History Professor before shtf in the story did a lot of medieval reenactments and did research on medieval history (due to him being a history college professor no doubt) which makes more knowledgeable on how to live on medieval lifestyle. When SHTF The guy figured out what went wrong almost immediately. He gathered up followers from colleagues and started stockpiling the remaining food. Then he recruited more followers (Urban gangs and desperate people looking for safety). Once he establish his fiefdom, he taught them how to use medieval weaponry and warfare and started gathering them to loot and pillage the countryside.

Believe it or not anyone who has expert knowledge on Medieval lifestyle and weaponry would be ones that can hypothetically establish a fiefdom when shtf provided he has followers. Why do you think some preppers are recommending bows and arrows and swords?

The best way to avoid "over lords" in my opinion, is to have your own group ready and prepared. And I dont mean just your kids and wife, but good friends, tough healthy men, ready to do what it takes to survive. Big thing being good friends and prepared.

I believe the militia's would be top dogs , most of them have strong ties to military already. Most Military people along with civilians will side with the Militia's over gangs and other clubs. Sure the gangs would divide up the cities. However, the Militia's would divide of the country into sections. A good example of this can be seen the TV series Revolution. It shows how the militia's divided up the U.S. into 6 or 7 territories, governed with their own laws.

You have to remember, people will want a stable/fair organization over a evil/corrupt one. Which in turn means people will flock to that organization over the others. Plus with most Militia's they are patriotic.

With a nation-wide, simultaneous catastrophe (EMP, CME, plague), tribalism will manifest first where someone has the actual keys to a resource:

The shift supervisor of the quickie mart: Beer, slim jims, and 5 hour energy drinks. Also 15,000 gallons of fuel for anyone with an Oklahoma Credit card long enough to reach 30 ft down into the buried tanks, and barter for trade.

Intact police units; the secret service squad guarding a senator, the area anti-drug task force, game warden's office, etc.

Plant manager at a refinery

Manager at a sporting goods store.

Security staff at a regional warehouse for a big-box retailer.

Management for a regional research hospital


Phase 2 is when upper level "consolidators" move in and end the wild-west scene:

A division from the local army base.

An emergency response unit from the department of energy, who decides they must 'administer' a 50-mile radius around a shuttered nuclear power plant.

An "entrepreneur" acting in the interests of the City Council of St. Louis






Then the nationalizing phase, when the regional warlords are given the choice of swearing fealty, or being whacked.


the interesting periods in history are before the consolidators show up, or else when some force keeps the nationalizing phase from manifesting---this happened for about 400 years during the "Dark Ages" or "Great Migration Period" of European history.