Another shout out, this time to a set of articles about the use of war Elephants in ancient times. War Elephants are useful but rely on a more sophisticated logistical setup not least because most Elephants are not ready until they are several decades old.
To sum up: elephants were powerful, but by no means unstoppable weapons in war. While a well-deployed corps of war elephants could pose a very tough tactical problem to an enemy army, well-trained infantry could overcome elephants at a fraction of the logistic and economic cost. Elephants remained in long-term use as weapons where they were both cheaper, but also crucially where their display reinforced the power and prestige of warrior-aristocrats and especially kings.
War Elephants, Part I: Battle Pachyderms
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