Duchy of Benevento (Age of Charlemagne) Melee Infantry

Gastald Swordsmen

The difficulty of obtaining iron in the early Middle Ages, combined with a lack of understanding of how to mass-produce welded weaponry meant that iron-forged blades were the weapons of noblemen who could afford the otherwise-prohibitive cost. Blades in the early Middle Ages were created through a process known as 'pattern welding', where iron rods, twisted together and ground down, formed a soft, carbonised centre for the blade that helped it better absorb the shock of a blow. Around this core, thin iron plates were then 'carburized' (hardened, essentially) onto the blade to give it increased strength. This style of layering metal pieces over each other gave blades a distinctive banding pattern, similar in appearance to the age-rings of a tree trunk.

Unit Name Gastald Swordsmen

Main Unit Key cha_lom_gastald_swordsmen

Land Unit Key cha_lom_gastald_swordsmen

Naval Unit Key cha_transport

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Melee Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 700

Recruitment Cost 700

Upkeep Cost 210

Melee Attack 36

Melee Damage 40

├ Melee Weapon att_spatha

├ Melee Base Damage 36

├ Armour-piercing Damage 4

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 0

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 37

Melee Defence 49

├ Base Defence 24

├ Shield cha_round

└ Shield Defence 25

Armour 46

├ Armour cha_mail

├ Armour Defence 46

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 100

├ Man Entity cha_infantry_very_heavy

├ Man Health 100

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Morale 45

Abilities

• Shield Wall
  The unit moves into a close formation and raises shields.

Attributes

• Disciplined
  This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses

Requires Buildings
Lv. 0	Barracks (cha_bld_barracks_2) Level 1 Royal Barracks (cha_bld_barracks_3) Level 2

Garrison Buildings
x 1	Barracks (cha_bld_barracks_2) Level 1 Royal Barracks (cha_bld_barracks_3) Level 2

Faction Availability
Age of Charlemagne	Duchy of Benevento (Age of Charlemagne) Kingdom of the Lombards (Age of Charlemagne) Italian Rebels (Age of Charlemagne) Italian Separatists (Age of Charlemagne) Lombard Separatists (Age of Charlemagne) Duchy of Spoleto (Age of Charlemagne)