Dorsaete Spear Infantry

Spear Raiders

Surviving on the edge of the Roman world for centuries, early medieval Ireland was a militarily primitive place, with archaeological evidence showing that Irish war equipment was inferior to that of other Europeans. Being a people of martial character, the Irish nevertheless engaged in warfare and raids more as an aristocratic pastime than a matter of survival. Raiding between the various groups within Ireland for the purposes of loot was commonplace and frequently the reason to take up arms, with the theft of cattle often the cause of bigger conflicts. The Irish were also known to have been raiding western Britain prior to the end of Roman rule, long before the Vikings had even been seen there, with slaves being the most lucrative form of booty.

The swiftness of Irish raiders was their greatest strength, with most fighting as unarmoured infantry wielding older, more traditional weapons. Armed with spears, they were arguably wielding the oldest purpose-built weapon in existence. Given its comparative cheapness and ease of construction, the spear was one of the most commonly used weapons among all classes of fighting men before and throughout medieval times. Its notable advantage was the longer reach it afforded its bearer, enabling effective engagement with a larger or mounted enemy who might otherwise be out of reach. The Viking tendency to emblazon spears with ostentatious decorative carvings indicates that some were primarily used for thrusting rather than throwing, reducing the possibility of losing what were obviously prized weapons.

Unit Name Spear Raiders

Main Unit Key iri_spear_raiders

Land Unit Key iri_spear_raiders

Naval Unit Key vik_oll_pheist

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 300

Recruitment Cost 300

Upkeep Cost 80

Melee Skill 33

Melee Damage 32

├ Melee Weapon vik_spear

├ Melee Base Damage 22

├ Armour-piercing Damage 10

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 25

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 23

Melee Defence 48

├ Base Defence 33

├ Shield vik_small

└ Shield 15

Armour 7

├ Armour vik_cloth_helmet

├ Armour Defence 7

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 100

├ Man Entity vik_inf_med

├ Man Health 100

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Morale 45

Abilities

• Shield Castle
  "Heads down, lads, things are about to get a little hairy around here!"
  Units cannot move in this formation.

Attributes

• [[col:yellow]]Expert Charge Defence[[/col]]
  This unit’s melee attack and damage are increased against charging enemies.
• [[col:yellow]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• [[col:yellow]]Ignore Terrain[[/col]]
  Speed penalties caused by the terrain are ignored by this unit.
• [[col:yellow]]Raider[[/col]]
  This unit may set buildings on fire, cause more fire damage with torches and capture faster than other units.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses

Faction Availability
Thrones of Britannia	Ailech Airgialla Brega Breifne Caisil Connacht Desmuma Iarmuma Laigin Mide Osraige Irish Rebels Irish Usurpers Mide Usurpers Tuadmuma Ulaid

Faction Pool

Pool
No.	Pool	Faction	Initial Unit Count	Chance To Replenish	Max Replenish Per Turn	Max Count
1	irish	Ailech Airgialla Brega Breifne Caisil Connacht Desmuma Iarmuma Laigin Mide Osraige Irish Rebels Irish Usurpers Mide Usurpers Tuadmuma Ulaid	1	0.1	1	2