

Ceorl Spearmen
A steadfast wall of spears awaits all who dare charge against the forces of the Danelaw.An individual known as a ‘ceorl’ or ‘churl’ had a very particular place in the stratified society of Anglo-Saxon England. Forming the basis of the free populace, they were neither noblemen nor slaves, ranking above the servile classes but below the nobility. A ceorl’s free status was marked by several factors, such as his attendance at local courts, his payment of dues directly to his lord or king, and perhaps most notably for the era, his right to bear arms. In fact, since many ceorls would have been tenants or even landowners, under Anglo-Saxon law they would have been liable for military duty in the fyrd, as was the case in Wessex.
Being freemen, ceorls would have had to provide their own weaponry. 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.
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Unit Name Ceorl Spearmen |
Main Unit Key dan_ceorl_spearmen |
Land Unit Key dan_ceorl_spearmen |
Naval Unit Key vik_draca |
Soldiers 160 |
Category Melee Infantry |
Class Spear Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 100 |
Recruitment Cost 100 |
Upkeep Cost 40 |
Melee Skill 22 |
Melee Damage 28 |
├ Melee Weapon vik_spear_levy |
├ Melee Base Damage 20 |
├ Armour-piercing Damage 8 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Attack Against Cavalry 20 |
├ Attack Against Elephants 0 |
└ Attack Against Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 15 |
Melee Defence 47 |
├ Base Defence 22 |
├ Shield vik_medium_wood |
└ Shield 25 |
Armour 5 |
├ Armour vik_cloth |
├ Armour Defence 5 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
Health 100 |
├ Man Entity vik_inf_med |
├ Man Health 100 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Morale 26 |
Abilities
Ceorl Spearmen- 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.
Strengths & Weaknesses
No Strengths and Weaknesses
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Thrones of Britannia |
Faction Pool
Pool | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Pool | Faction | Initial Unit Count | Chance To Replenish | Max Replenish Per Turn | Max Count |
1 | danelaw | 3 | 0.2 | 1 | 5 | |
2 | east_anglia | 3 | 0.2 | 1 | 5 | |
3 | northumbria | 3 | 0.2 | 1 | 5 |