Laigin Melee Cavalry

Airig Mailed Horsemen

The Irish kings of the Dark Ages were rulers of men rather than territory, which provided the basis for the development of Ireland’s tiered social order. At the top stood a High King who most regional rulers answered to, while at the bottom languished a large unfree peasantry. Many Irish records of the early medieval period mention the word ‘aire’ to refer to those in between; a catch-all term describing anyone who held an independent legal status. Written laws dating to later centuries, however, use the word ‘Airig’ more specifically in references to nobles or chiefs, distinguishing them from commoners. Indeed, Ireland’s sumptuary laws of the seventh and eighth centuries even refer to the colours that each social class were allowed to wear, including those for the Airig nobility – grey, brown, or red.

Commanding a ‘cet’ – a military unit of up to one hundred men – the Airig nobility were high-ranking combatants. Their use of spears from horseback had been seen in a similar form around Britain before, with the Roman use of lance-bearing cavalry regiments. Advancements in horse training techniques and more significantly, the adoption of the stirrup into Western Europe, meant that horses were no longer primarily just a means to get to the battlefield. Mounted warriors previously ran a considerable risk of being unhorsed by the slightest impacts, nor could they carry out any significant blows without becoming unbalanced and vulnerable. Stirrups ensured stability, so that what had formerly been impossible on horseback in the cut and thrust of battle then became easy.

Unit Name Airig Mailed Horsemen

Main Unit Key iri_airig_mailed_horsemen

Land Unit Key iri_airig_mailed_horsemen

Naval Unit Key vik_curach

Soldiers 60

Category Cavalry

Class Melee Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost 900

Recruitment Cost 900

Upkeep Cost 300

Melee Skill 48

Melee Damage 36

├ Melee Weapon vik_spear_cav_elite

├ Melee Base Damage 24

├ Armour-piercing Damage 12

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 20

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 33

Melee Defence 78

├ Base Defence 48

├ Shield vik_medium

└ Shield 30

Armour 22

├ Armour vik_mail

├ Armour Defence 22

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 150

├ Man Entity vik_inf_very_heavy

├ Man Health 100

├ Bonus Hit Points 0

├ Mount vik_horse_spear_heavy

├ Mount Entity vik_horse_heavy

└ Mount Health 50

Morale 54

Abilities

• Wedge
  "Let's break their line!"

Attributes

• [[col:yellow]]Encourage[[/col]]
  This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
• [[col:yellow]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses

Recuitment Requirement
Required Technology Cost 150 Upgrade From

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