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HomeHome / Total War: Attila / Kingdom of Mercia (Age of Charlemagne) / Units / Fyrd Spearmen
Fyrd Spearmen Kingdom of Mercia (Age of Charlemagne)Kingdom of Mercia (Age of Charlemagne) Spear Infantry

Fyrd Spearmen

"The circumstances of your birth are irrelevant, know only that you must fight, and you must fight now."

The 'fyrd' was, in the simplest terms, a levy of ordinary farmers - 'freemen', in the parlance of the times, meaning those not tied to a lord as vassals. The infrequent but bloody struggles between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms during the early Middle Ages, and the Viking threat that followed, meant that the process of levying troops to fight was still necessary. If people are fighting for their very homes and livelihoods - not just a distant figurehead of a monarch - they tend to have a sense of purpose and urgency. Courage can come later, bolstered by massed ranks in the mean time, as can proficiency - there was rarely much time set aside for training amateurs before a battle. Originally, every able man was recruited to fight but this revealed a flaw in that if a war or struggle became protracted, or if too many people died, then there would be nobody to work the fields at its conclusion. To this end, the Anglo-Saxons developed what we now call the "select" system, where only those deemed most able would be chosen to join the fyrd. The remainder would stay at work, creating a surplus of provisions and equipment for both the marching army and those left behind in order to sustain the realm and improve the army's chances of victory. In practice, the majority of men were not levied, so many were expected to service the war machine in other practical ways. The fyrd were called upon on many occasions during the years of the Viking invasions, most famously to fight the Norwegian king Harold Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, just weeks before the cataclysmic Saxon defeat at Hastings.

Fyrd Spearmen

Unit Name

Fyrd Spearmen

Main Unit Key

cha_eng_fyrd_spear

Land Unit Key

cha_eng_fyrd_spear

Naval Unit Key

cha_longship_transport

Soldiers

160

Category

Melee Infantry

Class

Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost

150

Recruitment Cost

150

Upkeep Cost

45

Melee Attack

25

Melee Damage

32

├ Melee Weapon

att_spear

├ Melee Base Damage

24

├ Armour-piercing Damage

8

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Attack Against Cavalry

20

├ Attack Against Elephants

20

└ Attack Against Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

15

Melee Defence

57

├ Base Defence

32

├ Shield

cha_round

└ Shield Defence

25

Armour

6

├ Armour

cha_cloth

├ Armour Defence

6

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

100

├ Man Entity

cha_infantry_medium

├ Man Health

100

└ Bonus Hit Points

0

Morale

32

Abilities

Fyrd Spearmen
  • Spear Wall
    The unit moves into close wall formation.

Attributes

  • Expert Charge Defence
    This unit’s melee attack and damage are increased against charging enemies.
  • Hide (forest)
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses
Upgrade
Required Technology Select Fyrd Cost 100 Upgrade To Select Spearmen
Requires Buildings
Fyrd Spearmen Lv. 0 Church
Church
(cha_bld_church_1)
Level 1
Minster
Minster
(cha_bld_church_2)
Level 2
Cathedral
Cathedral
(cha_bld_church_3)
Level 3
Small City
Small City
(cha_bld_city_1)
Level 1
City
City
(cha_bld_city_2)
Level 2
Trade City
Trade City
(cha_bld_city_3)
Level 3
Court
Court
(cha_bld_court_1)
Level 1
Royal Court
Royal Court
(cha_bld_court_2)
Level 2
Palace
Palace
(cha_bld_court_3)
Level 3
Manor
Manor
(cha_bld_manor_1)
Level 1
Manorial Court
Manorial Court
(cha_bld_manor_2)
Level 2
Grand Manor
Grand Manor
(cha_bld_manor_3)
Level 3
Market Village
Market Village
(cha_bld_market_town_1)
Level 1
Market Town
Market Town
(cha_bld_market_town_2)
Level 2
Great Market Town
Great Market Town
(cha_bld_market_town_3)
Level 3
Garrison Buildings
Fyrd Spearmen x 2 Church
Church
(cha_bld_church_1)
Level 1
Minster
Minster
(cha_bld_church_2)
Level 2
Small City
Small City
(cha_bld_city_1)
Level 1
City
City
(cha_bld_city_2)
Level 2
Court
Court
(cha_bld_court_1)
Level 1
Royal Court
Royal Court
(cha_bld_court_2)
Level 2
Guardhouse
Guardhouse
(cha_bld_garrison_1)
Level 0
Garrison Encampment
Garrison Encampment
(cha_bld_garrison_2)
Level 1
Garrison Quarters
Garrison Quarters
(cha_bld_garrison_3)
Level 2
Manor
Manor
(cha_bld_manor_1)
Level 1
Manorial Court
Manorial Court
(cha_bld_manor_2)
Level 2
Market Village
Market Village
(cha_bld_market_town_1)
Level 1
Market Town
Market Town
(cha_bld_market_town_2)
Level 2
Fyrd Spearmen x 3 Cathedral
Cathedral
(cha_bld_church_3)
Level 3
Trade City
Trade City
(cha_bld_city_3)
Level 3
Palace
Palace
(cha_bld_court_3)
Level 3
Grand Manor
Grand Manor
(cha_bld_manor_3)
Level 3
Great Market Town
Great Market Town
(cha_bld_market_town_3)
Level 3