Mercenary Kerns

Although the word ‘ceithern’ - pronounced ‘kern’ – simply refers to a group of fighters, they were one of two essential components of later Celtic Irish armies, the other being gallowglasses. Often found fighting as light infantry and occasionally light cavalry, kerns were very much designed to provide skirmishing support to their heavy infantry counterparts. However, the training afforded them and the eventual roles kerns filled very much depended on the needs of their clan. Although their stock-in-trade was the execution of surprise skirmish attacks, after which they would melt back behind the gallowglasses, kerns occasionally engaged in melee and could easily run down fleeing routers. On the battlefield kerns wore a light leather coat, rather than the heavy chainmail favoured by the gallowglasses, which ensured unrestricted movement. They also carried a variety of missiles, often sporting darts but also slings and javelins on occasion.

Unit Name Mercenary Kerns

Main Unit Key cha_merc_cel_kerns

Land Unit Key cha_merc_cel_kerns

Naval Unit Key cha_longship_transport

Soldiers 160

Category Missile Infantry

Class Missile Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 180

Recruitment Cost 180

Upkeep Cost 110

Missile Damage 100

├ Missile Weapon att_javelin_heavy

├ Projectile att_javelin_heavy_normal

├ Missile Damage 50

├ Missile Ap Damage 50

└ Base Reload Time 17

Accuracy 15

Range 80

Reload 50

Rate of Fire 7

Ammunition 3

Melee Attack 12

Melee Damage 9

├ Melee Weapon cha_dagger

├ Melee Base Damage 7

├ Armour-piercing Damage 2

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 0

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 57

Melee Defence 27

├ Base Defence 22

├ Shield cha_archer

└ Shield Defence 5

Armour 10

├ Armour cha_cloth_helmet

├ Armour Defence 10

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 100

├ Man Entity cha_infantry_very_light

├ Man Health 100

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Morale 37

Abilities

No Ability

Attributes

• Resistant to Fatigue
  Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses

Age of Charlemagne Mercenaries Pool

Mercenaries Pool
No.	Pool	Province	Region	Initial Unit Count	Chance To Replenish	Max Replenish Per Turn	Max Count
1	cha_merc_irish_land	Munster	Cashel Cork Dublin	1	0.025	1	1
2	cha_merc_irish_land	Ulster	Cruachan Downpatrick Grinan of Ailech	1	0.025	1	1