Jorvik Spear Infantry

Marcher Mailed Spearmen

The border area between England and Wales has long been decisive in the course of British history. In early medieval England, a ‘marcher’ was a soldier appointed to guard the Welsh Marches, the name used to refer to the imprecise areas of demarcation between lands of Mercia and those of the Welsh kingdoms. Mercia often had a tumultuous relationship with its neighbours to the west, as attested by the construction of Offa’s Dyke during his reign in the latter half of the ninth century. Extending for just over 60 miles, the main purpose for the earthworks was to reinforce a frontier with the newly resurgent Welsh kingdom of Powys. The Dyke was likely to have seen frequent small-scale scuffles between the Mercian guards and unsavoury groups such as cattle rustlers and opportunistic raiding parties.

The marchers sent to guard Offa’s Dyke also had to be capable enough to repel attacks from bona fide warriors. 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 Marcher Mailed Spearmen

Main Unit Key eng_marcher_mailed_spearmen

Land Unit Key eng_marcher_mailed_spearmen

Naval Unit Key vik_draca

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 550

Recruitment Cost 550

Upkeep Cost 180

Melee Skill 38

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 18

Melee Defence 56

├ Base Defence 26

├ Shield vik_medium

└ Shield 30

Armour 22

├ Armour vik_mail

├ Armour Defence 22

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 100

├ Man Entity vik_inf_med

├ Man Health 100

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Morale 38

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]]Guerrilla Deployment[[/col]]
  This unit can deploy outside of the deployment zone.
• [[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	Mierce