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HomeHome / Total War SAGA: Thrones of Britannia / Circenn / Units / Draga - Schiltron
Draga - Schiltron CircennCircenn Melee Ship

Draga - Schiltron

This transport ship is light and easy to manoeuvre, but almost defenceless if attacked.

Only the foolhardiest horsemen would dare charge such a vicious array of spears.

For most of history the only way to move cargoes and people over long distances at any kind of reasonable speed was by water; this remained true until the invention of the railway. Trading vessels carried goods, following the coastlines for the most part, and up navigable rivers. The pattern of settlement and colonisation was almost entirely based on where ships could go. It was also considerably easier to move armies by sea than march them long distances. Trade ships were hired or requisitioned for such tasks, and this was an added incentive for generals to reach a quick conclusion to a campaign: war hurt trade, and used up ships needed for vital food supplies.

(Schiltron)
A schiltron was a defensive pike formation used to great effect by Scottish foot soldiers against heavy cavalry in several encounters throughout medieval history. It is thought that the term itself dates back to the tenth century from the Old English word ‘scildtruma’ meaning a type of mobile phalanx or testudo. It was very similar in nature to both, consisting of long, heavy spears held at increasing angles by several rows of men, protected by wooden spikes embedded in the ground at the front of the line. With well-drilled movements, the schiltron was a fairly mobile entity that could quickly deploy in a splayed array which only the foolhardiest of horsemen would dare charge – indeed, most horses would downright refuse to go near it.

Schiltron tactics were likely used for centuries from early medieval times, but a refinement of strategies led to historians deeming it notable enough to be mentioned as having been used in the Battle of Falkirk against the English at the end of the thirteenth century, albeit unsuccessfully. More notably, when the Scots faced the English once again a few years later in the Battle of Bannockburn, the vastly greater numbers of the English bolstered with heavy cavalry were gloriously defeated at the ends of Scottish pikes. Although early versions of the pikes used in schiltrons may have simply been long cylinders of wood carved into a point, later versions were much more sturdy, with pointed iron crossheads pinned onto a shaft of hardwood, cut in lengths of up to fifteen feet.

Draga - Schiltron

Unit Name

Draga - Schiltron

Main Unit Key

shp_sco_schiltron

Land Unit Key

sco_schiltron

Naval Unit Key

vik_draga

Soldiers

160

Category

Heavy Ship

Class

Melee Ship

Custom Battle Cost

200

Recruitment Cost

200

Upkeep Cost

60

Hull Strength

└ Ship

vik_draga

Speed

Melee Skill

26

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

12

├ Armour

vik_leather

├ Armour Defence

12

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

100

├ Man Entity

vik_inf_heavy

├ Man Health

100

└ Bonus Hit Points

0

Morale

30

Abilities

Schiltron
  • Square
    "Together lads, we'll stop them on all sides!"
    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