Gwined Melee Ship

Ddraig - Valley Armoured Spearmen

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.

(Valley Armoured Spearmen)
In modern times, references to ‘the valleys’ of Wales are mostly associated with the industrialised regions in the south of the country, but in historical accounts dating back to the early Middle Ages, the ‘Valley Spearmen’ of Wales refers to a tradition of Welsh warriors which originated in the north. All infantry of medieval Welsh armies were known for their agility and aptitude in operating in the rough and hilly terrain of their homelands, and while the men of the south were renowned for their prowess with the Welsh longbow, the regions around the historical northern county of Merionethshire were known for their tough spearmen. Often dressed in red linen shirts and long woollen cloaks, they were depicted as having wore only one shoe with one foot kept bare, likely as a way to keep their balance in their hilly landscape. They were particularly effective on marshy or broken ground, which always favoured them against heavy cavalry or heavily armoured infantry. The lightly armoured Welsh spearmen were well-drilled in the use of phalanxes and long pikes, but as much as their agility in their own landscape was a considerable advantage, without it they were often at risk of being overrun by better equipped opposition, as was the case during their crushing thirteenth-century defeats at the hands of the English under Edward I.

Unit Name Ddraig - Valley Armoured Spearmen

Main Unit Key shp_wel_valley_armoured_spearmen

Land Unit Key wel_valley_armoured_spearmen

Naval Unit Key vik_ddraig

Soldiers 160

Category Heavy Ship

Class Melee Ship

Custom Battle Cost 550

Recruitment Cost 550

Upkeep Cost 150

Hull Strength

└ Ship vik_ddraig

Speed

Melee Skill 35

Melee Damage 32

├ Melee Weapon vik_spear

├ Melee Base Damage 22

├ Armour-piercing Damage 10

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 25

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 24

Melee Defence 65

├ Base Defence 35

├ 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 47

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]]Disciplined[[/col]]
  This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• [[col:yellow]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses