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HomeHome / Total War SAGA: Thrones of Britannia / Irish Usurpers / Units / Horse Boys
Horse Boys Irish UsurpersIrish Usurpers Missile Cavalry

Horse Boys

Lives spent cattle-rustling have given these young horsemen many well-practiced skills for battle.

Surviving on the edge of the Roman world for centuries, early medieval Ireland was a militarily primitive place, with archaeological evidence showing that Irish war equipment was inferior to that of other Europeans. Being a people of martial character, the Irish nevertheless engaged in warfare and raids more as an aristocratic pastime than a matter of survival. Raiding between the various groups within Ireland for the purposes of loot was commonplace and frequently the reason to take up arms, with the theft of cattle often the cause of bigger conflicts. The Irish were also known to have been raiding western Britain prior to the end of Roman rule, long before the Vikings had even been seen there, with slaves being the most lucrative form of booty.

The swiftness of Irish raiders was their greatest strength, with most fighting as unarmoured infantry wielding older, more traditional weapons. Avoiding the open plains where they were at a disadvantage against heavier cavalry, they sometimes operated on horseback in a similar style to early Roman skirmishers. Unarmoured horsemen would ride without stirrups or a saddle on a smaller, more agile mare, equipped with up to three throwing spears, ready to hurl while mounted. These tactics were honed from the prevalence of hit-and-run cattle-raiding, since the main causes of conflict in Gael-dominated areas was loot. Although their techniques were primitive for the era, Gaelic warriors were still able to conquer large parts of Caledonia with the help of their skirmishing cavalry tactics.

Horse Boys

Unit Name

Horse Boys

Main Unit Key

iri_horse_boys

Land Unit Key

iri_horse_boys

Naval Unit Key

vik_curach_mis

Soldiers

60

Category

Cavalry

Class

Missile Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

300

Recruitment Cost

300

Upkeep Cost

100

Missile Damage

57

├ Missile Weapon

vik_jav_cav_elite

├ Projectile

vik_javelin_cavalry_elite

├ Missile Damage

37

├ Missile Ap Damage

20

└ Base Reload Time

30

Accuracy

33

Range

80

Reload

30

Rate of Fire

3

Ammunition

7

Melee Skill

7

Melee Damage

9

├ Melee Weapon

vik_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

3

Melee Defence

22

├ Base Defence

7

├ Shield

vik_small

└ Shield

15

Armour

5

├ Armour

vik_cloth

├ Armour Defence

5

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

150

├ Man Entity

vik_inf_light

├ Man Health

100

├ Bonus Hit Points

0

├ Mount

vik_horse_sword_light

├ Mount Entity

vik_horse_light

└ Mount Health

50

Morale

26

Abilities

No Ability

Attributes

  • [[col:yellow]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
  • [[col:yellow]]Fire Whilst Moving[[/col]]
    This unit can fire when mounted and moving.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses
Upgrade
Required Technology Trained Cavalry Cost 150 Upgrade To Mounted Kerns
Required Technology Master Horsemen Cost 150 Upgrade To Kern Raiders

Faction Pool

Pool
No. Pool Faction Initial Unit Count Chance To Replenish Max Replenish Per Turn Max Count
1 irish 2 0.15 1 3