Left Panel
menu
HomeHome / Total War SAGA: Thrones of Britannia / Irish Usurpers / Units / Kern Spearmen
Kern Spearmen Irish UsurpersIrish Usurpers Spear Infantry

Kern Spearmen

Shortcomings in armour are more than made up for in speed, agility, and versatility.

The Middle Irish word ‘ceithern’, pronounced ‘kern’, refers to a group of fighters who were one of two essential components of medieval Irish armies, the other being gallowglasses. Often found fighting as light infantry and occasionally light cavalry, the role of a kern was to provide skirmishing support to their heavy infantry counterparts. However, the training afforded them and the eventual roles they filled very much depended on the needs of their clan, which did not exclude them from the cut and thrust of melee warfare. Kerns would frequently be the first or last to launch attacks – their mobility meant that they were well-suited to initiate swift ambushes, after which they would melt back behind the gallowglasses, while later in battles they could also easily run down any fleeing routers.

On the battlefield, kerns wore a light leather coat which ensured unrestricted movement and agility. 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.

Kern Spearmen

Unit Name

Kern Spearmen

Main Unit Key

iri_kern_spearmen

Land Unit Key

iri_kern_spearmen

Naval Unit Key

vik_oll_pheist

Soldiers

160

Category

Melee Infantry

Class

Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost

150

Recruitment Cost

150

Upkeep Cost

50

Melee Skill

25

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

17

Melee Defence

55

├ Base Defence

25

├ Shield

vik_medium

└ Shield

30

Armour

7

├ Armour

vik_cloth_helmet

├ Armour Defence

7

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

100

├ Man Entity

vik_inf_med

├ Man Health

100

└ Bonus Hit Points

0

Morale

28

Abilities

Kern Spearmen
  • 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]]Hide (forest)[[/col]]
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
  • [[col:yellow]]Ignore Terrain[[/col]]
    Speed penalties caused by the terrain are ignored by this unit.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses
Recuitment Requirement
Required Technology Trained Spearmen Cost 150 Upgrade From Freemen Spearmen
Garrison Buildings
Kern Spearmen x 2 Patrols
Patrols
(vik_garrison_1)
Level 0
Kern Spearmen x 3 Long Hall
Long Hall
(vik_great_hall_1)
Level 0
Ship Camp
Ship Camp
(vik_longphort_1)
Level 0
Trading Post
Trading Post
(vik_market_1)
Level 0
Monastic Community
Monastic Community
(vik_monastery_1)
Level 0
Long Hall of the Mountain
Long Hall of the Mountain
(vik_mountain_hall_1)
Level 0
Offa's Hall
Offa's Hall
(vik_offas_hall_1)
Level 0
Rock of Caisil
Rock of Caisil
(vik_rock_caisil_1)
Level 0
Church of St Ciaran
Church of St Ciaran
(vik_st_ciaran_1)
Level 0
Church of St Columbe
Church of St Columbe
(vik_st_columbe_1)
Level 0
Church of St Patraic
Church of St Patraic
(vik_st_patraic_1)
Level 0