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HomeHome / Total War SAGA: Thrones of Britannia / Irish Usurpers / Units / Wood Kerns
Wood Kerns Irish UsurpersIrish Usurpers Missile Infantry

Wood Kerns

For the landless gentry, accuracy in javelin-throwing is crucial for livelihood and survival.

Existing on the fringes of Roman-ruled Britain, early medieval Ireland was by no means a lawless place. However, native Gaels who by some sequence of events ended up landless and not tied to a lord – particularly those with an aptitude for fighting – sometimes ended up living as outlaws in the mountains and woods. Such combatants were known as ‘widcairns’ or wood kerns, and were feared and hated by sedentary peoples in equal measure. Using their terrain and knowledge of swift ambush tactics, they were formidable fighters who took what they needed from those unfortunate enough to venture into their woodland territories. They operated under the leadership of fiery spirits among the youthful gentry and former nobility of Ireland, pushed to the edges of society with resentments and bravado that made them Robin Hood figures to their followers.

With no lands of their own, wood kerns fought and lived solely for plunder. The throwing spear or javelin was one such genus of weapons they used, with the thrusting variety not always entirely distinct from the thrown variety. The advantage of the javelin thrower was the ability to potentially pierce through shields and armour from distance, but this was offset by the reduced range and limited output compared to standard archers, since there were only so many javelins a thrower could carry at any one time. Javelin throwing was certainly a unique skill, with the most skilful Viking warriors allegedly even able to catch spears in mid-flight to hurl them straight back!

Wood Kerns

Unit Name

Wood Kerns

Main Unit Key

iri_wood_kerns

Land Unit Key

iri_wood_kerns

Naval Unit Key

vik_curach_mis

Soldiers

80

Category

Missile Infantry

Class

Missile Infantry

Custom Battle Cost

300

Recruitment Cost

300

Upkeep Cost

70

Missile Damage

43

├ Missile Weapon

vik_jav

├ Projectile

vik_javelin_normal

├ Missile Damage

30

├ Missile Ap Damage

13

└ Base Reload Time

30

Accuracy

41

Range

80

Reload

55

Rate of Fire

4

Ammunition

7

Melee Skill

8

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

2

Melee Defence

23

├ Base Defence

8

├ Shield

vik_small

└ Shield

15

Armour

7

├ Armour

vik_cloth_helmet

├ Armour Defence

7

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

100

├ Man Entity

vik_inf_mis_light

├ Man Health

100

└ Bonus Hit Points

0

Morale

30

Abilities

No Ability

Attributes

  • [[col:yellow]]Resistant to Fatigue[[/col]]
    Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
  • [[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.
  • [[col:yellow]]Snipe[[/col]]
    This unit remains hidden while firing.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses
Recuitment Requirement
Required Technology Masters of Missile Warfare Cost 150 Upgrade From Freemen Javelinmen
Required Technology Masters of Missile Warfare Cost 150 Upgrade From Kerns
Garrison Buildings
Wood Kerns x 1 Patrols
Patrols
(vik_garrison_1)
Level 0
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