Strat Clut Melee Ship

Ddraig - Welsh Mailed Axemen

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.

(Welsh Mailed Axemen)
As the twelfth-century historian Gerald of Wales put it, the people of Welsh lands were ever-trained for war, from their leaders down to their peasantry. He described a people who, if the situation required it, would rush from their ploughs without hesitation to pick up weapons as quickly as the courtier from court. Their rough and hilly terrain resulted in earlier traditions of Celtic culture being reflected in more military terms – for example, a heavily armoured combatant such as a feudal horseman would have difficulty operating there, so Welsh warriors relied more on agility in war situations, rather than brute strength. Where rival armies who fought them relied on stubborn resistance, the Welsh relied on constant movement.

In broad terms, the organisation of Welsh troops was arranged between those in the essential household force known as the ‘teulu’, and the individuals of the expanded common army, the ‘llu’. For some, the one-handed axe would have been the weapon of choice, since swords were costly and axes would have been already widely available as domestic tools. Various adaptations of axes were used in battle, such as the smaller throwing francisca made famous by the Franks, and the slightly larger versions primarily used as part of axe-and-shield war getups. Axes granted a unique form of damage output – although swords were ideal for slashing and stabbing, an axe could hack and chop with relatively less effort, and in the right hands was particularly useful for piercing armour, decapitation, and dismemberment.

Unit Name Ddraig - Welsh Mailed Axemen

Main Unit Key shp_wel_mailed_axemen

Land Unit Key wel_mailed_axemen

Naval Unit Key vik_ddraig

Soldiers 160

Category Heavy Ship

Class Melee Ship

Custom Battle Cost 700

Recruitment Cost 700

Upkeep Cost 200

Hull Strength

└ Ship vik_ddraig

Speed

Melee Skill 38

Melee Damage 32

├ Melee Weapon vik_axe

├ Melee Base Damage 13

├ Armour-piercing Damage 19

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 0

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 41

Melee Defence 68

├ Base Defence 38

├ Shield vik_medium

└ Shield 30

Armour 32

├ Armour vik_mail_heavy

├ Armour Defence 32

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 100

├ Man Entity vik_inf_heavy

├ Man Health 100

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Morale 49

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.
• [[col:yellow]]Raider[[/col]]
  This unit may set buildings on fire, cause more fire damage with torches and capture faster than other units.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses