Saxoni (Empire Divided) Pike Infantry

Germanic Pikes

Once use of the pike in battle had spread to the west, it was adopted by many of the barbarian tribes. As an extension of the popular 'shield wall' formation, emergent barbarian pike tactics had similarities to the phalanx combat favoured by the Hellenic states before the rise of Rome. However, tribal pike troops fought far more defensively than the Greeks, especially with the advent of heavy cavalry such as lancers and their supplanting of the more traditional barbarian infantry charge with brutal shock tactics. Gradually, pikes became a popular defensive choice all over northern Europe; the Norsemen used them in a similar, circular formation of around 1000 men in a tightly-packed mass, designed to stop enemy cavalry charges dead in their tracks. This also likely gave rise to the later ‘schiltron’ or ‘shield troop’ formation commonly used by Scottish medieval armies.

Unit Name Germanic Pikes

Main Unit Key 3c_Ger_Germanic_Pikes

Land Unit Key 3c_Ger_Germanic_Pikes

Naval Unit Key 3c_barbarian_transport

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Pike Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 400

Recruitment Cost 400

Upkeep Cost 80

Melee Attack 30

Weapon Damage 20

├ Melee Weapon rome_pike_levy

├ Melee Damage Base 16

├ Melee Damage Ap 4

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Bonus vs. Large 0

├ Bonus vs Elephants 0

└ Bonus vs Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 4

Melee Defence 15

├ Base Defence 5

├ Shield pikemen

└ Shield Defence 10

Armour 40

├ Armour cloth

├ Armour Defence 10

└ Shield Armour 30

Health 50

├ Man Entity rome_infantry_light

├ Man Health 40

└ Bonus Hit Points 10

Base Morale 30

Abilities

• Pike Phalanx
  The unit moves into a deep, close defensive formation.
  Bonus vs cavalry, bracing
  Limited speed

Attributes

• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• Resistant to Cold
  This unit tires less quickly in snow.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Very poor hull strength
• Very slow speed
• Weak ramming

• Average defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Weak attack
• Poor morale
• Very vulnerable when not in phalanx

Requires Buildings

Lv. 0

Artisan's Lodging (3c_barb_artisan_1) Level 0 Bronze Workshop (3c_barb_artisan_bronze_2) Level 1 Bronze Forge (3c_barb_artisan_bronze_3) Level 2 Bronze Furnace (3c_barb_artisan_bronze_4) Level 3 Coin Maker (3c_barb_artisan_coin_2) Level 1 Coin Mint (3c_barb_artisan_coin_3) Level 2 Coin Hoard (3c_barb_artisan_coin_4) Level 3 Horn Maker (3c_barb_artisan_maker_2) Level 1 Trumpet Maker (3c_barb_artisan_maker_3) Level 2 Carnyx Maker (3c_barb_artisan_maker_4) Level 3

Faction Availability

Empire Divided

Alemanni (Empire Divided) Burgundii (Empire Divided) Buri (Empire Divided) Franci (Empire Divided) Heruli (Empire Divided) Langobardi (Empire Divided) Nahanarvali (Empire Divided) Quadi (Empire Divided) German Rebels (Empire Divided) Rugii (Empire Divided) Semnones (Empire Divided) Vandali (Empire Divided) Varini (Empire Divided) Gothi (Empire Divided) Gothi Pretenders (Empire Divided) Gothi Secessionists (Empire Divided) Marcomanni (Empire Divided) Marcomanni Pretenders (Empire Divided) Marcomanni Secessionists (Empire Divided) Saxoni (Empire Divided) Saxoni Pretenders (Empire Divided) Saxoni Secessionists (Empire Divided)