Song Polearm Infantry

Northern Spear Guards

It is the spears that form the backbone of any army. An untrained, unprepared line of spearmen is akin to a weak, brittle spine; a cadre of well-trained spears, conversely, is a strong and ready force, able to weather whatever waves of battle that crash upon it.

These spearmen, armed and armoured accordingly, form part of the northern army. As such, they are well-trained and blooded against northern invaders. If there is weakness amongst them, it is soon rooted out – one way or another.

Unit Abilities

• Caltrops
  Simple nut husks, once trodden upon, cause extreme pain and slow movement.
• Miasma
  The dense and tough undergrowth that plagues the jungles of the South is a hindrance to all those who try to penetrate into the heartlands of the Nanman.
• Hollowed Square
  The unit forms into a hollow square, presenting spears and pikes to any attacker - particularly cavalry - on all four sides.
• Loose
  The unit spreads apart, making it more difficult for arrows to hit them.
• Shield Wall (Spear)
  The unit presents a wall of shields to the enemy - an offensive formation best used to push forward under arrow fire.

Attributes

• CHARGE REFLECTION VS. MOUNTED
  Reflects the charge damage of any mounted attacker back onto them when braced.
• DISCIPLINED
  Does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• RESISTANT TO FATIGUE
  Takes longer to feel fatigued.
• HIDE IN FOREST
  Can hide in forests.

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Role: anti-cavalry
  These units are strong against flanking units such as cavalry, so are best used to protect vulnerable flanks.
• Missile defence
  These troops carry shields to protect them from incoming missiles, but offer little defence against artillery.
• Good against mounted
  This unit is trained to fight against mounted enemies.