In this preview we are revealing the unit roster for the Saxon and Irish Kingdom Army factions. As has been mentioned in other posts, we're implementing a class-based system of recruitment that will put a greater emphasis on combined arms. Unlike the vanilla game, there are no unit upgrades that will make older units obsolete. From the beginning of the game until the end the player will need to have a mix of levy, noble and elite units in their armies if they expect to succeed. Similar to how unit sizes work in Warhammer, lowered tiered units will have more men than in the elite units. In most cases, the army composition will look something like this:
100 men - Certain mob units like Thralls and Irish Bothacha Spearband
80 - Most peasant melee units.
60 - Most "professional" melee units like mercenaries or select fryd. Also select noble units.
40 - Other noble units. Normans have 40 man cavalry and bowmen units. Irish have a 40 man Skirmisher.
32-26 - Large cavalry units, like irish horse boys or cambrogi horse
30 - Most factions levy bowmen, slingers. Generals.
24 - Most cavalry units, most skirmisher units, most longbow units.
20 - Most champions. Mounted Generals.
16 - Hunters
12 - Berserkers, Scout cavalry.
In the vanilla game, the elite units have similar sizes compared to levy troops, thus barring the slower recruitment times for elite units, there are few reasons the player would ever need to field anything other than elite units. Fielding armies that are entirely comprised of elites is not the gameplay we want to implement in Shieldwall. A twelve man Berserkir squad can still deal A LOT of damage when used correctly, but you will still have to babysit them even when throwing them against levy troops. 12 versus 100 men are not good odds no matter the quality of the troops.
Saxon Kingdoms:
Generals:
Hearrthweru - Informal Companions
Huscarles - Formal Bodyguards
Spears:
Ceorl Spearband - Levy spears
Fyrd Spearband - Warrior spears
Select Fyrd Spearband - Unique unit of lesser thegns, acts as a quick reaction force to raids (Wessex only)
Marcher Spearband - Unique border patrol spears, long marches (Mierce only)
Thegn Spearband - Rich men warriors
Garcempa Spearband - Spear champions (Mierce only)
Swords:
Langseax Warband - a better longer weaponized seax, younger men
Thegn Swordband - Rich men warriors
Sweordcempa Swordband - sword champion, inspires nearby units (Wessex only)
Axes:
Ceorl Axeband - Levy Axes
Fyrd Axeband - Warrior Axes
Butsecarls - Two-handed axe, foreign mercenary
Archers:
Ceorl Bowmen - Levy bowmen
Fyrd Archers - Warrior Archers
Select Fyrd Archers - Unique unit of lesser thegns, acts as a quick reaction force to raids (Wessex only)
Marcher Archers - Unique border patrol archers, long marches (Mierce only)
Skirmishers:
Ceorl Skirmishers - Levy Skirmishers
Fyrd Skirmishers - Warrior Skirmishers
Cavalry:
Scout Horsemen - mounted scouts provide sighting bonuses to your army
Select Fyrd Horsemen - Unique unit of lesser thegns, acts as a quick reaction force to raids (Wessex only)
Marcher Horsemen - Unique mounted border patrol, long marches (Mierce only)
Thegn Horsemen - Rich men warriors
Artillery:
Catapult
Some units will also have special abilities attached to them to make them actually useful to have in an army, for example scouts will give a boost to line of sight and campaign movement. Hunters will provide a boost to supplies so they will be useful to have in an army especially in enemy territory. So as you can see units will play more of an important role and you will have more versatility with a balanced build.
A few images of the new units:
Sweordcempa Swordband - Sword Champion of Wessex. There's a few new things to take note of here. Please notice the darker chainmail colors, this will likely be implemented throughout all of the rosters as a point of historical accuracy since we felt the originals were too bright. Also please notice that faint outline of wood planks in the round shields. All of our shields will have something similar to this to better reflect leather skins being tightly stretched over wood planks with an uneven flush.
Ceorl Spearband - Levy spears
Thegn Horsemen
Wessex Battle Lines:
Mierce Battle Lines:
Irish Kingdoms:
Generals:
Deaisbard - Foot Swords
Riglach - Mounted Household Elites
Spears:
Bothacha Spearband - Levy Spears
Ceithrenn Spearband - Warrior Spears
Airig Spearband - Lesser Nobles equipped with heavy throwing spears
Swords:
Fianna Band - Short swords, Fenian Cycle
Airig Swordband - Nobles fighting on foot, short swords
Caur - Hero Sword Unit, carries a big pictish blade, inspired by the Hound of Ulster
Axes:
Bothacha Axeband - Levy Axes
Ceithrenn Axeband - Warrior Axes
Tuagh Catha Warband - Light Two-handed Axes
Slingers:
Bogclochdair - Slingers recruited from local husbandmen
Skirmishers:
Ceithrenn Skirmishers - Irish Kerns
Ceithrenn Coille - Elite Skirmishers, similar to the finian band (of skirmishing)
Cavalry:
Scout Horsemen - Scout Skirmishers
Marcalaidhi (Horse Boys) - Fastest cav in the game equipped with javelins
Airig Horsmen - Mounted Nobles
Artillery:
Catapult
A few images of the new units:
Caur - Hero Sword unit with his big ass pictish blade, notice his cool Hound of Ulster shield
Ceithrenn Coille - Elite Skirmishers
Airig Horsmen - Household Elites
Mide Battle Lines:
Shieldwall Discord
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https://discord.gg/WRCvyu