In the Reference Guide Europe units all have a description https://lastknights.com/Reference/unitdesc.
All the other maps do not.
We are looking for people to submit short descriptions for the units that we can add to the reference guide!
Please post any ideas as such so we can tell which map and unit you are referencing!
Asia
Archer
The bow was first used as a hunting weapon by prehistoric man. With the development of warfare, it was quickly adopted for use in that field. Archery was a mainstay on the battlefield for millennia, and their ability to fire arrows at the enemy can still be deadly. Unfortunately, the advantage of the archer lies in it's low cost, and they are usually only outfitted with a bow. Thus, they are vulnerable to enemy melee attacks.
HELP WANTED - Unit Descriptions
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Agatha_King
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:40 am
Re: HELP WANTED - Unit Descriptions
Rome
Hastatus
The Hastatus was deployed in the front line of any Roman battle formation until the Marian reforms in 107 BC. Originally this units were armed with short spears (the Hastae) which later was replaced with a short sword. Under the Polybian military system the Hastatus were armed with a short stabbing sword (the Gladius) and one or two throwing spears (the Pila) which would be thrown at the enemy just before the clash. As defense they would wear a light chainmail, a bronze helmet and would carry their too well known square shield (the Scutum).
During a battle the Hastatus would be the first to encounter the enemy first with their pilae and then in hand to hand combat. If the enemy was not broken, the Hastatus formations would retreat and leave their place to the heavier units of Principes which in turn would fall back to the heaviest of their troops, the Triari.
Rome
Princeps
These soldiers were wealthier than the Hastatus and such could boast better quality armor and weapons than the latter. They stood on the second line of the Roman battle formations, behind the Hastatus and in front of the Triari and were equipped with the same weapons and armor as the Hastatus. The difference stood in their experience and training, better quality equipment and the feathers they adorned on their bronze helmets to increase their stature.
During the battle, if the Hastatus wasn't able to break the enemy formations, the Principes would throw their pile at the enemy who was advancing behind the orderly retreating Hastatus and then would follow up with a gladius charge. If the charge and consequent clash wasn't enough to rout the enemy, the Pricipes would retreat behind the Triari, the third and last line of heavy infantry.
Rome
Legionary
After the Marian reforms in 107 BC, the former wealth system was replaced and conscription was based on careering, any citizen being able to enlist in the army. The Legionnaire was protected by a lorica made either from mail, scales or metal strips, a square shield, a helmet, grieves, a pair of manicas (iron or bronze arm guards), one heavy Pila and one light javelin, the Gladius and a dagger.
During the battle, the Legionary would first engage the enemy with their Pile and would follow up with a charge. They would attack using multiple battle formations, one of the most know being the Testudo (the tortoises) where the men would align their shields to form a dense formation covered with shields on the front and top.
Rome
Immortal
According to Herodotus, the Immortals was the heavy unit of choice of the Persian armies, being constantly kept at a fixed amount of 10,000 soldiers. In his description he stated that this nick name (as we don't have an actual Persian name for the unit), originated from the fact that every incapacitated or killed soldier was immediately replaced by a fresh soldier, and so keeping the appearance of an endless force. Later on, the personal guard of the monarch would be chosen from the ranks of these soldiers.
The Immortal was carrying a wicker shield covered with leather, a short spear, a bow with arrows, a sword or a large dagger and a coat of scale armor. According to Xenophon, the Immortals also wore bronze breastplates and helmets.
Rome
Long Pikeman
The pike was the go to weapon of the ancient world being used as an offensive weapon on all the battlefields of that time. Phillip the 2nd of Macedon saw the terrible power of this weapon and created the piked battle formations, or the phalanx, which would be used for several centuries after his death.
The long Pike was in fact a spear which required both arms to be handled and was about 4 to 6 meters long. It was made up of a strong resilient wood with am iron leaf like head and a bronze butt-spike for counterbalancing and to anchor the pike into the ground against enemy charges. The phalanx was main battle formation which used the long pike.
Rome
Peltast
The Peltast was a type of light infantry of the ancient Trace and Greek armies which got their name after the crescent-shaped wicker shield they were using (the Pelta). Besides their shield, they wore helmets and were armed with swords and several Javelines used to harass and weaken the enemy forces. Their primary role in an army was that of a skirmisher, and were deployed on the flanks of the phalanx formations.
During a battle against hoplites, the peltasts would fight by throwing their javelines at close range followed by a fast retreat if the enemy would charge. Being lightly armored meant that the Peltast could attack, retreat and attack again multiple times with little effort.
I a battle against other skirmisher units or archers the Pelstast could even engage in melee and take advantage of their shield, sword and helmets.
Rome
Hoplite
The Hoplite was the main unit of the ancient Greek armies. The soldiers were armed with a spear or a pike, a short sword (or Xiphos),a big round wooden or bronze shield (the Hoplon) which gave the unit it's name, and anywhere from no body armor to bronze cuirasses and helmets.
Around the 7th century BC, the Greek armies transitioned to the Phalanx formation in which Hoplites would line up closely to one another. the first row would interlock their shields creating a "shield wall" and the following 5 to 8 ranks would lean their spears over the first rank to create a "spear wall". By doing this the charging enemy would have to pass through hundreds of pointed tips. The rows behind would keep the spears at the ready pointing upwards, having the added benefit of deflecting incoming arrows.
Rome
Phalangite
The Phalangite was the spear unit of ancient Macedon phalanx formations. It was set apart by the other Greek Hoplites by the facts that it used a more than 6 meters long pike (Sarissa) and that they used a bronze plated wood shield, smaller than the hoplon which they wore around their necks so that they could use both hands to handle the pike. Phalangites were arranged in 16 x 16 square battle formations and would fight in general the same way as a Hoplite battle formation.
In battle the Phalangites would try to out push the enemy formations with their long spears and take advantage of the weaker right flank of similar battle formations (the shield of a hoplite formation would effectively cover only the left side of the formation, leaving the out right tip of the flank only half protected).
Rome
Spartan youth
The Spartans were the only of the Greek city states which held a professional army all year long and this set them apart on most of the ancient battlefields.
Since the age of 12 the boys became youths and everything regarding their education and discipline intensified. The youth was forced to walk barefoot and were covered with only a tunic all year long. The youths with the best results in their training were selected for Krypteia, a more brutal form of physical and mental training which should have prepared them for positions of leadership. During Krypteia, the Spartan youths were unsupervised and were dependent only on themselves for survival.
After one or two years of Krypteia, the Youths were directly accepted into the military.
Rome
Spartan warrior
A Spartan warrior was a Hoplite like all the Hoplites of the ancient Greek world. The only difference was that he was born, and raised into a society for which war was the only drive in life. As Plutarch says, "... they were the only men in the world with whom war brought a respite in the training for war."
The Spartan warriors fought in the same manner of the Phalanx, using the same Hoplite armor and weapons. They were set apart only by the crimson tunic and cloak they wore atop their armor.
While the hoplites of the other Greek city states adorned a great variety of motifs on their shields, the Spartan warriors painted the letter lambda on their shields, standing for the name of their land Laconia or Lacedaemon. The shield was so important for the Spartan warrior, that losing it was equal to desertion and death.
Hastatus
The Hastatus was deployed in the front line of any Roman battle formation until the Marian reforms in 107 BC. Originally this units were armed with short spears (the Hastae) which later was replaced with a short sword. Under the Polybian military system the Hastatus were armed with a short stabbing sword (the Gladius) and one or two throwing spears (the Pila) which would be thrown at the enemy just before the clash. As defense they would wear a light chainmail, a bronze helmet and would carry their too well known square shield (the Scutum).
During a battle the Hastatus would be the first to encounter the enemy first with their pilae and then in hand to hand combat. If the enemy was not broken, the Hastatus formations would retreat and leave their place to the heavier units of Principes which in turn would fall back to the heaviest of their troops, the Triari.
Rome
Princeps
These soldiers were wealthier than the Hastatus and such could boast better quality armor and weapons than the latter. They stood on the second line of the Roman battle formations, behind the Hastatus and in front of the Triari and were equipped with the same weapons and armor as the Hastatus. The difference stood in their experience and training, better quality equipment and the feathers they adorned on their bronze helmets to increase their stature.
During the battle, if the Hastatus wasn't able to break the enemy formations, the Principes would throw their pile at the enemy who was advancing behind the orderly retreating Hastatus and then would follow up with a gladius charge. If the charge and consequent clash wasn't enough to rout the enemy, the Pricipes would retreat behind the Triari, the third and last line of heavy infantry.
Rome
Legionary
After the Marian reforms in 107 BC, the former wealth system was replaced and conscription was based on careering, any citizen being able to enlist in the army. The Legionnaire was protected by a lorica made either from mail, scales or metal strips, a square shield, a helmet, grieves, a pair of manicas (iron or bronze arm guards), one heavy Pila and one light javelin, the Gladius and a dagger.
During the battle, the Legionary would first engage the enemy with their Pile and would follow up with a charge. They would attack using multiple battle formations, one of the most know being the Testudo (the tortoises) where the men would align their shields to form a dense formation covered with shields on the front and top.
Rome
Immortal
According to Herodotus, the Immortals was the heavy unit of choice of the Persian armies, being constantly kept at a fixed amount of 10,000 soldiers. In his description he stated that this nick name (as we don't have an actual Persian name for the unit), originated from the fact that every incapacitated or killed soldier was immediately replaced by a fresh soldier, and so keeping the appearance of an endless force. Later on, the personal guard of the monarch would be chosen from the ranks of these soldiers.
The Immortal was carrying a wicker shield covered with leather, a short spear, a bow with arrows, a sword or a large dagger and a coat of scale armor. According to Xenophon, the Immortals also wore bronze breastplates and helmets.
Rome
Long Pikeman
The pike was the go to weapon of the ancient world being used as an offensive weapon on all the battlefields of that time. Phillip the 2nd of Macedon saw the terrible power of this weapon and created the piked battle formations, or the phalanx, which would be used for several centuries after his death.
The long Pike was in fact a spear which required both arms to be handled and was about 4 to 6 meters long. It was made up of a strong resilient wood with am iron leaf like head and a bronze butt-spike for counterbalancing and to anchor the pike into the ground against enemy charges. The phalanx was main battle formation which used the long pike.
Rome
Peltast
The Peltast was a type of light infantry of the ancient Trace and Greek armies which got their name after the crescent-shaped wicker shield they were using (the Pelta). Besides their shield, they wore helmets and were armed with swords and several Javelines used to harass and weaken the enemy forces. Their primary role in an army was that of a skirmisher, and were deployed on the flanks of the phalanx formations.
During a battle against hoplites, the peltasts would fight by throwing their javelines at close range followed by a fast retreat if the enemy would charge. Being lightly armored meant that the Peltast could attack, retreat and attack again multiple times with little effort.
I a battle against other skirmisher units or archers the Pelstast could even engage in melee and take advantage of their shield, sword and helmets.
Rome
Hoplite
The Hoplite was the main unit of the ancient Greek armies. The soldiers were armed with a spear or a pike, a short sword (or Xiphos),a big round wooden or bronze shield (the Hoplon) which gave the unit it's name, and anywhere from no body armor to bronze cuirasses and helmets.
Around the 7th century BC, the Greek armies transitioned to the Phalanx formation in which Hoplites would line up closely to one another. the first row would interlock their shields creating a "shield wall" and the following 5 to 8 ranks would lean their spears over the first rank to create a "spear wall". By doing this the charging enemy would have to pass through hundreds of pointed tips. The rows behind would keep the spears at the ready pointing upwards, having the added benefit of deflecting incoming arrows.
Rome
Phalangite
The Phalangite was the spear unit of ancient Macedon phalanx formations. It was set apart by the other Greek Hoplites by the facts that it used a more than 6 meters long pike (Sarissa) and that they used a bronze plated wood shield, smaller than the hoplon which they wore around their necks so that they could use both hands to handle the pike. Phalangites were arranged in 16 x 16 square battle formations and would fight in general the same way as a Hoplite battle formation.
In battle the Phalangites would try to out push the enemy formations with their long spears and take advantage of the weaker right flank of similar battle formations (the shield of a hoplite formation would effectively cover only the left side of the formation, leaving the out right tip of the flank only half protected).
Rome
Spartan youth
The Spartans were the only of the Greek city states which held a professional army all year long and this set them apart on most of the ancient battlefields.
Since the age of 12 the boys became youths and everything regarding their education and discipline intensified. The youth was forced to walk barefoot and were covered with only a tunic all year long. The youths with the best results in their training were selected for Krypteia, a more brutal form of physical and mental training which should have prepared them for positions of leadership. During Krypteia, the Spartan youths were unsupervised and were dependent only on themselves for survival.
After one or two years of Krypteia, the Youths were directly accepted into the military.
Rome
Spartan warrior
A Spartan warrior was a Hoplite like all the Hoplites of the ancient Greek world. The only difference was that he was born, and raised into a society for which war was the only drive in life. As Plutarch says, "... they were the only men in the world with whom war brought a respite in the training for war."
The Spartan warriors fought in the same manner of the Phalanx, using the same Hoplite armor and weapons. They were set apart only by the crimson tunic and cloak they wore atop their armor.
While the hoplites of the other Greek city states adorned a great variety of motifs on their shields, the Spartan warriors painted the letter lambda on their shields, standing for the name of their land Laconia or Lacedaemon. The shield was so important for the Spartan warrior, that losing it was equal to desertion and death.
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Mysterious
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:29 pm
Re: HELP WANTED - Unit Descriptions
Agatha King you're a legend