Kavakaza Sparabara (Caucasian Spearmen)

Kavakaza Sparabara (Caucasian Spearmen)
Kavakaza Sparabara (Caucasian Spearmen)
Primary Weapon	Type: spear Attack: 12 Charge: 6 Lethality: 0.13 Attributes: Light spear
Defence	Armour: 1 Shield: 3 Skill: 9

Raised from the tribes of the Caucasus, these spearmen are fierce warriors but ill-equipped and poorly trained compared to the new, Hellenic armies.

Description

The Caucasus Range: fierce mountains breed a fierce people and these men, drawn from the tribes of the Caucasus, are fierce indeed! For centuries the tribes that inhabit these hostile climes have warred amongst the ominous and noble mountains, and this harsh lifestyle has bred a hardy people. The simple folk of the Caucasus region, men of farms and fields, livestock and grain, are grown into a world where knowledge of sling, bow, javelin and spear are as necessary as the written word is for the Hellenes. A sling will catch them a rabbit, a javelin or bow will keep predators from their flock, and a spear will protect them from their neighbour’s envious eyes. These life-skills, learnt amongst the mountains, make for hardy warriors, braver and more fearsome than the city-folk of the plains below.

These Caucasian Spearmen are armed with a simple spear - held underarm - and a Thureos shield, introduced into Anatolia during the Galatian invasions. They wear no armour, such a luxury cannot be afforded, and instead simply wear the clothes of normal, everyday use: a tunic tied at the waist and loose fitting trousers. When fighting they form a solid wall of shields, their spears a fearsome barrier against oncoming attack. However, these men are not disciplined, they have no formal training in warfare beyond what the most experienced warriors of a tribe can impart, and may break rank leaving gaps that the enemy can exploit. Yet, they do form the backbone of the armies that wage war beneath the shadows of the Caucasus Range, and - perhaps - beyond.

Usage

These spearmen are quite unremarkable in every role that does not include garrison duties and for holding position against the enemy. They have good shields to protect against missile attacks and spears to defeat cavalry but their poor armor will be their doom in prolonged engagement against better melee infantry and a cavalry charge will rip them apart.

Kavakaza Sparabara AOR