Vellinica (Goidilic Levy)

Vellinica (Goidilic Spearmen Levy)
Vellinica (Goidilic Spearmen Levy)
Primary Weapon	Type: spear Attack: 6 Charge: 4 Lethality: 1 Range: 35 Ammo: 2 Attributes: Thrown before charge, Thrown missile
Secondary Weapon	Type: spear Attack: 13 Charge: 4 Lethality: 0.13 Attributes: light spear
Defence	Armour: 2 Shield: 3 Skill: 11
Recruitment	Soldiers: 60 Cost: 908 Upkeep: 227 Turns: 1
Mental	Morale: 10 Discipline: normal Training: trained
Other	Hit Points: 1 Mass: 1.05 Attributes: Can board ships, Improved hiding in forest, Can hide in long grass, Hardy Formation: square Side/Back spacing: 1/1.4 Mount effects: elephant -3 Ownership: Aedui, Arverni, Casse, Iberia, Eleutheroi

Vellinica are the most basic warriors of the Goidilic tribes. They fight as spearmen, with a single heavy javelin to throw before attacking, or at a charging enemy, to weaken them, before engaging with their spears.

Description

The Vellinica (Val-lin-ik-ah; "Swift Fighters") are the most basic warriors of the Goidilic (Gaelic or Goedelic) tribes, and are thankfully cheap to maintain. They fight as spearmen, with good quality, reinforced spears. The Vellinica are only semi-professional. They work and train about four months a year, than rotate back to working as farmers, craftsmen, fishermen, etc., while their replacements go to train and fight. They are expensive to outfit compared to most light spearmen, but they are comparatively well trained and high spirited.

Historically, the Vellinica were used well into the dark and middle ages, and the inheritors of an ancient fighting tradition. While young Goidils always played games that honed fighting skills, these semi-professionals also spent much time at work, so were not as skilled as the better trained, year-round professional Cladaca, but were not as unskilled as the all but untrained militias that were used as impromptu forces.

Usage

These light spearmen are cheap and numerous but also surprisingly competent at defending the line due to their good training, the tightness of their formation and their good shields. With morale boosting infantry such as the Uirodusios (Celtic Naked Spearmen), they can withstand even against heavy infantry of used properly. Their low armor will be a major weakness as javelins and missile fire will tear them apart.

Vellinica AOR