The Longswordsman is England's sword infantry in Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. Its Engage Mode ability raises its shield to defend against arrows and other missiles, but also makes it more prone to melee damage.
Strengths[]
- Good vs. archers.
Weaknesses[]
- Weak vs. spear units.
Description[]
Though the mounted knight gets all the glory, for the long centuries before gunpowder the backbone of the English army was its man at arms, foot soldiers who formed the walls against which the French cavalry broke at Crecy, Poitiers, and again at Agincourt. These warriors, often knights themselves wielded the longsword, symbol and weapon of the nobility. While the peasantry hacked and poked with their converted farm implements, the Longswordmen fought with the skill and weapons only a lifetime of training and privilege could provide. Backed up by the power of the English longbow and the terrifying capabilities of hired crossbowmen, the Longswordmen were the first line of England's defense.
As potent as their war swords were, however, the real strength of the Longswordmen may well have been their shields and armor. On the medieval field of battle, offense was not enough-you needed a powerful defense as well. Even better, you needed to combine striking power, mobility, and protection to prevail. That was the English Longswordman's forte, exemplified by his Engage ability. When facing enemy archers or other missile troops, the Longswordman's shield became his greatest asset. When Engaged, a group of Longswordmen raised their shields to form a barrier that shrugged off arrows, bolts, javelins, stones and other missiles sent their way. But this was no static maneuver, as the unit could still advance even while weathering a storm of arrows, and when it reached the enemy lines, it lashed out with its formidable attack. After dispatching the enemy, the Engaged Longswordmen resumed their protective stance, ready for the next flight of enemy projectiles.
Such defensive prowess had a price, of course. While advancing with shields raised, the Longswordman were vulnerable to enemy melee attack, and his slower speed put him at particular risk from the enemy's cavalry. While rarely the unit of choice for sweeping maneuvers, the medieval Longswordman could drive stolidly into an adversary, presenting a potent melding of offensive and defensive strengths. Moving forward with the inexorable weight of England's expectations, these knights without horses made a very profitable trade of speed for protection , and laid the groundwork for converting an island to an Empire.[1]
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