Man-at-Arms



Trained from the Barracks and available early, the Man-at-Arms makes up the majority of one's army. They are available to most civilizations.

Vital

 * Type: Heavy Infantry, Hand Infantry, Infantry
 * Trained at: Barracks
 * Age: II
 * Cost: 75 food, 25 coin and 1 pop

Combat

 * Hitpoints: 150
 * Resistance: 40% Hand
 * Speed: 5.5
 * Hand Attack: 15 - (ROF: 1.5)
 * Siege Attack: 20 - (ROF: 3)

Strategical Use
Due to his high amount of hitpoints and hand resistance, the Man-at-Arms forms a good meatshield. They're best fielded against other melee infantry, but rather weak against ranged units, such as Archers and Skirmishers.

Upgrades
The Man-at-Arms can be upgraded into the Improved Man-at-Arms, Great Man-at-Arms and Man-at-Arms Legend.

History
Men who had received weapons and training and wore armor of some sort in battle were referred to as men-at-arms. By definition, all knights were men-at-arms, but not all men-at-arms were knights. The class of men-at-arms also included professional fighting men of no nobility called sergeants and knights in training called squires. The armies of feudal lords were divided into two distinct groups, the men-at-arms of all classes and the peasant militia. The trained fighting men provided the principal fighting power of the army. Men-at-arms on foot fought with swords. This was an effective weapon and helped distinguish the men-at-arms from soldiers of lower social standing like spearmen and skirmishers. Men-at-arms wore armor, usually from head to toe, and were highly trained. They were especially effective against spearmen if they could close under the spear points. They fought beside mounted knights under certain conditions, such as castle assaults. During the Hundred Years War, the English often fought dismounted because the French knights usually outnumbered them by a large margin. On the open battlefield, a man-at-arms was at great disadvantage against a mounted knight. Knights kept a body of men-at-arms on retainer to help maintain local order within the local fief and to accompany the knight when called up for military service.