Riskers of Souls (ETW Unit)
The Riskers of Souls are madmen armed with nothing but scimitars; their lack of fear makes them truly dangerous.
Overview
These men are chosen for one simple reason: they are all raving lunatics! Touched by God, they fear nothing, and will recklessly hurl themselves at any enemy until they are dead or there is nothing left to attack. Their wild-eyed appearance is enough to make even the bravest man draw back.
Historically, the Ottoman Empire is seen as a cruel state, willing to kidnap and use children in its military forces if necessary. The recruitment of madmen, then, is unusual to modern eyes, but not out of character. However, the word “lunatic” for the unfortunates in this unit may be a misunderstanding. The word “deli” has been translated as “mad”, but it may have been mad in the sense that the British army also use the term as an affectionate epithet, meaning ready for a fight, brave, “up for it” and heroic.
Details
The Riskers of Souls are a cancelled unit available only to the Ottoman Empire. They have high melee statistics, meaning that they can defeat most other infantry units if supported, due to their relatively low numbers. They also have an exceptionally high morale, meaning that they will unlikely rout unless they have suffered very severe casualties. Furthermore they have the ability to scare the enemy, whilst inspiring their own troops at the same time, making them an invaluable unit to field.