Nile Spearmen (RTW Unit)
These well trained spearmen are the mainstay of many Egyptian armies, thanks to their all-round defensive abilities.
Overview
These well trained spearmen are the mainstay of many Egyptian armies, thanks to their all-round defensive abilities. They wear light padded armour - hardly surprising given the incredibly hot climate of home - and carry large shields. They do not carry secondary weapons at all, and rely entirely on their spears in combat. This means that they are best employed to hold a defensive position against cavalry, or as a rough phalanx to take on other infantry by 'push of pike' and weight of numbers.
These men are better trained than some other Egyptian forces, such as Nubian spearmen, and will hold more often as a result.
Details
Nile Spearmen are a hoplite unit good for forming the front line in Egypts armies and their decent defensive strengths allows them to hold their own against most other units with little support. Lighter troops in particular will really struggle to get through their spears, and will take mass casualties. However Nile Spearmen will start to struggle as other factions start to recruit stronger units. The Nile Spearmen are a upgrade versus Nubian Spearmen and have their uses into the late campaign. They are even superior to the elite Pharoahs Guard in some ways, because they are better at tanking missiles, especially pila, have a much more reasonable upkeep, and are more disposable.
They will struggle against some of their contemporaries but overall can be considered a strong frontline unit that can hold their own and provide Egypt with a decent hoplite unit.