Gafaelgwn

"Arthur went as far as Esgeir Oervel in Ireland, to the place where the Boar Trwyth was with his seven young pigs, and the dogs were let loose upon [Trwyth] from all sides."

— The Mabinogion

In game

Gafaelgwn — Vital statistics
Gafaelgwn	Very weak melee unit with a strong high-speed attack that makes them effective against a wide range of land units. Strong versus light and medium infantry; light cavalry. Weak versus buildings and siege weapons.
Prereq:	Build time	HP	LOS	Attack	Attack speed	Movement speed	Upgrades to
[2];	16.3s (245t)	110	7	16	5.9s (35t)	31
Cost			Created from	Armour	Weapon range	Specialty
Base	Ramp	Pop
: 60; : 50	: 1; : 1	1		4	Melee	Bonus damage versus light units, especially rabble and gun infantry. Attack penalty versus structures, siege weapons, heavy units, and infantry with shields.

Overall strategy

Gafaelgwn (or in modern English, gafaelgis) are large mastiffs native to the Welsh highlands. These dogs are exceptionally strong and hardy, and for this reason  can be a prized addition to your army. Gafaelgwn are not just somewhat strong for a war dog, but are also ideal for sensing and spitting enemies, given their good line of sight. Additionally, the Welsh faction also benefits from the fact that these dogs do not require the Castle Age to be researched, requiring only a Peasants' commune to be trained. So in many cases, these dogs can be used to rip apart enemy formations, although they are somewhat pricey given how long they last in combat.

Unit summary

• Trash — War Dogs are cheap and replaceable — but not necessarily dependable, as they cannot see very far and can be intercepted easily.
• Bite Me — War Dogs are very weak if faced by infantry units equipped with shields.
• Gafaelgwn — The Welsh are capable of training an indigenous breed of War Dog known as Gafaelgwn. Apart from enhanced LOS, the Gafaelgwn is also more easily obtainable and has enhanced LOS.

History

Although the Corgi is the breed most popularly associated with Wales, there is another breed of dog which played a major role in the bleak and hostile world that was Mediaeval Wales: the Gafaelgi or "hill-hound". Strong and resilient, these dogs were ideal for various tasks, which ranged from droving to nipping the odd enemy warrior who had no business in Welsh lands. With sufficient training and aggression, Gafaelgwn can be expected to harry mounted raiders and even hamstring their mounts. Similar tactics were used across the Irish Sea where wolfhounds would be used to bundle into mounted knights. Pinned down by the weight of their armour, the hapless knights could be easily finished off.

References

• Listverse, Top 10 Banned Dog Breeds
• Military Factory, War Dog