Rhehel

"And Modred, as he was the boldest of men, and always the quickest at making an attack, immediately placed his troops in order, resolving either to conquer or to die, rather than continue his flight any longer."

— Geoffrey of Monmouth,
Gesta Regum Britanniae

In game

Rhehel — Vital statistics
	Heavy infantry unit which sacrifices tactical strength for added speed within your borders. Strong versus melee units, especially cavalry. Weak versus missile units.
Prereq:	Build time	HP	LOS	Attack	Attack speed	Movement speed	Upgrades to
	12.5s (188t)	120	6	13	2.1s (32t)	25
Cost			Created from	Armour	Weapon range	Specialty
Base	Ramp	Pop
: 50; : 30	: 1; : 1	1		3	Melee	Strong versus cavalry Defensive penalty versus ranged units Small attack penalty versus buildings.

Overall strategy

Born in the wild Welsh hills, Rhehel are the backbone of Welsh armies, and are extremely well-suited for taking on cavalry, but little else. These units, while being faster on home turf, have vasty weaker stats, but this belies their ability to run very fast, especially on home turf. With Welsh propensities for stealth, however, weaker attacks and constitution are not an issue since you would normally be on the offensive, as compared to the opponent who would be stuck trying to guess the location of your dreaded army. The added speed which Rhehel can move at all ensure that you can deploy these men as quickly as you need them.

Unit summary

• Indomitable — The Rhehel&dsquo;s combat proficiency and endurance renders it effective for counter-cavalry and melee infantry supremacy work.
• At What Cost? — Discounts notwithstanding, Rhehel are costly units — so supplement them with light infantry where possible.
• Fast on Foot but Weak in Weight — The main draw of the Rhehel is that it is meant to be used offensively, against enemy cavalry whereso possible.
• Element of Surprise — Although clearly weaker than Spearmen, Rhehel marching speed can be used to great effect when fighting in your territory, by using them for ambush detail.

History

Unlike most countries in Europe at the time, the style and method of medieval Welsh warfare was not overly influenced by feudalism — not least because the heavily armoured feudal horseman could not properly operate in the rough and hilly ground covering much of Wales. Warriors were dressed in a linen shirt (often red) and linen drawers; they covered these with a woolen cloak hanging to their knees, which was sometimes described as being "thin". This was followed by a series of weapons, but the most commonly used weapons were axes, javelins, spears and bows. Several manuscripts depict Welsh warriors as having only one shoe and their other foot bare — this probably allowed them to keep a balance on hilly or rough terrain. Hair was worn short, and was shaped around the eyes and ears; moustaches were popular, but beards were not.

References

• Mersey D, Medieval Welsh Warriors and Warfare