Fan-made Card depicting the Spearman Unit from Civ5
Game Info
Front-line unit of the Ancient Era.
- Common abilities:
- Bonus vs Mounted (50) (50% Bonus vs Mounted)
Strategy
The Spearman is the first melee unit available after the Warrior. Armed with a spear and a shield, it is slightly more powerful than the Warrior. However, its long weapon also gives him a significant combat bonus against mounted units such as Horsemen. Use it as you would other front-line units, but try to position it so as to protect the weaker elements of your army (archers, siege machines) likely to attract mounted attacks.
Historical Info
The earliest spears were doubtless straight pieces of wood with crudely-sharpened ends; these would quickly break or become dull with service. The spear didn't become a reliable weapon until some early innovator discovered that he could harden the tip by lightly charring it over a fire. Eventually stone tips were employed, then of course metal. Spears are fairly simple weapons to learn, and they can be produced rapidly and cheaply, so they tend to be the backbone of early civilizations' armies.