The differences concerning the free men compared to their vassalized kin in battle are twofold at his point:

Morale and Spirit
The free men will have a bit better morale than those who are vassalized. Think volunteers vs. draftees. Typically an all volunteer group, fighting with their own free will and determination will have some amount of greater drive then those who are forced into fighting and perhaps do not wish to take up arms, but must.

Panoply and Arms
A retinue of warriors, led by their own chief or king, would be outfitted with spoils of war, gifts of arms and armors for their service, and others necessities of war. The vassal units will have a greater propensity for damage and attack, as their gear is, overall, more standardized and in greater amounts. The free warriors, on the other hand, must attain their panoply through personal wealth and personal spoils of war,

Recruitment and Numbers
The free class warriors do not have the numerical advantage or availability when going to war. The chief's retinue is there to fight, protect, and serve. These are year long troops, or house troops, on the state's payroll. The free man fights when he wishes, but also has to attend to farms or other domestic activity. The vassals are numerous in the later reforms simulating the rise of their class throughout the Celtic society, while the free class shrinks over the reforms with their recruitment and availability diminishes in response to the growing vassal class. The vassals are available year long, while the free class is only available in certain seasons, again to simulate returning home to share in farming, sowing, harvesting, trade, etc.


This arrangement allows/forces the player to use a bit of tactical planning when preparing a campaign. Both troop types can be used and both have their advantages when you fight a strong opponent. A decision need to be made between superior attacking power and damage, vs. staying power and superior morale. Obviously the elites combine both, but they will have restricted availability. Hopefully should a battle go badly for the A.I. or the player, one will see the vassals break and run before the free warriors will in similar situations.