Unit Screenshots

[PSYCHO V]

Are all those gallic units realistic ?

Yes, to the best of our knowledge.

I have never heard of Daemons, ravens or sea of spear units where did u took all this info? U used the Bello Gallico? or somewhere else?
since I don't remember those even in this book....

All my research was posted and discussed to death at the .com about 2 years ago. Unfortunately it has been lost since, but I still have many of the books used.
The sources are from a whole myriad material, several dozen books by contemporary authors, archeological, anthropological and historical journal articles, and ancient texts including private letters. Basically anything that allows one to garner how the Gauls looked, fought etc within a geograhical context.

At work at the moment but from memory;

A) The term ‘black demons’ was garnered from a private Roman letter (describing the enemy encountered during one of the wars against the Celtiberians) and translated into Gallic. The actual description is from two books, can’t remember which ones.

B) The Raven is mentioned in just about any book one reads on the Celts. The Celtic goddess of the dead would take the form of a Raven and alight on the bodies of the fallen and cart their souls off to the after life. Hence the helmets were worn with Ravens to strike fear in their foe. The Raven Helmets are well attested in the archoelogical / historical record and scholars believe they tended to be worn by either elite troops and / or nobles.





They are particularly noted around Bibracte the Aedui Capital. The Aedui were the leaders of the Northern Condeferacy from the mid 4th century BC on and pretty much represent the Gaul faction in RTW.

We know the Aedui had a special Royal guard. From memory there was a reference I found in Irish text which mentioned 'Raven Warriors' forming a special guard to protect an Irish King. So all the pieces were put together and the Aedui Royal Guard were afforded raven helms and called Bodubatae. The name is just the Gallic translation of “Raven Warriors” / plural. Highly likely that such a unit existed by this name but we can't prove it 100%

C) Same thing for the “Sea of Spears”. The Helvetii, as you would know from Caesar’s works used a form of phalanx formation. It is also attested in other fragments. They were very disciplined and well led.
The Celts, much like other native peoples tended to call things by names which had a direct meaning eg Boiorix ="king of the boii" , Eburones = "people who are protected by the yew-tree" etc etc
The Sea of Spears is the most likely Gallic name for such a formation and thus used as a unit descript.

[Ranika]

Pyscho V is correct, the units he lists are, as best can be researched, quite verifiable. The problem with offering a huge litany of sources, is the unique nature of the various regions of Gauls, and the soldiers they offered locally. That's why the more 'common' Gallic soldiers are easy to verify, they showed up in large areas, with a great deal of regularity. However, some occured in small numbers, but with regularity, in certain regions (a good argument for 'region specific' units, actually).

[Ranika]

I also do not mean to imply that the list is in any manner, incorrect, inasmuch as what we can know. But the Gauls did not write extensively, so we have to go off of what sources we can. Having a truly 100% accurate army, for any of the factions, is going to be impossible, But, we can come close. We will need to stretch things a bit, but believably. Even if there aren't a huge, vast number of sources, we can imply a great deal, with a good bit of accuracy, based upon digs, and descriptions. What we can assure is that what Pyscho V is offering are vastly closer to the real Gauls than the pure fantasy CA offered us. Pyscho V has used as good as sources as we'll be able to get, short of a bloody time machine. I have seen the same sources, and I'm sure some others will offer up a similar back up.

Of Mori Gaesum, have to name them something, and 'Sea of Spears' is a pretty good one. The early Irish and Welsh refered to the phalanx as a 'Sea of Spears', and such a name easily could've come from a more ancient source. It does match the kind of 'poetic' names the Gauls seemed to give things, using metaphor to convey an image of a vast number of spear heads, easily what they may have called the phalanx, and lingually proper.

Edit; For helmet for the lesser general, I'd opt for the one you've got a picture of, just because I think it's an interesting design that'll give a nice, truly unique flair to the Gallic armor.

[Stormy]

Superb unit update from all indeed
No Thracian or German Unit/model update guys ?

[PSYCHO V]

I'm loving the work your doing Prom, great stuff ..

...but some of those unit pics are 1.5MB. It's killing my 56K

[PROMETHEUS]

Ok good you have good sources , I trust , but shouldn't we limit the Gauls to what is effectively described in the Caesar's Book? Anyway even if some of those should be more elite groups and be built only in specific regions and I guess may be some are from other celtic cultures than gauls may be briton , may be celtiberian , may be belgican , may be northItalian , may be caledonian or irish....

ok I will try to resize them more next time....


Also could some of you with good sources post some good very realistic plates about greeks at that given time , I have till the end of the Alexander empire , but is mostly on phalanxes and macedopnian armies.....

Also I hope we are going to use the naked barbarian mod since shows another reality of the celtic fighters ....

[Urnamma]

Great Gallic units!

I hope some of them are shared with the britons, because the rest of us want some unit space too

But seriously, great work. I'd buy all of you a guiness if you were around here!