Thanks for the informative post Blitzkrieg,

However I never intentionally characterized the early germans as "primitive in intellect or less developed culturally". The stone age and bronze age scandinavian-baltic history and it's evolution into the early germanic people is a favorite historical topic of mine. I am quite aware of the wealth of culture associated with this period and place. However this does not translate into material wealth for this cultural group during the EB timeframe.

This would have it's effects on the scale of production for certain iron works such as iron armor wouldn't it? Specifically with regard to chainmail and it's place in early germanic culture, I just wouldn't care to characterize chainmail as commonplace enough even among the aristocracy to warrant being able to field numerous premigration era units of chainmail wearing infantry.

I can imagine aquiring mail from beaten enemies would have viable but not large scale, afterall swords alone were uncommon amoung the early germans. I can also imagine that, much as it is in the present day, one is not likely to trade high quality armor to a potentially dangerous neighbor one may soon end up fighting. To regularly be able to equip aristocrats in mail the early germans would have needed a mean to domestically produce it.

There must certainly have been a high cost associated with the import of large amounts of the required higher grade iron ore than the domestically available bog iron and the time/labour required for it's manufacture (which would not have been something within the means of just any iron smith) which might have made mail prohibitivly expensive for even many of the germanic chieftains?

As I understand it, the relatively high level of armarment made available to celtic aristocracy was in part made possible by the system of large farm estates that yielded much in the way of personal wealth to celtic nobles. Unless I am incorrect no such system existed in early germanic culture?

I'm not entirely sure the early tribal political system and land resources of the ancient germans allowed for that degree of personal wealth to field whole units of chainmail clad infantry. I'm always interested in having my opinion persuaded though.

If a reform reflecting an increase in available wealth (perhaps triggered by expansion into celtic or italic lands) is afforded the Sweboz in the next EB release than I'd happily concede the plausibility of the Herthoz as mail clad. But the current graphic depiction of the Gastiz and Herthoz seems out of place with the other depictions of germanic units.

In the meantime I wouldn't care to associate the comment "heavy hitters" with a heavily armored infantry. The Gaesatae are evidence enough against this.

What i'm hoping for (and only if the historical evidence supports this) is an improvement in the charge effectiveness and defensive staying power of certain units in keeping with their unit card descriptions. Maybe not so much the Merjoz (as others seem to have more success with them) but the Sahsnotoz just seem a little underpowered for a "fierce and valiant" sword bearing war band fighting in dense formation.

Pardon my confusing english, it is not my first language