Thegns, the wealthy noblemen of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, served as retainers for their lords, fulfilling their obligation of military service. Well-trained and equipped, thegns served as infantrymen, clad in chain mail armour and iron helmets and brandishing pre-dominantly circular wooden shields with an iron boss in its center.
Mail greatly increased the protection of such warriors, and thus provided such clad warriors with a distinct advantage in combat. Impacts from blunt weaponry, or by slashing cuts wrought from a sword or axe, upon chainmail would be severely diminished as the force would be distributed over many linked rings.
To be so heavily armoured was not without its disadvantages, with it being too cumbersome for skirmishes and in battles with swiftly changing battle lines. It was also susceptible to a concentrated thrust of a spear, where the energy could not be dissipated wide enough from the point of impact - though this danger would be lessened by the utilisation of the Shieldwall formation, whereby a Thegn’s neighbours would provide mutually beneficial protection with their shields, with spears pointed outward at the enemy. This particular formation can be used by medium and heavy Thegn infantry in your games of Hail Caesar!
Contains 6 metal models
Models supplied unassembled and unpainted
