The Huns are horsemen almost without equal, going everywhere on their small but extremely tough ponies. Only the toughest men can thrive in these barren lands, and the Huns are among the toughest of men. On the vast steppes, the horseman is master of all lands beneath the sky. Against the heavy infantry of, for instance, the Saxons, these men will suffer excess casualties. They are certainly hardy enough to form a battle line, but they are best deployed against spearmen and similar 'unhandy' infantry. These swordsmen are recognition of this fact, and they can fight well under most circumstances. While any sensible Hun from the steppes prefers to be on a horse, there are occasions in battle when an infantryman has more utility than a cavalryman.

They are not quite heavy infantry, but are certainly too well armed to be considered light troops.

Steppe Swordsmen fight on foot with swords, shields and some armor protection. Clever commanders, however, recognise the need for balanced forces and use these men to anchor their battle line on the defensive and to take and hold ground on the attack. Often spearmen are recruited from the lesser, conquered peoples that the tribes have overrun in the past. Their status in the army, however, is not usually among the highest the peoples of the steppe value horses and horsemen, not the poor man stuck in the mud with a spear. Their armor also gives them a chance when fighting hand-to-hand or under attack from missile troops. With their stout spears and heavy shields these men are well equipped to fight against horsemen. These men should be the backbone of any infantry force that hopes to live while fighting on the plains. On the steppes cavalry may be king, but Steppe Heavy Spearmen are the regicides. These men are worth bringing to a battle, as they can provide a solid anchor for a battle line when fighting cavalry, even if they are vulnerable to attack by missiles or swordsmen. This can be rather foolish, as a man with a spear can kill even the bravest horseman, or stop him dead in his tracks when his horse (quite sensibly) refuses to charge headlong onto a sharp spear point. Spearmen are the men that real steppe warriors look down upon from their lofty saddles. They are given a spear, a shield and a good lesson in obedience to their betters before being pushed into a battle line. Steppe Spearmen are recruited from amongst the young and low-status members of a tribe. This unit will disband when the horde settles in a new homeland. That said, these men can fight maybe they are not experts, but every enemy they kill is one less for proper warriors to face down. Still more of a problem is the reluctance of these men to fight well in a situation they neither know nor care about. This is an important consideration when famine may only be one failed harvest away. Forcing peasants to leave the land and fight is cheap and quick, even if it does damage the prospects for the next harvest. Men, no matter how untrained or unready for war, are always useful in battle - the enemy can be weakened simply by having to hack a way through the press of bodies. Horde Herdsmen are reluctant warriors at best, but a life of endless toil and drudgery does at least produce strong backs and an acceptance of grim reality. Christianity, with its promise of universal brotherhood, has merely made matters worse in some ways by giving hope but then not delivering earthly freedom. The lot of slaves at the bottom of the system has just become even harsher. The laws of Rome have been tightened over generations for peasants and small farmers, tying them to their land where they can be taxed to the hilt laws on slavery have never been relaxed. Running away is a death sentence for slaves.

They have thrown in their lot with the enemies of Rome, and must now triumph or face the consequences. These men will fight because they have no choice.

These are the men that peasants look down upon. Runaway Slave Spearmen are the lowest of the low, given the worst weapons and no armor before being pushed into a battle line.

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