next warlord project: gallic warband

[Colonel White]

This is probably subject of a lot of historical debate without anyone coming to any clear conclusion due to lack of evidence ie the celts unlike the Romans did not keep any written records.

The only evidence I have seen on the various history channels regarding drugged up warriors ( often the best) are those that they sacrificed to the gods and then the body was dumped in a bog which has preserved the body to enable us today to confirm the fate of this person.

What Britain did have in its favour was a higher perecentage of druids who were responsible of such acts so it could be some warriors were fanatics but clear evidence is lacking. The chance of whole units being fanatics is probably even slimmer but who knows? If I was doing a British warband army I don't think I would have fanatics but I would certainly have a unit with a druid in it. Jusy my thoughts on the subject.

[romavictor]

thats a good one. kind of like in the wab viking list you can have berzerkers hidden in units of huscarls and they charge out into enimy units and do a random number of attacks before they perish. i think a similar rule with fanatics in warrior units would be cool.

[MagicMan]

I actually registered when i noticed this, but i saw someone pointing out that naked fanatics weren't known to be a prevalent part of Celtic warfare; because the Celts didn't keep written records.

However, if Roman Records are to be believed, fanatics were prevalent in Celtic armies, particuarly in the Galatian and Gallic peoples.

Some of Hannibals most famous mercenaries were said to fight naked.

[Colonel White]

In Hannibals Army indeed there were naked Celts fighting along side but they actually lived in a tribe (the name slips my mind but they begin with a "G") which fought that way but they were not Fanatics as such although I would imagine they were pretty fierce .

[MagicMan]

Gaestatae?

And fighting naked was a pretty prevalent part of the Celtic culture.

Im not saying these men were insane and frothing at the mouth, though. Often they fought naked to inspire their fellows, show disdain for the enemy, and gain favour from the gods.

Just as some Dacians fought without helmets to show their gods that they were ready to be embraced in the afterlife..