The Hobescorene (until recently known as the Overvaller or Oerfaller) is a knightly infantry unit unique to Friesland. It has high pierce armor, which makes it resistant to archer attack and also has the ability to heal itself, much like hero units. Hobescorene have bonuses against ships, lancers, and buildings, and it can be upgraded to the Partiefiuchter.
Unit Statistics[]
Vital[]
Type: Knightly Infantry
Available to: Friesland
Trained at: Assembly Hall
Century: 14th
Requires: Castle
Cost: 65 Food, 40 Florins
Combat[]
HP: 48
Attack: 9
Armor/Pierce Armor: 0/5
Special: +2 vs. ships, lancers and buildings. Slowly heals itself.
Upgrades[]
Upgrades to: Partiefiuchter
Upgrade century: 15th
Upgrade costs: 1300 Food, 550 Florins
Attack: Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace, Karelsprivileezje (Frisian Unique Technology), Swordsmanship
Armour: Scale Armour. Mail Armour, Plate Armour
Speed: Squires
LOS: Pathfinding
Training time: Indenture
Commentary/Strategy[]
The Hobescorene is a pretty decent unit. Its rather high pierce armour and regenration ability make this unit effective against forward towers and small archer squads. However, its lack of melee armour and slow speed make it vulnerable to melee units and big archer armies. Hobs also have a bonus against ships and lancers. Although advertised as their main special ability, it's really just a side dish since, after all, pikemen can do the job just as well and at lower costs. They make fairly decent fighters, and their regeneration ability saves time and silver on priests, but generally, it's best to rely on cheaper units until the Kriichsman upgrade.
Historical background[]
The Frisians were famous at the beginning of the thirteenth century as one of the bravest people of Europe. They had fought hard during the Crusades and this had not gone unnoticed. However, when they, in 1251, killed the King of the Romans and Count of Holland, Willem II, in a battle near Hoogwoud, they were suddenly despised and viewed as barbaric. This unchivalrous act made them few friends, and when the event repeated itself and Willem IV of Holland was also killed in battle, they could forget ever losing their reputation of being savage plunderers.
The Hobescorene shaved off part of his cranial hair to denote his free status (hobescorene means the front half of the head hair, up unto the ears, was shaved off).