Gallowglass
Gallowglass is a Heavy infantry mercenary available from common mercenary buildings. Its Oberhau is a charged area melee attack, suited to close engagements where several enemies can be reached together.
Recorded values
- Cost
- 220 Coin
- Available
- Commerce Age · Tavern (Europeans) ; Monastery (Asians) ; Saloon (Americans) ; Palace (Africans) ; Lombard (Italians)
- Training
- 40 sec · 2 population · 30 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 222 hit points · 40% hand resistance · 5.5 speed · 12 line of sight
- Siege attack
- 30 base damage · range 9 · attack interval 3.0
- Hand attack
- 30 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · area of effect 2 · bonus damage: 2.0x vs. Cavalry; 1.5x vs. Shock troops
- Oberhau attack (charged)
- 50 base damage · attack interval 1.5 · area of effect 2 · recharge 36
Role, availability & values
The unit is recruited through a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace or Lombard depending on civilization. It has a two-population cost, strong hand and siege attacks, and a charged Oberhau with an area effect; the price and access make it a deliberate army investment.
Matchup & timing
Send Gallowglass into a fight after the frontline has occupied the opponent, then use Oberhau against a clustered group. Keep it away from ranged units that can damage it before it reaches melee range.
Fast mercenary infantry with area attacks
The Gallowglass is a Commerce Age mercenary heavy infantry unit introduced in The Baltic Powers. It costs 220 Coin, trains in 40 seconds and uses two population. Its current profile is 222 hit points, 40% hand resistance, speed 5.5 and line of sight 12. The ordinary hand attack deals 30 damage every 1.5 seconds in an area of 2, with a 2.0 multiplier against Cavalry and 1.5 against Shock Troops. Its siege attack deals 30 damage at range 9 every three seconds. The charged Oberhau attack deals 50 damage in an area of 2 and recharges after 36 seconds. Those values make it a mobile melee mercenary that can fight cavalry and damage structures, while its area attack adds value against clustered units. The Gallowglass is available earlier than many heavy mercenaries, but the 220 Coin price and two-population use make each one a meaningful investment. It blends traits of Rodeleros and Doppelsöldners, but is not a replacement for a ranged unit: it must close to attack and can be countered by Light Infantry, counter-skirmishers, Artillery and MercType2 mercenaries. Use its speed to reach a flank or protect ranged units from cavalry; do not send it alone through a skirmisher line. Its 40% hand resistance reduces melee damage but should not be confused with ranged resistance, so keep it away from focused ranged attacks. Oberhau is the signature charged attack. Use it after the enemy has committed to the melee, when the two-area hit can reach a cluster, instead of triggering it on an isolated target. The 36-second recharge encourages saving the ability for a decisive engagement. Ordinary attacks already deal area damage, so the unit can still contribute between charges. Its nine-range siege attack lets it help threaten a structure from a short distance, but the Gallowglass remains a melee frontline and needs support while attacking a defended building. Production options depend on the civilization. Europeans can use a Tavern, Asians a Monastery, Americans a Saloon, Africans a Palace and Italians a Lombard. Germany can train them through the Adler von Lübeck Home City Card from a Battleship if the unit is available in the Tavern. Poles can unlock Tavern production by choosing The Mercenary Contractor to advance to the Fortress Age. The United States’ Poker card can include them in random mercenary shipments and may enable them in Saloons. These routes differ from ordinary unit production and should be checked before building a deck around Gallowglasses. In a mixed force, use Gallowglasses to intercept cavalry and keep the opponent from reaching fragile infantry or artillery. Pair them with ranged units that handle Heavy Infantry and counter-skirmishers. Their speed makes them useful for a counterattack after the enemy commits elsewhere, and their siege damage can convert a won fight into pressure on a nearby building. If the opponent has no cavalry or clustered melee troops, another unit may provide better value for 220 Coin.
Mercenary timing and battlefield trade-offs
A Commerce Age Gallowglass can arrive before many Fortress Age mercenaries, which gives it a timing advantage, but 220 Coin per unit can slow an age-up or other Coin-heavy production. Hire a small group when cavalry or clustered melee units are the immediate problem, and use the remaining resources for ranged support. Its hand resistance supports a close fight but does not protect it from ranged infantry; its 5.5 speed allows a flank but is not enough to escape every cavalry unit. The charged Oberhau has a 36-second recharge, so coordinate the activation with a frontline engagement. Its 30-damage siege attack at range 9 helps pressure a building after defenders have been removed, but the Gallowglass should not be left to attack a structure while counter-skirmishers or artillery are free to fire.
Recruit only when Coin can support the plan
Because the Gallowglass is a mercenary rather than ordinary Barracks infantry, its production depends on a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace or Lombard route, or on a civilization-specific card. Check the available roster and coin reserve before queueing. Two Gallowglasses can hold a cavalry approach, but a larger force consumes Coin that may be needed for age advancement. Pair them with ranged units that can answer counter-skirmishers, and use the area hand attack to protect those troops rather than walking into Artillery fire.
Oberhau and close-range area pressure
The Gallowglass is a mercenary Heavy infantry unit whose charged Oberhau gives it a way to damage several enemies during a close engagement. Its 222 hit points and 40% hand resistance help it survive contact once the frontline has reached the opponent, while its two-population cost makes a few units a meaningful commitment. Oberhau is most useful against a clustered group; using the charge on a lone target or before the enemy is occupied wastes its area potential. The unit must still cross the distance to melee range, so ranged fire can weaken it on approach. Let the main frontline engage first, then send Gallowglass into a position where the charged attack can connect safely.
Hiring access and force composition
Depending on civilization, Gallowglass can be hired through a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace or Lombard. The 220-Coin price and 40-second training time make it a deliberate mercenary purchase, and the same Coin supply may be needed for other units or technologies. Scout whether the enemy has enough ranged damage or anti-infantry troops to stop the approach before committing. Gallowglass can anchor a close fight and its siege attack helps maintain pressure, but it does not provide the mobility to chase every target. Pair it with units that can pin down ranged opponents and protect it from cavalry. Reinforce from a safe hiring site so the group can sustain pressure after the initial Oberhau connects.