The Lombards represent the Germanic settlers originally residing in Central Europe before migrating to Northern Italy, naming the region of Lombardy after themselves. They conquered most northern Italian cities except Pavia and established a kingdom which lasted until 774 AD, when Charlemagne conquered it and incorporated it into the Frankish Empire. There continued to be a lasting Lombard presence in southern Italy until the 11th century, when they were conquered by the Normans and incorporated into Sicily.
The Lombards differentiate themselves from the Italians by having a clear early medieval theme, with no gunpowder at all, and their Germanic heritage also sets them apart culturally and ethnically. They also play radically differently from the Goths, with an emphasis on the importance of upgrades, as all of their units are generic without them. There’s also a very unique building their gameplay centers around, as we shall see.
The Lombard campaign revolves around Alboin (560-572), a king who warred with the Gepids, allying with the Avar king Bayan I (who would have his own campaign) to do so, then setting his sights on Italy after being forced to migrate and conquering many important cities before being unceremoniously assassinated during a coup.
The Lombards have the Mediterranean architecture set, which hopefully would be far less bloated by the time of their introduction. They have the Byzantine Monastery design, with classic Monks. Their unique Castle is based on Castello di Musso:
Meanwhile, their Wonder is the Basilica of Santissimo Salvatore, a major mausoleum for Lombard kings.
The Lombards are an infantry and cavalry civilization. Let’s look at their design to see why that is.
Civilization Bonuses
- Start with +2 villagers, but with no Town Center; first Town Center built 200% faster (except in Nomad settings)
The 2 extra villagers from this bonus don’t appear right away, and instead require a Town Center to appear, just like the Chinese and Mayan bonuses. This means that the Town Center must be placed quickly in order to gain an advantage over other civilizations.
This bonus references how the Lombards had to migrate from their homeland in Pannonia after Alboin feared a betrayal from the now-powerful Avars.
- Villagers +1 attack vs cavalry per age
This bonus probably represents the village conscripts that made up large portions of the early Lombard armies. They were expected to contribute to defense in larger battles.
- First Blacksmith line upgrades cost nothing
To explain further: This bonus specifically affects Forging, Fletching, Scale Mail Armor, Scale Barding Armor, and Padded Archer Armor. No other Blacksmith techs are affected. The techs must still be researched, but they do not have a cost, which is different from other “free tech” bonuses. However, combined with the team bonus, it allows the Lombards to have an early leg up on opponents for basically any Feudal strategy, making it very flexible.
This bonus, along with the team bonus, represents the Lombard heritage of blacksmithing, which gave them a major advantage in battle. They brought this skill over to Italy, and even gave modern Italian a word reflecting this: maniscalco (blacksmith).
- Can build Borghi starting in the Feudal Age (limit of 1 until the Castle Age)
I’ll discuss more about the Borgo later, as it’s very complicated and very unconventional, and requires a lot of care to use well.
- Team bonus: First Blacksmith free and built 100% faster
As mentioned a moment ago, this bonus references the Lombards’ great skill with blacksmithing.
Unique Unit 1: Gastald
-
This is a heavy cavalry unit with the ability to deal full trample damage one tile in front, allowing it to damage potentially two units at the same time. This effect adds up quickly in large battles, allowing Gastaldi to have a very powerful snowball effect. To balance this out, it has very low attack, at a mere 7 (9 for Elite). It has 100 HP (120 for Elite), same as a Knight (or Cavalier), and moves the same speed. It has 2/2 armor just like a Knight, making them very comparable in every manner except for attack. It costs 55 food and 60 gold.
-
Gastaldi were officials in charge of certain portions of the crown lands, be it villages, towns, or entire districts. They possessed civil, martial, and judicial powers. The rank of gastald remained in Italy over the centuries, but its significance diminished over time. In Old High German, a related word meant “steward,” and a similar word also meant this in Middle English.
Unique Unit 2: Arimannus
-
The Arimannus is a fast infantry unit exclusive to Nomadic Borghi (the default version), starting in the Feudal Age. It has a speed of 1, same as a Pikeman, with 7 attack in the Feudal Age, 10 in the Castle Age, and 12 for Elite. It has 2 melee armor and 0 pierce armor, making it predominantly a melee specialist. To emphasize this, it has an attack bonus of 5 against infantry in the Feudal Age, 10 in the Castle Age, and 13 for Elite. It has 50 HP in the Feudal Age, 60 HP in the Castle Age, and 75 for Elite. It costs 60 food and 30 gold, and takes 20 seconds to train.
-
Arimanni were a class of freemen warriors in Lombard Italy. Initially, they were trained soldiers, but after the Frankish conquest, they slowly deteriorated in skill until they were barely higher than serfs in terms of social standing. They were landowners with only a few tenants living on their properties or none at all, much like knights in other parts of Europe. They held local public office and became crucial to controlling the lands from the crown, as Carolingian kings soon learned.
Unique Building: Borgo
-
This rather bizarre 4x4 building is buildable from the start of the Feudal Age, but with a limit of 1 initially. Like Town Centers, they are capable of training villagers, but notably at a much faster rate, at 15 seconds compared to 25. They can also train scouts in 20 seconds as opposed to 30 from the Stable, and are also the only building where Arimanni can be trained. They cost 250 wood, 200 stone, have 2400 HP, and also act as universal drop-offs. They can also fire arrows if up to 10 villagers or archers are garrisoned, with an attack of 5 and a range of 6. They will not fire arrows if ungarrisoned, and their range cannot be upgraded. They provide 10 population space.
-
Starting in the Castle Age, individual Borghi, by default listed as Nomadic, can be upgraded to Settled Borghi for the cost of 200 wood each time, receiving a new appearance. The transformation takes 20 seconds and cannot be reverted. Settled Borghi cannot train Arimanni or scouts and take longer to train villagers, at 50 seconds each, but they gain the ability to train swordsmen in 10 seconds and Knights in 15 seconds. In addition, they also gain an extra 2 attack, automatically fire 4 arrows, can have their range upgraded, receive 4800 HP, and can garrison and support 20 population.
-
Borgo is the Lombard word for “village,” still used in modern Italian to this day. The building’s dual purpose reflects the Lombards’ Germanic origins as unsettled raiders pre-migration, until they stayed in Italy, settled down, and formed organized villages while assimilating into the local culture.
Unique Technologies
Shield Wall: Swordsmen and Arimanni have +3 pierce armor
-
Cost: 400 food, 300 gold
-
This technology enhances the durability of the swordsman line and also partially mitigates one of the Arimannus’ biggest weaknesses, that being ranged units. Its 0 base pierce armor means that it is exceptionally vulnerable to all archers and defensive buildings. Elite Arimanni don’t receive any extra pierce armor, meaning that with all upgrades, they end up with 7 pierce armor, which is a lot, but still less than other units like the Elite Huskarl or Elite Tarkan. Swordsmen, for their part, end up with 2 extra pierce armor compared to other civilizations, due to lacking Gambesons. This enhances their survivability when fighting against some of their hardest matchups.
-
One of the tactics that the Lombards came to use was the shield wall. A common tactic amongst other Germanic peoples, the Lombards adapted it after the Norman conquest due to the waning effectiveness of their signature raiding strategy. Shield walls protected the infantry while cavalry acted as the main attacking force with archers providing ranged support. This adaptation came to be used after the 11th century in response to the need for more organized troops.
Gairethinx: infantry and cavalry attack 20% faster within 10 tiles of a Castle or Settled Borgo
-
Cost: 600 food, 250 gold
-
This technology increases the offensive potential of Lombard melee units within reasonable proximity to defensive buildings. Faster attack speed is crucial when choosing engagements, and forcing the opponent to target a defensive structure or face the consequences adds a great deal of strategic depth. It also adds yet another advantage to the Settled Borgo beyond defense and the production of heavier units.
-
The gairethinx was a type of ceremony in Lombard society where edicts and laws were confirmed by the local military. They could have been loud events, with the banging together of spears and shields, or they could have been quieter affairs. The Edict of Rothari in 643 was affirmed by a gairethinx.
Tech Tree:
Missing Units: Eagle line, Arbalester, Elephant Archer, Heavy Cavalry Archer, Hand Cannoneer, Paladin, Camel Rider, Battle Elephant, Steppe Lancer, Siege Onager, Bombard Cannon, Heavy Demolition Ship, Cannon Galleon.
Missing Techs: Gambesons, Parthian Tactics, Atonement, Illumination, Block Printing, Hoardings, Sappers, Fortified Wall, Keep, Heated Shot, Bombard Tower, Siege Engineers, Arrowslits, Crop Rotation, Stone Shaft Mining, Guilds.
