Trupanon

All brave in arms, well trained to wield The heavy halberd, brand, and shield

&mdash; Walter Scott, The Lady of the Lake (Canto III)

Overall strategy
Unlike convention Krion or Siege Towers, Trupanon are faster to build and move around, and are also more capable at doing their job - which is to demolish Towers and Forts. However, that still doesn't make them any more useful against enemy cavalry and elephants (or advanced siege engines such as Lithoboloi). It is still, however, resistant to ranged attacks - so it can do double duty, be it drawing fire from enemy missile units to protect your heavy infantry, or being professional fort busters.

As a result, the main use of a Trupanos in combat remains mostly unchanged from the ca - move it in, hard and fast and keep an eye out for enemy cavalry, with plans for neutralising them.

Unit summary

 * Sitting Ducks &mdash; Although halberdiers have a ferocious attack that makes them dangerous infantry counters, their weak armour and slower walking speed make them fair game for better-equipped cavalry archers and Knights.

History
Pre-20th century Chinese armies predominantly used four classes of melee weapons, which were the Dao (sabre), Qiang (spear), Jian (sword) and Ji.

Of these, the Ji was a weapon unique to China, being a polearm with a steel or bronze tip mounted on the end of a long shaft, next to which is attached a curved blade. Because of the attachment of the curved blade, the weapon can be used to both stab and slash.

The Ji was first used during the Shang Dynasty (17th-11th centuries BCE), when it was made of bronze. It was popularized during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256BCE), when it was made of steel instead. Conflict with the nomadic tribes of Mongolia and Siberia soon resulted in the Ji being replaced by Qiang-type spears as well as other polearms.