To the lords sworn to House Lancaster:
You and I have not forgotten Towton, 1461.
That blizzard shrouded the grimmest slaughter yet upon English soil. What flowed through the Cock Beck was no longer icewater, but the warm blood of twenty thousand brothers.
From that agony we learned a hard lesson: on the wet, cold, muddy moors of the North, when old square formations lose maneuver, when the militia's inferior steel curls and dulls, the infantry line is fragile indeed before the rebels' fully armored heavy Cavalry.
To keep that tragedy from ever returning—and so that the Red Rose may one day be planted upon the throne—the War Council has approved a comprehensive rearmament.
Effective immediately, the Lancastrian Billmen are officially mustered.
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I. Armament Dossier
Please study this implement well. Do not mistake it for the sickle your peasants use to cut wheat.
In recent months we have spent dearly to bring from the Italian peninsula masterpieces of Milanese craft.
Unlike the native bills we once wielded, the Italian design is exacting—and merciless:
- Spear point: keen enough to pierce the weak seams of plate in the crush of melee.
- Bill blade: broad and weighty, able to hew through light helms.
- Hooked barb: its most efficient and ruthless feature—hamstring a horse, drag a knight down. It exists to haul those lofty foes into the mud.
Above all, in the tight alleys of the northern castles, this bill will be the nightmare of every intruder.
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II. Equipment Traits
Clad in House Lancaster's deep-crimson surcoat, mail beneath, and spiked heavy plate without, this guard exists for one purpose: to be the thorns that shield the Red Rose.
- [Iron Thorns]
While in Brace stance, the Billmen's spiked plate grants damage reduction and inflicts Bleeding on melee attackers.
- [Blood Rose]
When dealing damage to Bleeding enemies, the Billmen restore their own Health.
- [Bill Hook]
When not Braced, the Billmen can turn freely; damaging Cavalry slows their movement speed.
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III. Tactical Orders
Intelligence confirms the rebels still worship the charge of heavy cavalry. Let the edge of the bill teach those Yorkists that hunter and prey have traded places. Lords, ensure every soldier receives these commands:
- Order I: [Rooted]
Command the unit to crouch and enter Brace stance. While Braced, they cannot turn, but inflict massive damage to fast-moving enemies.
Issue the order again to shift into the [Bramble] stance, regaining free turning; however, their damage against fast-moving enemies is reduced.
- Order II: [Thorns]
Trigger different effects based on current stance:
- Standing: Empowers the next attack.
- Brace: Max targets increase by 1.
- Bramble: Boosts the healing effect of [Blood Rose] by 100%.
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IV. Muster Orders
Upon the battlements, the Red Rose banner snaps in the cold wind.
These precious Milanese armaments have reached the quartermaster's stores. They are the House's last gold—and our hope to reclaim the throne. Spare no reward; arm your soldiers.
Victory to Lancaster.
—The War Council
*War Council Notice: All armaments and descriptions are ultimately governed by front-line battlefield conditions.