Peasant Long Spearmen

are a melee infantry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer III.
== Recruitment ==
* Unlocked with: Hamlet, Bastion Gatehouse or Wei-Jin (Tower)
== Description ==
Cathay has thousands of villages and towns outside its grand cities, each expected to raise a militia should the Dragon Emperor call. With their simple spears and bows, these provincial troops are not as well equipped as the professional armies of the empire, but are far more numerous and no less organised. The will of the Dragon makes the lowliest subject of Grand Cathay fight harder than those sworn to mere mortal Lords, while the Jade Warriors and other professional soldiers never flinch when a peasant formation breaks. Invariably, peasants fulfil their purpose, slowing enemies down until they can be dealt with by superior fighters.
== Attributes ==
== Unit Abilities ==
=== Passive Abilities ===
* Battle Harmony: Yang
== Strategy ==
For a Tier 0 unit (they can be recruited anywhere you own a city), Cathayan Peasants are surprisingly solid. They have the coveted Expert Charge Defence and Charge Reflection traits, and when in harmony with a nearby ranged unit and boosted by a Lords Leadership aura, can prevent enemy units from breaking through your frontline easily. Just don't expect them to do great amounts of damage, that's what your archers and crossbowmen are for. Peasant Spears remain useful even in the middle and late campaign game because their armor, melee defence, veterancy and casualty replenishment can be massively boosted through technology, buildings and Lord skills, so you can still use them if you're strapped for money and/or can't afford enough Jade Warriors. Their biggest weakness is a lack of shields, and because they are packed into such a tight, defensive formation, they make prime targets for any enemy missile units and artillery as well as area-of-effect magic, so make sure to neutralize these threats with your own firepower before they decimate your Peasant Spears.