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This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
| NOTE: This article is exclusively about the Speartons from the main series, so please, do not add any information about Kill the Spartan, as the game is a non-canon spin off. |
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| “ | We are the Speartons! born to die, but not before them! | „ |
| ~ The Speartons' motto and most famous quote. |
The Speartons, also called Mighty Speartons, are recurring heroes in the Stick War franchise.
They are powerful elite units of the Order Empire, known for their dexterity and extensive weaponry. They were originally units of the Spearton Empire, but they joined the Order and shared their technology to unify the rest of the countries of Inamorta in peace.
Although they lately joined the rebels to overthrow the Order due to severe damage to their homelands, embracing their nationalism again, they returned to the forces of Order to face the Chaos Empire led by Medusa, a greater and darker threat. After Medusa’s death and the temporary defeat of the whole Chaos, the Speartons are still fighting with honor and brotherhood under Atreyos’ command, their current general and leader.
Like most of the characters, they were voiced by Piotr Michael.
Concept and creation[]
The creation of the Speartons is credited to Jason Whitham/Crazy Jay and Brock White, as they were the only developers behind the project since the start, and Jason founded the entertainment website where the game was published, the famous and memorable Stick Page.
The development of the first game, initially called Stick RTS, started around 2005 and 2006[3], after the release of the 300 live action film in the same year, both creators of the franchise used the Spartans as a major inspiration to create the Speartons, most notably for their appearance and title, as their alias is a combination between the words “Spear” (their main weapon) and “Spartan”[4].
A team of 7 Speartons approaches a giant swordsman while one of them throws his spear; this scene belongs to the Stick RTS trailer in 2007.
In the trailer of Stick RTS, they were already running to battle and fighting together against every opponent in their way, their unique features were saved for the final version of the game in 2009, now called Stick War.
The inspiration in Spartans was even more obvious in times of SW II. In all their illustrations, they were more similar to the Spartans from the movie, wearing long red capes, sandals with leg protectors and helmets and bracelets made of bronze.
Speartons were also portrayed as cold and deadly. They had three killing animations in SW II and SE with three specific units; this side was also seen in the trailer, with the unnamed Spearton commander killing a small group of Swordwraths, in a spectacular sequence that references the scene where Leonidas was killing Persian soldiers[5]. All of this created a shocking image to the players, but this wasn’t for long.
The Stick War series has evolved, and the characters are more defined currently, in Speartons’ case. They became more heroic; using their shields to protect their allies, and showing respect for fallen teammates. The level of violence of the series was reduced in the mobile games for the new public, and the Speartons also went through this change.
Voice[]
Speartons didn’t have real voices until 2012; only voice samples taken from other media were used for them. Although KTS presented a Spearton talking[6], no one was voicing him.
The first time they actually spoke was in SW II, with all of them being voiced by American voice actor Piotr Michael. When the player activates the ability Shield Wall, every Spearton will say “Speartons, Hough!” While they use their shields to protect themselves, their next incarnations were voiced by the same actor as well.
Participations[]
This list includes every appearance of the Speartons in the franchise so far, these are:
Appearance[]
The Speartons are usually black stick figures with spartan-like helmets and visible white eyes; they carry long spears, short swords, and round shields. It is very well known that their equipment is heavy, but they have enough strength to carry it all thanks to their rigorous training.
They wouldn't change their weapons for anything, but their designs and quality can vary. In most games, the Speartons start using low-quality weapons, but the player can use the obtained upgrade points to improve Speartons' items. At their peak, the Speartons will wear magnificent armors, and they will be extremely effective.
The concept of skins for Speartons was first implemented in SE, but those skins lacked any additional power for them, unlike SWL and SW III, where skins can give them unique and useful abilities.
It is also stated again that not all of them use the same armor, as generals used helmets and weapons with unique designs, being these Spearos, Atreyos and Adicai; this also applies with high-ranking units like the Golden Speartons and Elite Speartons.
Equipment[]
The following section describes in detail each one of the Speartons' items to complement the previous section, these are:
The Helmet[]
- The Spearton wears a sturdy and imposing helmet, with long nose and cheek guards, providing additional protection for the face. This helmet is decorated with long red crests, not only for aesthetic value, but also to show superiority over their rivals. It is very possible that the helmet has an internal piece to stay in the same position while the soldier moves.
The Spear[]
- The spear, also called dory, is a long stick that possesses a sharp iron head. This is a lethal weapon that can be thrown with enough strength to finish off the enemy if they are far away. A group of Speartons can stab their enemies with their spears while they cover themselves with their shields. The spear is by far their most symbolic weapon.
The Shield[]
- The shield of a Spearton has wood inside and has an exterior cover made of bronze or iron, the shield is known by its large circular shape, which allows it to be used for many strategies. A group of Speartons (usually four to eight) can make a phalanx to take cover from distance or massive attacks. The shield is mostly used for defensive purposes but is also used to stun enemy units.
The Sword[]
- They are also equipped with a kopis, a secondary blade used by Speartons once their spears are thrown. The kopis is a steel-curved sword with a square grip. This sword is used for stabbing and is ultimately a sign of their bravery.
Statistics[]
This section includes the characteristics of each version of the Speartons in the games.
Stick War[]
- Damage by default: 24 medium, 28 medium (first spear upgrade), 34 medium (second spear upgrade).
- Controlled by player: 72 high, 86 high (with the first upgrade), 103 high (with the second upgrade).
- Cost: 400 Gold
- Population: 1
- Special Abilities: Spear Throw and Combat
Stick War II: Order Empire and Stick Empires[]
- Damage: 12 (+5 vs light)
- Health: 6 bars (400 HP)
- Damage per second: 9.0
- Attack Speed: 0.76
- Movement Speed: 5.8 (average)
- Cost: 450 gold and 50 mana
- Population: 3
- Special Abilities: Shield Wall, Shield Phalanx and Shield Bash
Stick War: Legacy[]
- Damage by default: 15 (first spear), 18 (spear with the first upgrade), 22 (spear with the second upgrade), 26 (spear with the third upgrade).
- Spear throw by default: Front + Headshot = 130 damage, Back + Headshot = 130 damage (260 formerly).
- Spear throw controlled by player: Statue = 120 damage, Front = 400 damage, Front + Headshot = 460 damage, Back = 800 damage, Back + Headshot = 460 damage (960 formerly).
- Spear throw by default: Front + Headshot = 130 damage, Back + Headshot = 130 damage (260 formerly).
- Health: 440 HP (first gear), 572 HP (second gear), 743 (third gear), 966 HP (fourth gear).
- Damage per second: 11.25 (first tier), 14.0625 (second tier), 16.875 (third tier), 19.6875 (fourth tier).
- Attack Speed: 0.75 a/s
- Movement Speed: 1.13 m/s
- Cost: 500 gold (450 gold if the Spearton uses leaf skin).
- Population: 2
- Training Time: 12 seconds
- Special Abilities: Headbutt and Spearton Madness
Stick War: Saga[]
- Damage: 10 (+5 vs light)
- Health: 450 (heavy)
- Cost: 450 gold and 50 crystals
- Training Time: 17 seconds
History[]
This section features an abbreviated look at Speartons' story, focusing primarily on their mainline adventures; the whole story of the series cannot be attributed to Speartons but to the Order.
Note: Because two of the three campaigns in Stick War III have not yet been released, this section is temporarily incomplete. Remember to remove this note if you add Speartons' story in both campaigns.
Past[]
The Spearton country/empire was founded before the massive expansion of the Order; this nation used Speartons as its main military, and they were trained exhaustively to become masters of combat.
Present[]
| “ | And Speartons, the way of the spear. | „ |
| ~ The narrator mentions Speartons as one of the nations of Inamorta. |
The original Spearton country, founded by Spearos.
Speartons are introduced as followers of the way of the spear; like the rest of the nations, they sought supremacy over their world only through their technology. The Order faced them with a newly formed army of Swordwraths and Archidons. The Speartons underestimated them, but in battle, their efforts were in vain; they were defeated and acquired as the Order's new heavy infantry. Throughout the rest of the Order's advance on Inamorta, the Speartons served as versatile and powerful soldiers.
Their courageous heart was seen again in the last stand, as a lone Spearton (who possibly was King Zarek) ran to kill the final Giant; despite being mocked by the creature, the Spearton threw his spear to his face, killing him, after this, the Order unified the nations of Inamorta in peace.
Unfortunately, this period didn't last forever. After the massive damage to each nation and thousands of deaths caused by the Order's crusade, the once unified nations rebelled against the Order. The leaders gathered their troops to turn them into a vengeful army; each rebel nation relocated to different lands, and the Speartons were no exception; they were the first nation to fight the Order, but they got defeated again. After rejoining, the Speartons became crucial for the Empire's victories over the rebellion, but in those violent fights, the Order and the rebels were ignoring an immense threat that could wipe out everything. Our heroes meet Medusa in No Man's Land after capturing one of her giants. She threatened to destroy them, but fortunately, a group of representatives of the rebels arrived to offer a truce with the Order to overthrow this sadistic woman; this meant that all the Speartons could now fight together.
The Speartons played a major role as defense, but they also had to confront new rivals, such as the ferocious Crawlers and ruthless Jugger Knights. The Speartons didn't hesitate to kill them with all their power. Thanks to this union, the Order pushed Chaos back to its first capital; in this final mission, the Speartons and their allies were killing the remaining forces of Chaos and went to destroy their last statue, but just when they were close to doing it, Medusa came out of the castle and turned them into stone. The Order sent immediate reinforcements, and they finally killed Medusa, apparently giving a crushing end to Chaos.
King Zarek and Zilaros arrived at the castle shortly after this. Zarek made a deal with a fire elemental to set their kind free in exchange for a mysterious map. The king sent a caped Spearton to obtain the map with the elementals’ guidance. Once he got it, Zarek was fascinated with the map’s content, but he was assaulted by a Marrowkai and the elementals also interfered, ultimately, the map was shattered in three pieces. The caped Spearton cheeked if Zarek was alright and he still got a piece of the map, the Speartons were led by an experienced Atreyos and they fought bravely throughout these new territories, and also defeated higher threats like giant Lunarclops, Chaos’ new undead armies and the rebel generals.
Behavior[]
| “ | Spearton: I will end this, for the Order Empire! Giant: (takes him and laughs) puny Spearton. Spearton: This! ends! NOW! |
„ |
| ~ The unnamed Spearton's last words to the final giant before killing him. |
Speartons are known for being fearless and bold, as they have shown an immense bravery to all kinds of enemies. The fact that they carry heavy equipment with zero problems is one of the greatest proofs of their determined will, but they also have a deep loyalty for their leaders, maintaining a strong but obedient behavior.
They have also been very violent and homicidal, not showing any sign of mercy with their enemies and giving them graphic deaths. Although some of their kills can be justified because some rivals were literal monsters and personified dark forms, this doesn't apply to all units; many of them expressed suffering while dying. Knowing this, Speartons can't be described as sadistic men, but as extremists who took questionable methods to achieve their goals, but they also reject injustice fervently, whether due to collateral damage or unfair deaths; they're only killing when they see it necessary; their reckless attitude has led them to confront authorities, but they're open to a fair reconciliation.
One serious mistake they've made is being too drastic, which leads them to inflict major damage on enemies who most likely had understandable motives to do what they do.
The caped Spearton checking Zarek's well-being after the explosion in the Chaos' castle, from Stick War III.
The Speartons have lives filled with perseverance and sacrifice; to achieve their status, they have undergone extensive and rigorous training; to be prepared with peak physical capacities and mastery of weapons, they see death as another step to fulfill their work; as they are constantly in war, they highly esteem allies that sacrificed their lives for a greater purpose; they certainly resist pain with impressive self-domain; they also overcome deadly threats and emerged victorious from exhausting days with the same skill.
They share a big desire with the Order's army to give their best effort and to succeed in every mission; sometimes they have expressed joy for doing their job efficiently.
The impulsive side of Swordwraths has a brutal contrast with Speartons’ discipline, not only in action but also in equipment, as while the swordsmen only use their primary weapon, the Speartons use a lot of gear even on minor battles. Speartons are indeed superior to most units, but this also turned them into arrogant and cocky fighters before joining Orders' troops.
Although they don't show these traits often, Speartons can also be caring, gentle, and protective. They have managed to have enough self-control to show kindness, since they are the first defensive line in every Order's army, they bravely use their shields to cover their allies from all the rival offenses; they fight alongside them until the last second; not helping is never a choice for them unlike saving their teammates; Speartons become way more stronger when their number increases, having a powerful sense of brotherhood and preferring to fight together as one.
Powers and abilities[]
| “ | Speartons, HOUGH! | „ |
| ~ Speartons' quote when they form a Shield Wall. |
- Spear throwing: this is the signature move of all Speartons; thanks to this skill, they can highly injure their opponent, even if they are far away. Once they have thrown their spears, they will take out their kopis to continue fighting.
- Excellent physical condition: It is heavily implied that Speartons have a top physical condition like real-life Spartans; since they use a wide number of weapons that they use every time, they also have peak physical capacities because of their complex training, which grants a Spearton an imponent body; thanks to this, they can do surprising moves that would be impossible for other units, such as cutting and piercing limbs with their spears/swords. Spartans' full equipment weighed 25-35 kg[7], and considering Speartons are directly based in them, it can be stated they have formidable strength.
- Indomitable will and bravery: For being heavy units and the first defensive line in each army, the Speartons have an unbreakable bravery and willpower; they fight tirelessly against any opponent who stands in their way, and they will seek to complete the mission successfully no matter the cost; they've killed fierce rivals and malefic creatures without a second thought, demonstrating immense skill and fearsome offensive. The Speartons are very outspoken and go straight to the point, but even in the roughest fight, they would never retreat to the castle unless ordered to do so. Because of their severity. The Speartons have been seen as berserkers that sweep away everything in their path.
- Experience: They've learned a lot over their long years of service; this is why Speartons are indeed master tacticians who deploy their counterattacks in ingenious ways. When a considerable group of Speartons position themselves at the front, they will form a shield wall to cushion the enemies' attacks. Not only that, they're also capable of stunning them with a shield bash, an ability that directly derives from the initial defense. They can stab their enemies with their spears or swords while taking cover, allowing them to advance once their main adversaries have fallen.
Now with new skins, they can access additional epic powers.
Uses[]
An army made up of 12 Archidons in the back and 16 Speartons at the front.
The following section presents a complete list about many ways to use Speartons in the games.
Stick War and Stick War: Legacy[]
- Speartons serve as highly durable units, able to be offensive and defensive.
- One of the best strategies for them is their combination with Archidons, called Spearcher.
- Throwing their spears can immediately kill Archers and Magikills; it can also be very effective with giants.
- In SWL, Speartons can be healed by Merics while they cover themselves with their shields.
- To make a phalanx, you'll need 8 Speartons (4 in each line), so one row can attack while the other defends.
Stick War II: Order Empire and Stick Empires[]
- An army of Speartons and Archidons can be even more powerful in both games, and considering both units move at a similar speed, this turns them into a powerful and uniform force.
- Another effective strategy is to create a deadlock between Speartons, Archidons and Merics. Speartons will make a shield wall, Archidons will do the main damage, and Merics will heal Speartons; this is one of the most ingenious strategies the player can do.
Stick War: Saga[]
- Like the rest of their versions, the Speartons are highly versatile, as they can protect ranged units very well, but they are also a great choice to beat melee units like Sicklewraths and Crawlers.
- An enchanted pike can increase their range and damage.
- Forming an army of Archidons and Speartons is also very useful.
Counterings[]
This section features a complete list about how to beat Speartons across the games.
Stick War and Stick War: Legacy[]
- Speartons can be easily defeated by a large army of Swordwraths
- Magikills are extremely useful to beat a Spearton; they can first use their explosion to stun them and summon minions to destroy them.
Stick War II: Order Empire and Stick Empires[]
- Just like in SWL, a big army of Swordwraths can beat a Spearton and even faster if they use rage.
- An army of Archidons made of 10 to 20 units is also useful to beat a Spearton
- Speartons are very vulnerable to flying crossbowmen, and even more so if they have blazing bolts.
- Both flying archers can't get any attack from a Spearton.
- A Magikill can severely damage a Spearton with an electric wall.
- Speartons can have difficulties beating an enslaved giant and a savage giant.
Stick War: Saga[]
- Magikills are very useful to stun a group of Speartons and cause them temporal burn damage, and minions can easily distract them.
- Swordwraths can now do additional damage to heavy units, which means they can do more damage over Speartons with leaps.
- Speartons can be overwhelmed by dozens of enemies.
- Blocking only reduces a certain amount of damage on each attack, making it less effective against attacks from giants, toxic deads, and Shadowraths.
Weaknesses[]
Despite their strength and durability, Speartons are considerably slower for their heavy gear; this becomes more notable in a comparison with Swordwraths and Shadowraths, and if they use heavier armor, Speartons' movement will be more decreased.
Inside Stick War lore, Speartons became quite proud and arrogant, which led to their defeat in their first battle against Order. Not only this, but they were also using basic weaponry, which confirms they are weaker if they do not have proper equipment.
In SWII and SE, they are durable but vulnerable to most special attacks; they can be temporarily stunned by enslaved and savage giants, and by the charge of a Jugger Knight, they can also be poisoned by Medusa or by an undead, so if a poisoned Spearton isn't cured by a Meric in time, he will die in a matter of minutes, but the worst weakness is that they can't do any damage to flying units.
In the “Endless Deads” gamemode, some zombies will take them by surprise, while others will be almost impossible to kill due to their aggressive attacks.
They work as infantry units in fact, but if they get overwhelmed by dozens of different attacks, they will be brutally stomped, making the player lose advantage over the enemy.
Reception and legacy[]
Speartons are the most iconic characters in the series by far, not only for their impressive prowess in battle but also for their unique design; they've appeared in every single entry of the franchise, and if they were excluded in a new official game, it would be very questionable.
They have received a lot of love by players and fans, since they are immediately recognized as Spartans; they became one of the strongest points of the saga, and the creators of the series recognized them on some occasions.
And surprisingly, Speartons were the only characters with a full spin-off about them, highlighting their reputation.
Quotes[]
| “ | Born to die, but not before them! | „ |
| ~ Speartons' abbreviated motto in Stick Empires. |
| “ | Speartons! let fly! | „ |
| ~ A Spearton when the “Spearton Madness” spell is activated. |
| “ | Stay behind me. | „ |
| ~ Golden Spearton |
| “ | Gold is great. | „ |
| ~ Golden Spearton |
| “ | I'll take care of this! | „ |
| ~ Golden Spearton |
| “ | For Inamorta! | „ |
| ~ Golden Spearton |
Gallery[]
Main article: Speartons/Gallery
Trivia[]
- Every Spearton is portrayed as male.
- The Spearton has starred every game menu.
- A heartbreaking fact about Spearton deads and giant Spearton deads is the fact that they use the same bronze armor from the first game, which suggests that they were once Speartons who fought for our empire, but died in battle.
- If many Speartons throw their spears at the same time in SWI, the game will lag considerably.
- Brock White referred to the Speartons as his favorite units because of their ability to form a phalanx in a developer interview [3].
- A quite cruel fact about them is that Crazy Jay, one of their creators, considered them as useful meat shields.
- The name is pronounced “Spia-tan” and also as “Spier-ton”.
- In SW II and SE, the Spearton is the sixth of the nine available units and one of the trinity of melee units alongside Swordwraths and Shadowraths.
- The Speartons' equipment is possibly made by blacksmiths.
- Another detail that confirms the Speartons' inspirations in the Greek city of Sparta is the fact that they have the country's symbol in their shields, but this is only a decorative detail and has no impact on the lore.
- If an army of Speartons and an army of Jugger Knights clash, only who attacks first will win.
- The Spearton will always look the same, no matter in which angle they are.
- In the first game, an initial Spearton will do 20% more damage than an initial Swordwrath, unlike the rest of the games where the swordsman deals more damage.
- A Spearton has cool standing animations in SWL:
- In the first one, he will throw his shield forward and catch it as it comes back to him.
- In the second one, he will do push-ups, just like the Swordwrath.
- In recent SWL updates, the Spearton will slam his spear into the ground if he stops moving; they can also do this in SW III, although without sound effect.
- The kopis can do the exact same damage as the spear.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/403177
- ↑ https://www.stickpage.com/stickempiresguide.shtml
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.stickpage.com/stickwarinterview.shtml
- ↑ https://stick-war.fandom.com/wiki/Spearton#Etymology
- ↑ https://youtu.be/VeK-d553Mjk?si=Jdb3uqUlYZHRTnav
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GEl1kTzt5o
- ↑ https://blog.tienda-medieval.com/equipamiento-del-hoplita-espartano/
External Links[]
If you want more information about these heroes, don't forget to see:
- Speartons on the Stick War Wiki
- Speartons on the Stick Empires Wiki
- Speartons on the Stick Empires Game Guide