Eastern Roman Empire Fire Ship

Greek Fire Dromonarion - Byzantine Marines

Greek fire was a mix of liquid chemicals that could be siphoned from a cauldron, sprayed through a tube and then ignited. It was capable of clinging fast to any material and could burn through the flesh of a man in seconds. The flames were seemingly inexhaustible, and its victims had little hope of putting them out as dousing with water was futile. Greek fire was able to burn both on and under water, making it a highly-effective naval weapon, but one which could easily get out of control and destroy its users. Those brave enough to try could create a sheet of flame that rapidly consumed any ships it touched.

(Byzantine Marines)
Naval warfare in the ancient world was just another way for infantry to fight one another. The earliest documented naval battles are those of ancient China, 'grapple and hook' battles where boarding operations and close-quarters combat decided the victor. During the Second Punic War, Rome famously broke Carthage's mastery of the waves by creating the 'corvus' - a bridge that allowed its soldiers to board and fight. The distinction, then, in antiquity, between fighting on land and at sea was small, yet chiefly a matter of 'sea legs' - maintaining balance whilst toppling your opponent.

Unit Name Greek Fire Dromonarion - Byzantine Marines

Main Unit Key att_shp_er_marines_dro_light_fs

Land Unit Key att_mar_rom_byzantine_marines

Naval Unit Key att_dro_light_mel_fs_er

Soldiers 40

Category Medium Ship

Class Fire Ship

Custom Battle Cost 400

Recruitment Cost 400

Upkeep Cost 195

Hull Strength 1800

└ Ship att_shp_dromonarion_siphon

Speed 7

Melee Attack 27

Melee Damage 40

├ Melee Weapon att_spatha

├ Melee Base Damage 36

├ Armour-piercing Damage 4

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Attack Against Cavalry 0

├ Attack Against Elephants 0

└ Attack Against Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 12

Melee Defence 42

├ Base Defence 32

├ Shield att_oval

└ Shield Defence 10

Armour 53

├ Armour att_mail

├ Armour Defence 23

└ Shield Armour 30

Health 120

├ Man Entity att_infantry_heavy

├ Man Health 90

└ Bonus Hit Points 30

Morale 36

Abilities

• Douse Fire
  Sacrifice your ship's mobility for a short time to focus effort on putting out the blaze.

Attributes

• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

No Strengths and Weaknesses

Upgrade
Required Technology Cost 200 Upgrade To
Requires Buildings
Lv. 0	Military Jetties (att_bld_all_resources_port_military_2) Level 2 Military Wharf (att_bld_all_resources_port_military_3) Level 3 Military Port (att_bld_all_resources_port_military_4) Level 4

Garrison Buildings
x 1	Military Jetties (att_bld_all_resources_port_military_2) Level 2 Military Wharf (att_bld_all_resources_port_military_3) Level 3
x 2	Military Port (att_bld_all_resources_port_military_4) Level 4

Faction Availability
Grand Campaign	Eastern Roman Empire Eastern Roman Separatists Roman Separatists
The Last Roman	Roman Empire (The Last Roman) Roman Expedition (The Last Roman) Roman Expedition Separatists (The Last Roman) Eastern Separatists (The Last Roman)