Athenai (Macedonian Wars) Hoplite/Pike Infantry

Athenai Phalangitai

A tightly formed phalanx of sarissa-armed infantry presented an almost impenetrable wall of spear points, especially to cavalry. The sarissa itself was a two-handed spear or pike, between four and seven metres long, and was adopted by the armies of Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Successors that followed them. With an iron tip and a bronze butt-spike which provided balance and could be dug into the ground to bolster a defensive stance, it was an effective weapon for mass combat. When advancing in close order against the enemy, each man would occupy a square roughly a metre to a side, with the sarissas of the first five ranks projecting beyond the phalanx. On the defensive the phalanxes would close up, locking together with each man resting his shield on the man in front for greater stability. Such formations sacrificed manoeuvrability, leading to their main weakness on their flanks and rear. Philip II’s employment of the sarissa, and this new Macedonian-style phalanx, developed from earlier hoplite warfare. There is some debate as to whether his wounding by either an Illyrian or Thracian long spear, which killed his mount, may have influenced the sarissa's introduction.

Unit Name Athenai Phalangitai

Main Unit Key Ath_Pike

Land Unit Key Ath_Pike

Naval Unit Key pel_transport

Soldiers 256

Category Melee Infantry

Class Hoplite/Pike Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 974

Recruitment Cost 974

Upkeep Cost 195

Melee Attack 30

Weapon Damage 9

├ Melee Weapon pike2

├ Weapon Damage 9

├ Weapon Deadliness 0

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 2

├ Bonus vs. Elephants 6

└ Bonus vs Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 8

Melee Defence 50

├ Base Defence 19

├ Shield shield2

└ Shield Defence 31

Armour 12

├ Armour arm7

├ Armour Defence 12

└ Shield Armour 0

Health 20

├ Man Entity light_heavy

├ Man Health 20

└ Bonus Hit Points 0

Base Morale 50

Abilities

• Stamina (average)
  Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.
• Pike Phalanx
  The unit moves into a deep and close pike phalanx formation that increases frontal defense and attack but movement speed is reduced and the unit is vulnerable to flanking attacks.

Attributes

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

Strengths & Weaknesses

• Very poor hull strength
• Very slow speed
• Weak ramming

• Good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Normal morale
• Very vulnerable when not in phalanx

Requires Buildings
Lv. 0	Holosideros Barracks (rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_2) Level 1 Hoplite Barracks (rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3) Level 2
Lv. 1	Royal Barracks (rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4) Level 3

Faction Availability
Grand Campaign	Athenai Athenian Boule
Macedonian Wars	Athenai (Macedonian Wars)