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HomeHome / Divide et Impera / Kingdom of Makedon (Macedonian Wars) / Units / Hetairoi
Hetairoi Kingdom of Makedon (Macedonian Wars)Kingdom of Makedon (Macedonian Wars) Shock Cavalry

Hetairoi

(Companion Cavalry)

These superb cavalrymen are an armoured fist to drive deep into an enemy's vitals.

Macedonian Companion cavalry, known in Greek as the hetairoi, were the foremost shock troops of their age. Originally formed from the Macedonian nobility, esteemed friends and companions of their kings, these elite horsemen evolved under Philip II and Alexander the Great into a highly disciplined and formidable force with the adoption of the wedge formation that increased not only their manoeuvrability, but also their impact. Eventually their numbers were extended to include not just nobles, but in fact anyone who had been a friend to the king. Early Greek cavalry had been limited to skirmishing scouts and archers, as square formations of heavy cavalry up until this point were difficult to direct and wheel. However, the adoption of the wedge formation enabled the companions to exploit weak points or break the flanks of enemy infantry with precision. To achieve this they were armed with the 'xyston', a fearsome double-ended lance, designed to counter-balance itself and be reversible should one end break, plus a straight sword or curved kopis for close-quarters fighting. Armour took the form of a shaped bronze corselet, with optional greaves, and an open Boeotian helmet, which afforded some protection without hampering vision. The horse itself was unarmoured. The rider sat on a blanket, as neither saddle nor stirrups were used at this time.

Hetairoi

Unit Name

Hetairoi

Main Unit Key

Gre_Companion_Cav

Land Unit Key

Gre_Companion_Cav

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

100

Category

Cavalry

Class

Shock Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

2318

Recruitment Cost

2318

Upkeep Cost

464

Melee Attack

42

Weapon Damage

9

├ Melee Weapon

lance3

├ Weapon Damage

9

├ Weapon Deadliness

0

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Cavalry

0

├ Bonus vs. Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

2

Charge Bonus

42

Melee Defence

55

├ Base Defence

39

├ Shield

none

└ Shield Defence

16

Armour

16

├ Armour

carm8

├ Armour Defence

16

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

20

├ Man Entity

heavy_medium

├ Man Health

20

├ Bonus Hit Points

0

├ Mount

rome_hellenic_horse_lance_h

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_heavy_shock

└ Mount Health

0

Base Morale

65

Abilities

Hetairoi
  • Stamina (poor)
    Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.
  • Flying Wedge
    The unit assumes a wedge formation that increases charge speed and bonus

Attributes

  • Fire Whilst Moving
    This unit can fire when mounted and moving.
  • Disciplined
    This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
  • Hide (forest)
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Transport
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very slow speed
  • Weak ramming
Hetairoi
  • Very good charge
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Weak in prolonged melee
  • Good morale
Requires Buildings
Hetairoi Lv. 0 Hoplite Barracks
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3)
Level 2
Hetairoi Lv. 1 Royal Barracks
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4)
Level 3