Roma (Hannibal at the Gates) Shock Cavalry

Hippeis Thessalikoi (Romanized)

Thessalian horses, Lacedaemonian women and the men who drink from the sacred Arethusa were, according to one oracle cited by Strabo, the three best things in all of Greece. Regardless of whether the last two parts ring true or not, Thessalian heavy cavalry were without doubt a highly disciplined, mobile and esteemed allied unit in Greek armies. Similar in many respects to the hetairoi, the Macedonian companion cavalry, both units used the xyston double-ended lance, but some evidence suggests that at times shorter spears and javelins may also have been used. Their mobility came from the rhombus formation they adopted, reputedly invented by Jason of Pherae, that enabled a unit to turn with cohesion, form up and charge on any of its four points. During Alexander’s campaigns, the contingent of Thessalian Cavalry accompanying him numbered roughly 2,000 men, 200 for every vote Thessaly had in the League of Corinth. They were commonly assigned the left flank, guarding it from enemy cavalry as the right flank spearheaded the attack.

Unit Name Hippeis Thessalikoi (Romanized)

Main Unit Key AOR_36_Thessalian_Cavalry_RomAux

Land Unit Key AOR_36_Thessalian_Cavalry_RomAux

Naval Unit Key pel_transport

Soldiers 100

Category Cavalry

Class Shock Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost 1985

Recruitment Cost 1985

Upkeep Cost 397

Melee Attack 40

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 35

Melee Defence 49

├ Base Defence 33

├ Shield none

└ Shield Defence 16

Armour 12

├ Armour carm5

├ Armour Defence 12

└ 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 50

Abilities

• Stamina (low)
  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.
• 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 charge
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Weak in prolonged melee
• Average morale

Recuitment Requirement
Maximum Number	6
Unit Resouces	Auxilia_Hellenic
Hannibal at the Gates Regions Provinces Regions Sikelia Messana Sirako

Faction Availability
Grand Campaign	Roma Defensores Senatus Slaves
Samnite Wars	Lucania (Samnite Wars) Roma (Samnite Wars) Roma (Samnite Wars)
Caesar in Gaul	Roma (Caesar in Gaul) Roman intervention forces (Caesar in Gaul)
Hannibal at the Gates	Roma (Hannibal at the Gates) Defensores Senatus (Hannibal at the Gates)
Imperator Augustus	Antonius (Imperator Augustus) Adversarii Antonii (Imperator Augustus) Lepidus (Imperator Augustus) Adversarii Lepidi (Imperator Augustus) Octavius (Imperator Augustus) Adversarii Octavii (Imperator Augustus) Pompeius (Imperator Augustus) Adversarii Pompeii (Imperator Augustus) Latin Rebels (Imperator Augustus)
Macedonian Wars	Roman Republic (Macedonian Wars) Senatus Romanus (Macedonian Wars)