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Aspidophoroi Hetairoi EpeirosEpeiros Missile Cavalry

Aspidophoroi Hetairoi

(Aspis Companions)

The companions are an elite force, capable of great deeds if used properly.

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.

Aspidophoroi Hetairoi

Unit Name

Aspidophoroi Hetairoi

Main Unit Key

Gre_Aspis_Companion_Cav

Land Unit Key

Gre_Aspis_Companion_Cav

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

100

Category

Cavalry

Class

Missile Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

2512

Recruitment Cost

2512

Upkeep Cost

502

Missile Damage

16

├ Missile Weapon

javelin4

├ Projectile

javelin4

├ Missile Damage

16

├ Missile Ap Damage

0

└ Base Reload Time

9

Accuracy

15

Range

95

Reload

0

Shots Per Minute

7

Ammunition

5

Melee Attack

45

Weapon Damage

10

├ Melee Weapon

gsword4

├ Weapon Damage

10

├ Weapon Deadliness

0

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Cavalry

0

├ Bonus vs. Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

31

Melee Defence

54

├ Base Defence

23

├ Shield

cshield3

└ Shield Defence

31

Armour

20

├ Armour

carm10

├ Armour Defence

20

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

20

├ Man Entity

heavy_medium

├ Man Health

20

├ Bonus Hit Points

0

├ Mount

companion_horse

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_super_heavy

└ Mount Health

0

Base Morale

65

Abilities

Aspidophoroi 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
Aspidophoroi Hetairoi
  • Very good attack
  • Average defence
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Good morale
Requires Buildings
Aspidophoroi Hetairoi Lv. 0 Hoplite Barracks
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3)
Level 2
Aspidophoroi Hetairoi Lv. 1 Royal Barracks
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4)
Level 3