Carthage (Hannibal at the Gates) Melee Ship

Assault Hexeres - Sacred Band

These magnificent ships are both intimidating and extremely dangerous.

The best and bravest of Carthage trained to fight as hoplites.

As centuries passed, naval tactics and needs changed across the Mediterranean. There was a move towards larger ships, partly as an expression of national or dynastic power: the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt were particularly fond of large ships to show their wealth and influence in a physical way. These 'polyremes', a term meaning many oared, were not suitable for ramming work in battle. In practice many of them had no more oars than smaller ships; what they had were more rowers per oar than smaller ships. A Roman hexareme or Greek hexeres would have a couple of banks of oars with three men per oar, and appear to be an over-sized version of a smaller ship. Even so, thanks to being tremendously heavy and strongly constructed, they were slow moving, and hardly capable of the quick turns needed to take advantage of enemy mistakes. Instead the large ships made use of their wide decks and plentiful carrying capacities and became fighting platforms for infantry and artillery. Boarding or long-range bombardment were the methods to be used to defeat the enemy; naval warfare had come full circle in terms of fighting methods, even if ships had grown significantly.

(Sacred Band)
The Sacred Band were a phalanx of veteran spearmen, raised in Carthage, and trained and armoured in Greek hoplite fashion. They were unique in that they were drawn from the populace of the city itself, rather than being allies, levied subject peoples or mercenaries; these were the groups that normally made up Carthaginian armies. Chosen from the nobility and wealthy citizens, they were well trained and disciplined. Thanks to their social status they could afford the full panoply of hoplite armour: a bronze cuirass, greaves and helm, and a hoplon shield. In the case of the Sacred Band these were predominately white in colour. Armed with hoplite spears, tipped with an iron head and bronze butt-spike for balance, members of the Sacred Band also carried straight swords. Renowned for their valour, even in defeat, the Sacred Band was expected to fight to the last, and did so at the Battle of the Crimissus in 340BC. Their numbers never recovered and in time the pressure of Carthage’s wars with Rome meant that the Sacred Band was superseded by mercenary armies, paid for by Carthage's trading wealth. These armies still had small numbers of Carthaginian citizens and Liby-Phoenicians, but the Sacred Band of old was no more.

Abilities

Assault Hexeres

• Row Hard 30
  Increases speed for 30 strokes.
  Ship speed

Sacred Band

• Hoplite Wall
  The unit moves into close wall formation.
  Bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Acceleration, speed
• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move
• Rapid Advance
  Improved unit movement speed over an extended period.
  Speed, acceleration, charge speed
  Exertion: fatigue

Attributes

• Expert Charge Defence
  This unit’s melee attack and damage are increased against charging enemies.
• Disciplined
  This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• Encourage
  This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• Resistant to Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Hexeres

• Very good hull strength
• Heavy crew
• Slow speed
• Strong ramming
• Very good boarding

Sacred Band

• Very good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Good morale

Carthage (Hannibal at the Gates) Units
General (2)
1.African War Elephants
2.General's Bodyguard
Command (1)
3.General's Bodyguard
Melee Infantry (6)
4.Libyan Infantry
5.Mob
6.Libyan Elite Infantry
7.Sacred Warrior Brothers
8.Carthaginian Infantry
9.Dido's Chosen
Missile Infantry (3)
10.Libyan Javelinmen
11.Libyan Peltasts
12.Carthaginian Archers
Pike Infantry (1)
13.African Pikemen
Spear Infantry (13)
14.Citizen Militia
15.Carthaginian Hoplites
16.Late Carthaginian Hoplites
17.Late Libyan Hoplites
18.Libyan Hoplites
19.Sacred Band
20.Carthaginian Spear Champions
21.Armored Hoplites
22.Veteran Hoplites
23.Phoenician Hoplites
24.Elite Phoenician Hoplites
25.Sacred Band of Baal Hammon
26.
Melee Cavalry (3)
27.Carthaginian Cavalry
28.Carthaginian Heavy Cavalry
29.Phoenician Heavy Horses
Shock Cavalry (2)
30.Noble Cavalry
31.Sacred Band of Astarte
Elephant (3)
32.African Elephants
33.African War Elephants
34.Hanno's Pride
Fixed Artillery (4)
35.Carthaginian Giant Ballista
36.Carthaginian Polybolos
37.Carthaginian Bastion Scorpion
38.Carthaginian Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
39.Carthaginian Bastion Ballista
40.Carthaginian Ballista
41.Carthaginian Scorpion
42.Carthaginian Heavy Onager
43.Carthaginian Bastion Onager
44.Carthaginian Onager
45.Snake Pot Ballista
Admiral (4)
46.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
47.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
48.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
49.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
Melee Ship (7)
50.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
51.Fire Pot Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
52.Assault Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
53.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
54.Fire Pot Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
55.Assault Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
56.Assault Hexeres - Sacred Band
Missile Ship (9)
57.Scorpion Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
58.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
59.Missile Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
60.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
61.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
62.Missile Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
63.Scorpion Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
64.Missile Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
65.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
66.Light Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Ballista (Ship)
67.Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Onager (Ship)