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Pursuit Trihemiolia - Pontic Peltasts PontusPontus Missile Ship

Pursuit Trihemiolia - Pontic Peltasts

Fast, relatively powerful pursuit ships, well able to hunt down pirates and other seagoing scum.

No target pierced by a javelin feels merely 'harassed'.

It is thought that the Rhodians, a significant naval power in the eastern Mediterranean, developed the 'trihemiolia' or 'two-and-a-half' as a vessel for pirate hunting. Given that Rhodes is an island entirely reliant on the sea and shipping this is a believable theory. Pirates used the hemiola, a handy little vessel developed from the dieres or bireme, a ship with two rows of oars; it makes sense that pirate hunters would think of taking a trieres, or trireme, with three rows of oars and modifying it in a similar fashion. A trihemiolia still had three rows of oars on each side, but the top row was reduced to only half the number of oars, positioned midships. The result was a faster, handier vessel that provided a height advantage over a hemiola for any archers on board. There was also a strategic benefit to the Rhodians, who could only draw on the manpower of one island: they could have six trieres warships with full complements of rowers, or seven trihemiolias for the same number of men. The useful design was soon adopted by other maritime powers around the Mediterranean.

(Pontic Peltasts)
These skirmishers were named for their small crescent-shaped leather or wicker shields or 'peltai'. It was a common habit to name troops for their shield style in the Greek world. They wore little or no armour and carried three javelins. After harassing the enemy by flinging javelins, they would hastily retreat before any counter-charge or flanking move could be carried out. As armies developed and tactics became more complex, peltasts were expected to take part in hand-to-hand combat: with such expectation they were given stiffened linen cuirasses and short swords. They were still expected to use javelins, but could then join in the close fighting. Eventually, peltasts even exchanged their characteristic shield for the heavier thureos. Their name and battlefield function remained unchanged.

Pursuit Trihemiolia - Pontic Peltasts

Unit Name

Pursuit Trihemiolia - Pontic Peltasts

Main Unit Key

Eas_Pontic_Pel_Two_Halfer

Land Unit Key

Eas_Pontic_Peltasts

Naval Unit Key

persian_two_halfer

Soldiers

100

Category

Medium Ship

Class

Missile Ship

Custom Battle Cost

600

Recruitment Cost

600

Upkeep Cost

70

Missile Damage

32

├ Missile Weapon

rome_javelin_improved

├ Projectile

javelin_improved

├ Missile Damage

18

├ Missile Ap Damage

14

└ Base Reload Time

8

Accuracy

5

Range

70

Reload

18

Shots Per Minute

9

Ammunition

18

Ship Health

585

└ Ship

persian_two_halfer

Ship Speed

7

Melee Attack

8

Weapon Damage

23

├ Melee Weapon

rome_shortsword

├ Melee Damage Base

20

├ Melee Damage Ap

3

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

0

├ Bonus vs Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

5

Charge Bonus

4

Melee Defence

45

├ Base Defence

6

├ Shield

peltast_thureos

└ Shield Defence

39

Armour

82

├ Armour

spolas

├ Armour Defence

52

└ Shield Armour

30

Health

55

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_light_fast

├ Man Health

50

└ Bonus Hit Points

5

Base Morale

20

Abilities

Pursuit Trihemiolia
  • Row Hard 10
    Increases speed for 10 strokes.
    Ship speed
Pontic Peltasts
  • Precision Shot
    Improved missile weapon damage for an extended period.
    Missile damage
    Exertion: fatigue

Attributes

  • Resistant to Fatigue
    Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
  • Hide (scrub & forest)
    This unit can hide in scrub and forest until enemy units get too close.
  • Resistant to Heat
    This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Pursuit Trihemiolia
  • Poor hull strength
  • Medium crew
  • Uncatchable
  • Weak ramming
  • Poor boarding
  • Average missile combat
Pontic Peltasts
  • Short range
  • Fast rate of fire
  • Very good damage and armour penetration
  • Large shield
  • Very weak in melee
  • Poor morale
Faction Availability
Grand Campaign
Imperator Augustus