Seleucid Melee Ship

Assault Dieres - Hillmen

With a ramming attack that can break an enemy hull, these ships are deadly weapons.

Unschooled in formal warfare, these hillmen are canny fighters if used correctly.

The waterline ram was first mounted on a vessel in around 850BC. Warships and naval tactics were transformed. Ships were no longer platforms for infantry battles on the water; the ship itself became the weapon. Galleys changed as the new reality sank in. Ramming at speed would hole and sink an enemy, therefore slimmer, faster, handier ships were required. More speed on demand obviously required more oars a fast ship with a single row of oars ended up being stupidly, impractically long. The solution, then, was to put in a second set of oars above the first, but slightly offset to allow for rowers' benches. These biremes, a Latin word meaning 'two oars', or dieres, the Greek equivalent, were no longer than previous designs but had twice the number of rowers. They were fast, manoeuvrable, and could carry a fighting contingent. Some nations also gave their bireme crews fire pots; these clay pots filled with oil and pitch were hurled at enemy ships in the entirely reasonable hope of setting them ablaze.

(Hillmen)
Eastern hillmen tended to be light infantry skirmishers that excelled in mountainous and difficult terrain, as a result of defending their homelands against outsiders. Many hill tribes, including the Bithyni - after whom Bithynia was named - were descended Thracian migrants who crossed the Bosporus into Asia Minor; each had a fierce attachment to their own lands and a suspicion of plains folk and outlanders. Equipped in much the same manner as peltasts, they carried spears, javelins and daggers and their only protection was a shield, made from wicker, wood or hide. As a fighting force, they were fast moving and extremely manoeuvrable and not above trickery and deceit.

Abilities

Assault Dieres

• Row Hard 10
  Increases speed for 10 strokes.
  Ship speed

Hillmen

• Shieldwall
  The unit moves into a close formation and raises shields.
  Armour strength, bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Limited speed
• Use the Whip
  Improved attack and fatigue resistance for a short time.
  Melee attack, weapon damage, fatigue resistance
  Exertion: fatigue

Attributes

• 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 Dieres

• Very poor hull strength
• Very light crew
• Fast speed
• Weak ramming
• Good boarding

Hillmen

• Average attack
• Poor defence
• Low damage but good armour penetration
• Poor morale

Seleucid Units
General (11)
1.Agema Cavalry
2.Companion Cavalry
3.Hellenic Cataphracts
4.Royal Peltasts
5.Scythed Chariots
6.Shield Bearers
7.Silver Shield Pikemen
8.Silver Shield Swordsmen
9.Indian Armoured Elephants
10.Seleucid Silver Hoplites
11.Seleucid Royal Thureophoroi
Melee Infantry (11)
12.Hillmen
13.Mob
14.Royal Peltasts
15.Silver Shield Swordsmen
16.Thorax Swordsmen
17.Silver Infantry
18.Seleucid Infantry
19.Seleucid Chosen Infantry
20.Seleucid Shield Smashers
21.Loyal Swords
22.Eastern-Born Hellenic Axes
Missile Infantry (8)
23.Eastern Javelinmen
24.Persian Light Archers
25.Eastern Slingers
26.Syrian Heavy Archers
27.Archers
28.Javelinmen
29.Light Peltasts
30.Peltasts
Pike Infantry (4)
31.Levy Pikemen
32.Pikemen
33.Silver Shield Pikemen
34.Thorax Pikemen
Spear Infantry (11)
35.Eastern Spearmen
36.Persian Hoplites
37.Shield Bearers
38.Thureos Spears
39.Silver Spearmen
40.Seleucid Veterans
41.Seleucid Heavy Spearmen
42.Seleucid Spear Guards
43.Spear Vanguards
44.Seleucid Silver Hoplites
45.Seleucid Royal Thureophoroi
Melee Cavalry (5)
46.Camel Spearmen
47.Azat Knights
48.Median Cavalry
49.Citizen Cavalry
50.Light Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (4)
51.Camel Archers
52.Horse Skirmishers
53.Skirmisher Cavalry
54.Tarantine Cavalry
Shock Cavalry (2)
55.Agema Cavalry
56.Hellenic Cataphracts
Chariot (1)
57.Scythed Chariots
Elephant (2)
58.Indian Armoured Elephants
59.Indian War Elephants
Fixed Artillery (4)
60.Greek Giant Ballista
61.Greek Polybolos
62.Greek Bastion Scorpion
63.Greek Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
64.Greek Bastion Ballista
65.Greek Ballista
66.Greek Scorpion
67.Greek Heavy Onager
68.Greek Bastion Onager
69.Greek Onager
Admiral (2)
70.Tower Penteres - Persian Light Archers
71.Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts
Melee Ship (5)
72.Assault Dieres - Hillmen
73.Fire Pot Dieres - Light Peltasts
74.Fire Pot Dieres - Peltasts
75.Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts
76.Assault Tetreres - Thureos Spears
Missile Ship (10)
77.Scorpion Penteres - Persian Light Archers
78.Tower Penteres - Persian Light Archers
79.Missile Penteres - Persian Light Archers
80.Scorpion Trieres - Eastern Slingers
81.Missile Trieres - Eastern Slingers
82.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Syrian Heavy Archers
83.Raiding Hemiolia - Light Peltasts
84.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Light Peltasts
85.Raiding Hemiolia - Peltasts
86.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Peltasts
Artillery Ship (2)
87.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
88.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)