Seleucid Missile Ship

Pursuit Trihemiolia - Light Peltasts

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

These skirmishers harass the enemy with their javelins before sensibly withdrawing out of range.

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.

(Light 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.

Abilities

Pursuit Trihemiolia

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

Light Peltasts

• Quick Reload
  Improved reloading for an extended time.
  Shots per minute
  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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Pursuit Trihemiolia

• Poor hull strength
• Medium crew
• Uncatchable
• Weak ramming
• Poor boarding
• Average missile combat

Light Peltasts

• Short range
• Fast rate of fire
• Very good damage and armour penetration
• Large shield
• Very weak in melee
• 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)