Seleucid Pike Infantry

Silver Shield Pikemen

Veteran pikemen are rarely matched in quality or courage on the battlefield.

During his final years on campaign, Alexander the Great renamed his elite hypaspist infantrymen argyraspides or 'Silver Shields'. Following Alexander’s untimely death, his generals fought each other for territory and the enormous power that came with it. When the smoke cleared, the former 'commander-in-chief of the camp', Seleucus, controlled Babylon and several other eastern satrapies, proclaiming himself king in 306BC. His territory became known as the Seleucid Empire, and the Silver Shields formed the elite of its armies from the very beginning. Throughout most of their tenure they were equipped in the Macedonian fashion and trained for phalanx combat like their illustrious forebears. However, following their catastrophic defeat at Magnesia in 190BC by the Romans, the Seleucids began to re-model the Silver Shields on the impressive Roman legionaries who defeated them, certainly in equipment if not in tactics. It is thought that the 5000 men at the head of the Daphne Parade in 166BC were Silver Shields equipped in this way.

Abilities

Silver Shield Pikemen

• Pike Phalanx
  The unit moves into a deep, close defensive formation.
  Bonus vs cavalry, bracing.
  Limited speed
• Steady
  Improves the unit's ability to endure enemy charges.
  Armour, melee defence
  Exertion: fatigue

Attributes

• Disciplined
  This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• Formation Attack
  The unit will try to stay in formation when in melee.
• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• Encourage
  This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Transport

• Very poor hull strength
• Very slow speed
• Weak ramming

Silver Shield Pikemen

• Very good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Good morale
• Very vulnerable when not in phalanx

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)