Ardiaei Melee Ship

Assault Tetreres - Illyrian Spearmen

Ramming attacks from these ships inflict terrible damage.

Levies take up arms reluctantly, but they will fight for their homes and loved ones.

There is a good deal of debate as to how large ancient warships worked; the principles are understood, but the details are not always so clear. A Roman 'quadreme' or Greek 'tetreres' would seem to have four rows of oars if the name is translated literally. However, it is unclear how four sets of oars each with one rower apiece could be used without them getting in a terrible tangle even with a magnificently trained crew, or how the top set of rowers would be able to handle the extremely long oars pitched at a steep angle and still produce any power. The chances are that the term 'oar' had become synonymous with 'rower' and that the lowest bank had more than one man per oar. The other option was to go back to a double row of oars, with two men apiece. Two banks of oars would also have made for a cheaper construction task for each ship. Either way, the result was a ship that could rival the lighter trireme in speed, yet had more deck space for a large fighting contingent or artillery pieces.

(Illyrian Spearmen)
Throughout the civilised world, levies formed the backbone of many armies. Called to service from among citizens or subjects, they followed a long tradition that began, in Greece at least, with hoplite warfare between the city-states. Equipped with spears, these levied phalanxes could present a formidable wall of spear points to other infantry and cavalry. What levies lacked in skill and discipline compared to professional soldiers and mercenaries, they made up for in numbers and the advantage their weaponry provided. These troops, especially the citizen-levy of the Greek city-states, were at first expected to provide their own arms and equipment. As time passed, the citizen army developed into a more formalised body in which arms and equipment were provided. Often, however, personal loyalty to a general or king replaced any sense of civic duty, although 'civic duty' might be grudging to say the least in men taken from their homes, families and livelihoods, and thrust into battle.

Abilities

Assault Tetreres

• Row Hard 20
  Increases speed for 20 strokes.
  Ship speed

Illyrian Spearmen

• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move

Attributes

• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Tetreres

• Average hull strength
• Medium crew
• Average speed
• Average ramming
• Average boarding

Illyrian Spearmen

• Average defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Weak attack
• Poor morale

Ardiaei Units
General (3)
1.Illyrian Cavalry
2.Illyrian Hoplites
3.Illyrian Noble Hoplites
Melee Infantry (2)
4.Illyrian Levies
5.Illyrian Raiders
Missile Infantry (2)
6.Slave Javelinmen
7.Slave Slingers
Spear Infantry (6)
8.Illyrian Hoplites
9.Illyrian Marines
10.Illyrian Noble Hoplites
11.Illyrian Spearmen
12.Illyrian Thureos Spears
13.Illyrian Tribesmen
Melee Cavalry (1)
14.Illyrian Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (1)
15.Greek Bastion Scorpion
Field Artillery (5)
16.Greek Bastion Ballista
17.Greek Ballista
18.Greek Scorpion
19.Greek Bastion Onager
20.Greek Onager
Admiral (2)
21.Scorpion Trieres - Slave Slingers
22.Assault Hexeres - Illyrian Thureos Spears
Melee Ship (7)
23.Assault Tetreres - Illyrian Marines
24.Assault Hexeres - Illyrian Marines
25.Assault Dieres - Illyrian Raiders
26.Assault Tetreres - Illyrian Spearmen
27.Assault Hexeres - Illyrian Thureos Spears
28.Fire Pot Dieres - Illyrian Tribesmen
29.Assault Dieres - Illyrian Tribesmen
Missile Ship (7)
30.Raiding Hemiolia - Slave Javelinmen
31.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Slave Javelinmen
32.Tower Penteres - Slave Slingers
33.Scorpion Penteres - Slave Slingers
34.Missile Penteres - Slave Slingers
35.Scorpion Trieres - Slave Slingers
36.Missile Trieres - Slave Slingers
Artillery Ship (2)
37.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
38.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)