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