Carthage (Hannibal at the Gates) Melee Ship

Assault Hexeres - Sacred Band

These magnificent ships are both intimidating and extremely dangerous.

The best and bravest of Carthage trained to fight as hoplites.

As centuries passed, naval tactics and needs changed across the Mediterranean. There was a move towards larger ships, partly as an expression of national or dynastic power: the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt were particularly fond of large ships to show their wealth and influence in a physical way. These 'polyremes', a term meaning many oared, were not suitable for ramming work in battle. In practice many of them had no more oars than smaller ships; what they had were more rowers per oar than smaller ships. A Roman hexareme or Greek hexeres would have a couple of banks of oars with three men per oar, and appear to be an over-sized version of a smaller ship. Even so, thanks to being tremendously heavy and strongly constructed, they were slow moving, and hardly capable of the quick turns needed to take advantage of enemy mistakes. Instead the large ships made use of their wide decks and plentiful carrying capacities and became fighting platforms for infantry and artillery. Boarding or long-range bombardment were the methods to be used to defeat the enemy; naval warfare had come full circle in terms of fighting methods, even if ships had grown significantly.

(Sacred Band)
The Sacred Band were a phalanx of veteran spearmen, raised in Carthage, and trained and armoured in Greek hoplite fashion. They were unique in that they were drawn from the populace of the city itself, rather than being allies, levied subject peoples or mercenaries; these were the groups that normally made up Carthaginian armies. Chosen from the nobility and wealthy citizens, they were well trained and disciplined. Thanks to their social status they could afford the full panoply of hoplite armour: a bronze cuirass, greaves and helm, and a hoplon shield. In the case of the Sacred Band these were predominately white in colour. Armed with hoplite spears, tipped with an iron head and bronze butt-spike for balance, members of the Sacred Band also carried straight swords. Renowned for their valour, even in defeat, the Sacred Band was expected to fight to the last, and did so at the Battle of the Crimissus in 340BC. Their numbers never recovered and in time the pressure of Carthage’s wars with Rome meant that the Sacred Band was superseded by mercenary armies, paid for by Carthage's trading wealth. These armies still had small numbers of Carthaginian citizens and Liby-Phoenicians, but the Sacred Band of old was no more.

Abilities

Assault Hexeres

• Row Hard 30
  Increases speed for 30 strokes.
  Ship speed

Sacred Band

• Hoplite Wall
  The unit moves into close wall formation.
  Bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Acceleration, speed

Attributes

• Expert Charge Defence
  This unit’s melee attack and damage are increased against charging enemies.
• Disciplined
  This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
• Encourage
  This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
• 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.
• Resistant to Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Hexeres

• Very good hull strength
• Heavy crew
• Slow speed
• Strong ramming
• Very good boarding

Sacred Band

• Very good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Good morale

Carthage (Hannibal at the Gates) Units
General (2)
1.African War Elephants
2.General's Bodyguard
Command (1)
3.General's Bodyguard
Melee Infantry (2)
4.Libyan Infantry
5.Mob
Missile Infantry (2)
6.Libyan Javelinmen
7.Libyan Peltasts
Pike Infantry (1)
8.African Pikemen
Spear Infantry (6)
9.Citizen Militia
10.Carthaginian Hoplites
11.Late Carthaginian Hoplites
12.Late Libyan Hoplites
13.Libyan Hoplites
14.Sacred Band
Melee Cavalry (1)
15.Carthaginian Cavalry
Shock Cavalry (1)
16.Noble Cavalry
Elephant (2)
17.African Elephants
18.African War Elephants
Fixed Artillery (4)
19.Carthaginian Giant Ballista
20.Carthaginian Polybolos
21.Carthaginian Bastion Scorpion
22.Carthaginian Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
23.Carthaginian Bastion Ballista
24.Carthaginian Ballista
25.Carthaginian Scorpion
26.Carthaginian Heavy Onager
27.Carthaginian Bastion Onager
28.Carthaginian Onager
29.Snake Pot Ballista
Admiral (4)
30.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
31.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
32.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
33.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
Melee Ship (7)
34.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
35.Fire Pot Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
36.Assault Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
37.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
38.Fire Pot Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
39.Assault Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
40.Assault Hexeres - Sacred Band
Missile Ship (9)
41.Scorpion Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
42.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
43.Missile Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
44.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
45.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
46.Missile Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
47.Scorpion Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
48.Missile Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
49.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
50.Light Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Ballista (Ship)
51.Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Onager (Ship)