Seleucid Melee Ship

Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts

These magnificent ships are both intimidating and extremely dangerous.

The king's own skirmishers are a force to be reckoned with.

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.

(Royal 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

Assault Hexeres

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

Royal Peltasts

• Shieldwall
  The unit moves into a close formation and raises shields.
  Armour strength, bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Limited speed
• Use the Whip
  Improved attack and fatigue resistance for a short time.
  Melee attack, weapon damage, fatigue resistance
  Exertion: fatigue

Attributes

• 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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Hexeres

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

Royal Peltasts

• Very good attack
• Average defence
• Average damage but low armour penetration
• Good 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)