Sparta Melee Ship

Assault Tetreres - Perioikoi Hoplites

Ramming attacks from these ships inflict terrible damage.

A man will fight in defence of his home, even if he is not strictly a citizen.

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.

(Perioikoi Hoplites)
The ‘dwellers around’, the periokoi were a free, but non-citizen class of Sparta. As the Spartans themselves could pursue no profession other than that of the warrior, the periokoi fulfilled the roles of artisans and merchants in the Lacedaemonian state, eventually taking on the roles in the Spartan army considered unsuitable for true citizens, such as skirmishing and cavalry. Living along the coast and in the many hill towns surrounding the fertile valleys of Eurotas and Pamisos, they acted as a barrier between the Spartan citizens and the rest of Greece - a barrier that also kept in the helots, the Spartans' slaves that farmed the valleys below the city. Like other Greeks, the periokoi were expected to purchase and maintain their own arms and armour, each town contributing to the Spartan war machine when required. Even though they were allowed their own laws and customs, as non-citizens periokoi could not influence or vote on Spartan foreign or military policy.

Abilities

Assault Tetreres

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

Perioikoi Hoplites

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

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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Tetreres

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

Perioikoi Hoplites

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

Sparta Units
General (1)
1.Royal Spartans
Missile Infantry (5)
2.Gorgo's Skirmishers
3.Helot Archers
4.Helot Javelinmen
5.Helot Slingers
6.Perioikoi Peltasts
Pike Infantry (2)
7.Perioikoi Pikemen
8.Spartan Pikemen
Spear Infantry (6)
9.Heroes of Sparta
10.Perioikoi Hoplites
11.Perioikoi Spears
12.Royal Spartans
13.Spartan Hoplites
14.Spartan Youths
Melee Cavalry (1)
15.Citizen Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (2)
16.Skirmisher Cavalry
17.Tarantine Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (4)
18.Greek Giant Ballista
19.Greek Polybolos
20.Greek Bastion Scorpion
21.Greek Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
22.Greek Bastion Ballista
23.Greek Ballista
24.Greek Beehive Onager
25.Greek Scorpion
26.Greek Heavy Onager
27.Greek Bastion Onager
28.Greek Onager
Admiral (2)
29.Scorpion Trieres - Helot Slingers
30.Assault Hexeres - Spartan Hoplites
Melee Ship (4)
31.Assault Tetreres - Perioikoi Hoplites
32.Fire Pot Dieres - Perioikoi Hoplites
33.Assault Dieres - Perioikoi Hoplites
34.Assault Hexeres - Spartan Hoplites
Missile Ship (7)
35.Scorpion Penteres - Helot Archers
36.Missile Penteres - Helot Archers
37.Tower Penteres - Helot Archers
38.Raiding Hemiolia - Helot Javelinmen
39.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Helot Javelinmen
40.Scorpion Trieres - Helot Slingers
41.Missile Trieres - Helot Slingers
Artillery Ship (2)
42.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
43.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)