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Illyrioi Thureophoroi
(Illyrian Thureos Spears)These warriors can pepper a foe with javelins and fight hand-to-hand as well.
The thureos, a large oval-shaped shield, became common throughout the Hellenistic world from the 3rd century BC. Made from wood covered in hide, it differed from the earlier Greek hoplon in having a central handgrip, which was protected by a vertical spine running the length of the shield. This in turn could be further reinforced by the addition of a wide metal strip that protected the grip and the user’s hand. Inspired by the sub-rectangular and oval shields of the Celts, possibly through contact with the migrating Galatians, its usage seems to have spread through the Illyrian and Thracian tribes before it was adopted by the Greeks. Although large, the thureos was light in comparison to the traditional hoplon, and was adopted by heavily-armoured peltasts. Named after their shields, 'thureophoroi' could fight as common peltasts, skirmishing with javelins, but could also form up with their larger shields and longer spears in a similar fashion to a phalanx. The versatile and useful design of the thureos meant it was used by many armies, including the auxiliaries and cavalry of the later Roman Legions.
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Unit Name Illyrioi Thureophoroi |
Main Unit Key AOR_37_Illyrian_Thureos_Spears |
Land Unit Key AOR_37_Illyrian_Thureos_Spears |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 200 |
Category Melee Infantry |
Class Spear Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 765 |
Recruitment Cost 765 |
Upkeep Cost 153 |
Missile Damage 11 |
├ Missile Weapon prec1 |
├ Projectile prec1 |
├ Missile Damage 11 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 0 |
└ Base Reload Time 10 |
Accuracy 5 |
Range 80 |
Reload 0 |
Shots Per Minute 6 |
Ammunition 1 |
Melee Attack 30 |
Weapon Damage 9 |
├ Melee Weapon spear2 |
├ Weapon Damage 9 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 3 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 10 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 10 |
Melee Defence 67 |
├ Base Defence 15 |
├ Shield shield5 |
└ Shield Defence 52 |
Armour 8 |
├ Armour arm4 |
├ Armour Defence 8 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
Health 20 |
├ Man Entity medium_light |
├ Man Health 20 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Base Morale 40 |
Abilities
Illyrioi Thureophoroi- Stamina (good)
Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat. - Throw Javelin (light)
The unit throws its javelins towards a spot causing damage to everyone in the area of effect
NOTE: you cannot throw javelins when you are inside a formation
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. - Hide (forest)
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Transport- Very poor hull strength
- Very slow speed
- Weak ramming
- Good defensive unit
- Low damage but average armour penetration
- Average attack
- Normal morale
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Samnite Wars | |
Caesar in Gaul | |
Hannibal at the Gates | |
Imperator Augustus |