Aspidophoroi Hetairoi
(Aspis Companions)The companions are an elite force, capable of great deeds if used properly.
Macedonian Companion cavalry, known in Greek as the hetairoi, were the foremost shock troops of their age. Originally formed from the Macedonian nobility, esteemed friends and companions of their kings, these elite horsemen evolved under Philip II and Alexander the Great into a highly disciplined and formidable force with the adoption of the wedge formation that increased not only their manoeuvrability, but also their impact. Eventually their numbers were extended to include not just nobles, but in fact anyone who had been a friend to the king. Early Greek cavalry had been limited to skirmishing scouts and archers, as square formations of heavy cavalry up until this point were difficult to direct and wheel. However, the adoption of the wedge formation enabled the companions to exploit weak points or break the flanks of enemy infantry with precision. To achieve this they were armed with the 'xyston', a fearsome double-ended lance, designed to counter-balance itself and be reversible should one end break, plus a straight sword or curved kopis for close-quarters fighting. Armour took the form of a shaped bronze corselet, with optional greaves, and an open Boeotian helmet, which afforded some protection without hampering vision. The horse itself was unarmoured. The rider sat on a blanket, as neither saddle nor stirrups were used at this time.
Unit Name Aspidophoroi Hetairoi |
Main Unit Key Gre_Aspis_Companion_Cav |
Land Unit Key Gre_Aspis_Companion_Cav |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 100 |
Category Cavalry |
Class Missile Cavalry |
Custom Battle Cost 2512 |
Recruitment Cost 2512 |
Upkeep Cost 502 |
16 |
├ Missile Weapon javelin4 |
├ Projectile javelin4 |
├ Missile Damage 16 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 0 |
└ Base Reload Time 9 |
Accuracy 15 |
Range 95 |
Reload 0 |
Shots Per Minute 7 |
Ammunition 5 |
Melee Attack 45 |
10 |
├ Melee Weapon gsword4 |
├ Weapon Damage 10 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 0 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 31 |
54 |
├ Base Defence 23 |
├ Shield cshield3 |
└ Shield Defence 31 |
20 |
├ Armour carm10 |
├ Armour Defence 20 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity heavy_medium |
├ Man Health 20 |
├ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
├ Mount companion_horse |
├ Mount Entity rome_horse_super_heavy |
└ Mount Health 0 |
Base Morale 65 |
Abilities
Aspidophoroi Hetairoi- Stamina (poor)
Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat. - Flying Wedge
The unit assumes a wedge formation that increases charge speed and bonus
Attributes
- Fire Whilst Moving
This unit can fire when mounted and moving. - 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
- Very good attack
- Average defence
- Low damage but average armour penetration
- Good morale
Requires Buildings | |
---|---|
Lv. 0 |
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3) Level 2 |
Lv. 1 |
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4) Level 3 |
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Macedonian Wars |