Rome (Samnite Wars) Melee Ship

Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Axe Warriors

With a ramming attack that can break an enemy hull, these ships are deadly weapons.

In the hands of a loyal auxiliaries, axes can be most charming!

The waterline ram was first mounted on a vessel in around 850BC. Warships and naval tactics were transformed. Ships were no longer platforms for infantry battles on the water; the ship itself became the weapon. Galleys changed as the new reality sank in. Ramming at speed would hole and sink an enemy, therefore slimmer, faster, handier ships were required. More speed on demand obviously required more oars a fast ship with a single row of oars ended up being stupidly, impractically long. The solution, then, was to put in a second set of oars above the first, but slightly offset to allow for rowers' benches. These biremes, a Latin word meaning 'two oars', or dieres, the Greek equivalent, were no longer than previous designs but had twice the number of rowers. They were fast, manoeuvrable, and could carry a fighting contingent. Some nations also gave their bireme crews fire pots; these clay pots filled with oil and pitch were hurled at enemy ships in the entirely reasonable hope of setting them ablaze.

(Auxiliary Axe Warriors)
Celtic warriors were ideally equipped to hack through even heavily-armoured foes. Their axes took one of two forms: one-handed axes were typical, and the most practical, but two-handed axes were also used. In comparison to swords, axes were cheap to make, and were effective against chainmail, as a blow could still shatter bone and crush the organs beneath the armour. They could also be used to pull aside shields, or hack them apart. Like other Celtic warriors, the lightly-armoured, one-handed axemen relied on their own shields for defence. There was a long tradition, perhaps dating as far back as the Stone Age, of veneration for axes and hammers in Celtic cultures. Although both were associated with strength, axes in particular were used as grave goods and even depicted on coins celebrating victories in the Gallic Wars of 58-50BC.

Abilities

Assault Bireme

• Row Hard 10
  Increases speed for 10 strokes.
  Ship speed

Attributes

• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Bireme

• Very poor hull strength
• Very light crew
• Fast speed
• Weak ramming
• Good boarding

Auxiliary Axe Warriors

• Average attack
• Poor defence
• Low damage but good armour penetration
• Poor morale

Rome (Samnite Wars) Units
General (2)
1.General & Bodyguard
2.Legatus
Command (2)
3.General & Bodyguard
4.Legatus
Melee Infantry (30)
5.Auxiliary Bactrian Hillmen
6.Auxiliary Axe Warriors
7.Auxiliary Naked Swords
8.Auxiliary Short Swords
9.Auxiliary Celtic Warriors
10.Auxiliary Falxmen
11.Auxiliary Hillmen
12.Auxiliary Egyptian Infantry
13.Auxiliary Gallic Warriors
14.Auxiliary Scutarii
15.Auxiliary Iberian Swordsmen
16.Auxiliary Coastal Levies
17.Auxiliary Illyrian Raiders
18.Socii Extraordinarii
19.Socii Hastati
20.Auxiliary Thracian Warriors
21.Armoured Legionaries
22.Eagle Cohort
23.Evocati Cohort
24.First Cohort
25.Gladiators
26.Gladiatrices
27.Hastati
28.Legionaries
29.Legionary Cohort
30.Plebs
31.Praetorian Guard
32.Praetorians
33.Principes
34.Veteran Legionaries
Missile Infantry (20)
35.Auxiliary Sabaean Archers
36.Auxiliary Briton Slingers
37.Auxiliary Celtic Skirmishers
38.Auxiliary Dacian Bowmen
39.Auxiliary Dacian Skirmishers
40.Auxiliary Eastern Javelinmen
41.Auxiliary Egyptian Archers
42.Auxiliary Gallic Hunters
43.Auxiliary Longbow Hunters
44.Auxiliary Cretan Archers
45.Auxiliary Peltasts
46.Auxiliary Rhodian Slingers
47.Auxiliary Balearic Slingers
48.Auxiliary Iberian Slingers
49.Auxiliary Numidian Javelinmen
50.Auxiliary Persian Archers
51.Auxiliary Syrian Archers
52.Auxiliary Thracian Peltasts
53.Leves
54.Velites
Spear Infantry (13)
55.Auxiliary Sabaean Spearmen
56.Auxiliary Arabian Spearmen
57.Auxiliary Spear Band
58.Auxiliary Dacian Spears
59.Auxiliary Spear Brothers
60.Auxiliary Hoplites
61.Auxiliary Infantry
62.Auxiliary Parthian Spearmen
63.Gladiator Spearmen
64.Spear Gladiatrices
65.Rorarii
66.Triarii
67.Vigiles
Melee Cavalry (19)
68.Auxiliary Sabaean Cavalry
69.Auxiliary Camel Spearmen
70.Auxiliary Arabian Cavalry
71.Auxiliary Bactrian Light Horse
72.Auxiliary Briton Scout Riders
73.Auxiliary Cavalry
74.Auxiliary Celtic Light Horse
75.Auxiliary Spear Horsemen
76.Auxiliary Cappadocian Cavalry
77.Auxiliary Gallic Light Horse
78.Auxiliary Noble Horse
79.Auxiliary Citizen Cavalry
80.Auxiliary Iberian Cavalry
81.Auxiliary Scutarii Cavalry
82.Auxiliary Illyrian Cavalry
83.Socii Equites
84.Equites
85.Legionary Cavalry
86.Praetorian Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (11)
87.Auxiliary Camel Archers
88.Auxiliary Horse Skirmishers
89.Auxiliary Germanic Scout Riders
90.Auxiliary Tarantine Cavalry
91.Auxiliary Cantabrian Cavalry
92.Auxiliary Numidian Cavalry
93.Auxiliary Parthian Horse Archers
94.Auxiliary Sarmatian Horse Archers
95.Auxiliary Armoured Horse Archers
96.Auxiliary Scythian Horse Archers
97.Auxiliary Thracian Cavalry
Shock Cavalry (4)
98.Socii Equites Extraordinarii
99.Auxiliary Persian Cavalry
100.Auxiliary Armoured Lancers
101.Auxiliary Sarmatian Lancers
Elephant (2)
102.Auxiliary African Elephants
103.Auxiliary Indian War Elephants
Fixed Artillery (4)
104.Roman Giant Ballista
105.Roman Polybolos
106.Roman Bastion Scorpion
107.Roman Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
108.Roman Bastion Ballista
109.Roman Ballista
110.Roman Beehive Onager
111.Roman Scorpion
112.Roman Heavy Onager
113.Roman Bastion Onager
114.Roman Onager
Special (1)
115.War Dogs
Admiral (2)
116.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Leves
117.Assault Quadrireme - Principes
Melee Ship (34)
118.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Sabaean Spearmen
119.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Arabian Spearmen
120.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Bactrian Hillmen
121.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Spear Band
122.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Axe Warriors
123.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Celtic Warriors
124.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Dacian Spears
125.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Hillmen
126.Assault Quadrireme - Auxiliary Egyptian Infantry
127.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Gallic Warriors
128.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Spear Brothers
129.Assault Quadrireme - Auxiliary Hoplites
130.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Iberian Swordsmen
131.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Coastal Levies
132.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Illyrian Raiders
133.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Infantry
134.Assault Quadrireme - Socii Extraordinarii
135.Assault Quadrireme - Socii Hastati
136.Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Parthian Spearmen
137.Tower Hexareme - Evocati Cohort
138.Assault Hexareme - Evocati Cohort
139.Fire Pot Bireme - Hastati
140.Assault Bireme - Hastati
141.Assault Quadrireme - Legionaries
142.Fire Pot Bireme - Legionaries
143.Assault Bireme - Legionaries
144.Assault Quadrireme - Legionary Cohort
145.Fire Pot Bireme - Legionary Cohort
146.Assault Bireme - Legionary Cohort
147.Assault Quadrireme - Principes
148.Tower Hexareme - Triarii
149.Assault Hexareme - Triarii
150.Tower Hexareme - Veteran Legionaries
151.Assault Hexareme - Veteran Legionaries
Missile Ship (20)
152.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Sabaean Archers
153.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Briton Slingers
154.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Celtic Skirmishers
155.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Dacian Bowmen
156.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Eastern Javelinmen
157.Missile Quinquereme - Auxiliary Egyptian Archers
158.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Longbow Hunters
159.Missile Quinquereme - Auxiliary Cretan Archers
160.Missile Quinquereme - Auxiliary Peltasts
161.Missile Quinquereme - Auxiliary Rhodian Slingers
162.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Balearic Slingers
163.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Iberian Slingers
164.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Numidian Javelinmen
165.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Persian Archers
166.Missile Trireme - Auxiliary Thracian Peltasts
167.Raiding Hemiolia - Leves
168.Scorpion Trireme - Leves
169.Missile Trireme - Leves
170.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Leves
171.Missile Quinquereme - Velites
Artillery Ship (2)
172.Light Artillery Quinquereme - Roman Ballista (Ship)
173.Artillery Quinquereme - Roman Onager (Ship)