Misthophoroi Skythioi Kontophoroi
(Scythian Hired Lancers)These shock cavalry from the Eurasian Steppes are born and die in the saddle. In between, they are mercenaries.
Developed from the cavalry skills of their ancestors, the steppe lancers of the Scythian, or Saka, tribes and the Sarmatians were a type of heavy cavalry comparable to their Hellenic counterparts. They wore scale armour to protect themselves and their mounts, and used a long lance known as a kontos. This enabled them to deliver devastating charges in a fashion comparable to the Alexandrian Companion cavalry. The scale armour was made from horn, or later metal, and allowed the wearers to run down their western counterparts. They were still vulnerable to dense pike or spear-armed formations. Archery provided a solution: sustained volleys from skirmishing foot and horse archers were used to thin and spread out the enemy. At the Battle of Carrhae in 53BC, the tightly-packed Roman infantry were forced to spread out by Parthian archers, which enabled their cataphracts to charge and break an overconfident Roman force four times their number.
Unit Name Misthophoroi Skythioi Kontophoroi |
Main Unit Key MERC_Scy_Hired_Lancers |
Land Unit Key MERC_Scy_Hired_Lancers |
Naval Unit Key barbarian_transport_small |
Soldiers 120 |
Category Cavalry |
Class Shock Cavalry |
Custom Battle Cost 1736 |
Recruitment Cost 1085 |
Upkeep Cost 651 |
Melee Attack 39 |
9 |
├ Melee Weapon lance3 |
├ Weapon Damage 9 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 0 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 2 |
Charge Bonus 35 |
48 |
├ Base Defence 32 |
├ Shield none |
└ Shield Defence 16 |
4 |
├ Armour carm1 |
├ Armour Defence 4 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity rome_infantry_medium |
├ Man Health 20 |
├ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
├ Mount rome_scythian_horse_lance_m |
├ Mount Entity rome_horse_medium_shock |
└ Mount Health 0 |
Base Morale 45 |
Abilities
Misthophoroi Skythioi Kontophoroi- Stamina (good)
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. - Resistant to Cold
This unit tires less quickly in snow.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Light Transport- Very poor hull strength
- Very slow speed
- Weak ramming
- Average charge
- Low damage but average armour penetration
- Weak in prolonged melee
- Poor morale
Mercenaries Pool
Mercenaries Pool | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
No. | Pool | Province | Region | Initial Unit Count | Chance To Replenish | Max Replenish Per Turn | Max Count |
1 | rom_province_pool_bosporus | Bosporus |
Tauris Sindike Maiotia |
1 | 0.15 | 1 | 4 |
2 | rom_province_pool_chorasmia | Xvarazm |
Xvarazm Usturt |
0 | 0.15 | 1 | 4 |
3 | rom_province_pool_scythia | Scythia |
Scythia Didoya Turan Zyx |
1 | 0.15 | 1 | 3 |
Grand Campaign Mercenaries Pool
Mercenaries Pool | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
No. | Pool | Province | Region | Initial Unit Count | Chance To Replenish | Max Replenish Per Turn | Max Count |
4 | rom_province_pool_bosporus | Bosporus |
Maiotia Sindike Tauris |
1 | 0.15 | 1 | 4 |
5 | rom_province_pool_chorasmia | Xvarazm |
Xvarazm Transcaspia |
0 | 0.15 | 1 | 4 |
6 | rom_province_pool_scythia | Scythia |
Scythia Turan Usturt |
1 | 0.15 | 1 | 3 |
Ptolemaioi
Ptolemaioi
Ptolemaioi
Ptolemaioi
Qarthadastim
Qarthadastim
Qarthadastim
Qarthadastim
Aksum
Medewi
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Kolkhis
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Aedui
Carnutes
Xvarazm
Daha
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Kypros
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Insubres
Liguria
Veneti
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Bastarnoz
Getae
Apulii
Katpatuka
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Koinon Galaton
Lydia
Zranka
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Sequani
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Knossos
Sparta
Boii
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Daorsi
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Basileioi Skythai
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Rauxsa-alanna
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Gallaeci
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Basileion Odryson
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