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Drepanephora Armata Pontos (Imperator Augustus)Pontos (Imperator Augustus) Chariot

Drepanephora Armata

(Scythed Chariots)

The terror of a thundering charge, with flashing blades, is often enough to un-man opponents.

Heavy scythed chariots developed during the Greco-Persian Wars as a response to armoured infantry and the phalanx. Although many cultures used them, the original idea was probably Persian or Indian. Others took up the idea, and Mithridates VI of Pontus had some success using scythed chariots against Bithynia during the Battle of the River Amnias in 89BC, at the start of the First Mithridatic War. They relied on their momentum and axle-mounted blades to break enemy lines, creating weak points to be exploited by cavalry. Even if the chariot horses instinctively veered off at the last moment, the long axle blades would carve an opening. If any still stood, there was a good chance confusion and panic in the survivors would set in. Both the horses and drivers eventually had quite heavy armour, reminiscent of later cataphract cavalry. When fighting against scythed chariots, the simplest thing to do was open ranks and allow them to pass through, before quickly closing up again. However, the introduction of the long sarissa countered their effectiveness somewhat better.

Drepanephora Armata

Unit Name

Drepanephora Armata

Main Unit Key

Gre_Scythed_Chariots

Land Unit Key

Gre_Scythed_Chariots

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

36

Category

Cavalry

Class

Chariot

Custom Battle Cost

2000

Recruitment Cost

2000

Upkeep Cost

500

Missile Damage

15

├ Missile Weapon

javelin3

├ Projectile

javelin3

├ Missile Damage

15

├ Missile Ap Damage

0

└ Base Reload Time

9

Accuracy

25

Range

90

Reload

40

Shots Per Minute

11

Ammunition

15

Melee Attack

40

Weapon Damage

10

├ Melee Weapon

scythe

├ Weapon Damage

10

├ Weapon Deadliness

0

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Cavalry

0

├ Bonus vs. Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

44

Melee Defence

33

├ Base Defence

17

├ Shield

none

└ Shield Defence

16

Armour

28

├ Armour

carm14

├ Armour Defence

28

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

20

├ Man Entity

heavy_heavy

├ Man Health

20

├ Bonus Hit Points

0

├ Mount

rome_scythed_chariot_horse

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_very_heavy

└ Mount Health

0

Base Morale

55

Abilities

Drepanephora Armata
  • Stamina (poor)
    Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.

Attributes

  • Improved Stamina
    This unit type has an improvement on the base stamina stat.
  • Hide (forest)
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
  • Fire Whilst Moving
    This unit can fire when mounted and moving.
  • Parthian Shot
    This unit can fire all around and not just in-front of itself.
  • Resistant to Heat
    This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Transport
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very slow speed
  • Weak ramming
Drepanephora Armata
  • Fast moving
  • Very good charge
  • Average in melee
  • Good morale
Requires Buildings
Drepanephora Armata Lv. 0 Heavy Horse Studs
Heavy Horse Studs
(rom_EASTERN_stables_heavy_2)
Level 1
Royal Stables
Royal Stables
(rom_EASTERN_stables_heavy_3)
Level 2
Drepanephora Armata Lv. 1 Nisean Stables
Nisean Stables
(rom_EASTERN_stables_heavy_4)
Level 3