Assault Tetreres - Epilektoi Pelekuphoroi
A quadrireme is a 39 meter long oared warship with two decks of oars, each rowed by two oarsmen. It is a useful battleship developed by the Carthaginians at the end of the 4th century BCE, but it lacks the speed and agility of lighter triremes.(Dacian Axemen)
Aside from their large contingents of Drapanai, the Pelekuphoroi are the common warriors of the Karp and Kostobok tribes. They wield bronze axes and have sturdy round shields. Their scale leather provides adequate protection against Scythian arrows and Bastarnae spears but will do little to stop a heavy, curved falx blade. These fast, hardy troops are best used in ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, or flanking manoeuvres against heavier warriors, but are fierce enough to stand in the battle line if the situation demands it.
There is a good deal of debate as to how large ancient warships worked; the principles are understood, but the details are not always so clear. A Roman 'quadreme' or Greek 'tetreres' would seem to have four rows of oars if the name is translated literally. However, it is unclear how four sets of oars each with one rower apiece could be used without them getting in a terrible tangle even with a magnificently trained crew, or how the top set of rowers would be able to handle the extremely long oars pitched at a steep angle and still produce any power. The chances are that the term 'oar' had become synonymous with 'rower' and that the lowest bank had more than one man per oar. The other option was to go back to a double row of oars, with two men apiece. Two banks of oars would also have made for a cheaper construction task for each ship. Either way, the result was a ship that could rival the lighter trireme in speed, yet had more deck space for a large fighting contingent or artillery pieces.
(Epilektoi Pelekuphoroi)
The exact origins of the Dacians are something of a mystery. Dacian lands were centred around the Carpathian Mountains but, unlike their Thracian neighbours, they seldom got involved in the conflicts of others. The Dacians fought almost entirely on foot, and usually looked to their Sarmatian allies when serious cavalry were needed. Many Dacian infantry fought as peltasts, equipped with javelins, short swords and oval shields, but they also fielded archers. However, the Dacians were most feared because of a weapon called the 'falx', which they used with deadly, limb-lopping skill. A two-handed sword with a forward-curving blade, a falx could cut a man in two from the top of his head to his breastbone. This weapon was so effective that the Romans improved their legionary armour to cope with it. The brow-ridge on later legionary helmets was there to stop a blow from a falx. Rome’s eventual victory in the Dacian Wars (AD101-106), celebrated by Trajan’s Column, finally dealt with the warlike Dacian tribes once and for all.
Unit Name Assault Tetreres - Epilektoi Pelekuphoroi |
Main Unit Key Bar_Assault_Quadreme_Thr |
Land Unit Key Bar_Marine_Heavy_Dac |
Naval Unit Key greek_four |
Soldiers 120 |
Category Medium Ship |
Class Melee Ship |
Custom Battle Cost 1312 |
Recruitment Cost 1312 |
Upkeep Cost 328 |
825 |
└ Ship greek_four |
Ship Speed 4 |
Melee Attack 27 |
11 |
├ Melee Weapon axe2 |
├ Weapon Damage 11 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing Yes |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 0 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 15 |
67 |
├ Base Defence 15 |
├ Shield shield5 |
└ Shield Defence 52 |
8 |
├ Armour arm4 |
├ Armour Defence 8 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
23 |
├ Man Entity rome_infantry_medium_agile |
├ Man Health 20 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 3 |
Base Morale 50 |
Abilities
Assault Tetreres- Row Hard 20
Increases speed for 20 strokes.
Ship speed
- Stamina (average)
Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.
Attributes
- Hide (forest)
This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Assault Tetreres- Average hull strength
- Medium crew
- Average speed
- Average ramming
- Average boarding
- Average attack
- Poor defence
- Low damage but good armour penetration
- Poor morale
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Imperator Augustus |