Somatophylakes Thorakitai
(Elite Bodyguard Infantry)These elite swordsmen are very nimble, and carry javelins and swords. Their heavy armor and great skill in battle makes them perhaps some of the most effective offensive infantry available to the Attalids.
During his final years on campaign, Alexander the Great renamed his elite hypaspist infantrymen argyraspides or 'Silver Shields'. Following Alexander’s untimely death, his generals fought each other for territory and the enormous power that came with it. When the smoke cleared, the former 'commander-in-chief of the camp', Seleucus, controlled Babylon and several other eastern satrapies, proclaiming himself king in 306BC. His territory became known as the Seleucid Empire, and the Silver Shields formed the elite of its armies from the very beginning. Throughout most of their tenure they were equipped in the Macedonian fashion and trained for phalanx combat like their illustrious forebears. However, following their catastrophic defeat at Magnesia in 190BC by the Romans, the Seleucids began to re-model the Silver Shields on the impressive Roman legionaries who defeated them, certainly in equipment if not in tactics. It is thought that the 5000 men at the head of the Daphne Parade in 166BC were Silver Shields equipped in this way.
Unit Name Somatophylakes Thorakitai |
Main Unit Key Perg_Silver_Shield |
Land Unit Key Perg_Silver_Shield |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 200 |
Category Melee Infantry |
Class Melee Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 1354 |
Recruitment Cost 1354 |
Upkeep Cost 271 |
12 |
├ Missile Weapon prec2 |
├ Projectile prec2 |
├ Missile Damage 12 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 0 |
└ Base Reload Time 10 |
Accuracy 5 |
Range 80 |
Reload 0 |
Shots Per Minute 6 |
Ammunition 1 |
Melee Attack 39 |
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 13 |
90 |
├ Base Defence 32 |
├ Shield shield6 |
└ Shield Defence 58 |
18 |
├ Armour arm10 |
├ Armour Defence 18 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity heavy_heavy |
├ Man Health 20 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Base Morale 65 |
Abilities
Somatophylakes Thorakitai- Stamina (low)
Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.
Attributes
- 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
- Average damage but low armour penetration
- Good morale
Requires Buildings | |
---|---|
Lv. 1 |
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3) Level 2
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4) Level 3 |
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Macedonian Wars |