menu
HomeHome / Divide et Impera / Kingdom of Pergamon (Macedonian Wars) / Units / Somatophylakes Thorakitai
Somatophylakes Thorakitai Kingdom of Pergamon (Macedonian Wars)Kingdom of Pergamon (Macedonian Wars) Melee Infantry

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.

Somatophylakes Thorakitai

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

Missile Damage

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

Weapon Damage

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

Melee Defence

90

├ Base Defence

32

├ Shield

shield6

└ Shield Defence

58

Armour

18

├ Armour

arm10

├ Armour Defence

18

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

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
Somatophylakes Thorakitai
  • Very good attack
  • Average defence
  • Average damage but low armour penetration
  • Good morale
Requires Buildings
Somatophylakes Thorakitai Lv. 1 Hoplite Barracks
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3)
Level 2
Royal Barracks
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4)
Level 3