Velites
(Polybian Skirmishers)These javelin-armed skirmishers are fast moving and lightly armoured.
Recruited from amongst Rome's poor and those too young to fight as hastati, the velites were the Roman army’s light infantry. They wore wolf skin head-dresses which are thought to have some totemic significance, although were also worn to induce fear in their enemies. At the Battle of Zama in 202BC, when Scipio Africanus confronted the Carthaginian general, Hannibal, it was the velites who helped fend off his initial elephant charge, utilising their light armour and weapons to move quickly around them. They harassed the elephants to a frenzy while the cavalry blew horns to disorientate the beasts. Hannibal had hoped to break the Roman lines with his elephants; instead, many of the frightened beasts turned on the Carthaginians. Those elephants who didn’t crash through their own lines were caught in a cleverly orchestrated manoeuvre, whereby the Romans carefully channelled them through gaps made between the cohorts' formation.
Unit Name Velites |
Main Unit Key Rom_Velites |
Land Unit Key Rom_Velites |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 175 |
Category Missile Infantry |
Class Missile Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 519 |
Recruitment Cost 519 |
Upkeep Cost 104 |
15 |
├ Missile Weapon javelin3 |
├ Projectile javelin3 |
├ Missile Damage 15 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 0 |
└ Base Reload Time 9 |
Accuracy 5 |
Range 90 |
Reload 13 |
Shots Per Minute 8 |
Ammunition 5 |
Melee Attack 26 |
10 |
├ Melee Weapon gladius1 |
├ Weapon Damage 9 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 1 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 0 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 11 |
56 |
├ Base Defence 19 |
├ Shield shield3 |
└ Shield Defence 37 |
3 |
├ Armour arm1 |
├ Armour Defence 3 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity medium_light |
├ Man Health 20 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Base Morale 50 |
Abilities
Velites- Stamina (good)
Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat. - Concentrate Fire
The unit fires its missiles towards a spot causing damage to everyone in the area of effect
Attributes
- Improved Stamina
This unit type has an improvement on the base stamina stat. - Hide (scrub & forest)
This unit can hide in scrub and forest until enemy units get too close. - Hide (scrub & forest)
This unit can hide in scrub and forest until enemy units get too close.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Transport- Very poor hull strength
- Very slow speed
- Weak ramming
- Short range
- Fast rate of fire
- Very good damage and armour penetration
- Very weak in melee
- Very poor morale
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Samnite Wars | |
Hannibal at the Gates | |
Macedonian Wars |