Merkabim Maurim
(Maure Chariots)The Berber nobles and chieftains ride across the desert in large chariots from which they throw spears and javelins at their enemies. The rock art of the Garamantines depicts their chariots as being driven by two horses, which seems a realistic number.
Perhaps influenced by earlier Egyptian and Hittite examples, some kingdoms in Saharan Africa adopted the chariot by the 5th century BC. Usage was most prevalent amongst the Garamantians, and Herodotus recorded them raiding their southern Ethiopian neighbours using four-horse chariots. Whether drawn by two or four horses, chariots were built for speed and manoeuvrability, rather than impact and protection. They consisted of little more than yoke and a platform with axle and wheels at the back and a waist-high screen. The driver and passengers wore cloth armour and used javelins, or in some cases bows. The emphasis on speed probably comes from the role chariots played in hunting being transferred to the battlefield, especially when raiding for slaves. Despite their weight, when many chariots were drawn up together their impact against light or untrained infantry and cavalry could still be devastating!
Unit Name Merkabim Maurim |
Main Unit Key Afr_Maure_Chariot_Raiders |
Land Unit Key Afr_Maure_Chariot_Raiders |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 30 |
Category Cavalry |
Class Chariot |
Custom Battle Cost 1800 |
Recruitment Cost 1800 |
Upkeep Cost 360 |
15 |
├ Missile Weapon javelin3 |
├ Projectile javelin3 |
├ Missile Damage 15 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 0 |
└ Base Reload Time 9 |
Accuracy 15 |
Range 90 |
Reload 20 |
Shots Per Minute 8 |
Ammunition 25 |
Melee Attack 26 |
11 |
├ Melee Weapon bsword2 |
├ Weapon Damage 11 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 0 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 22 |
39 |
├ Base Defence 13 |
├ Shield cshield2 |
└ Shield Defence 26 |
10 |
├ Armour carm4 |
├ Armour Defence 10 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity medium_medium |
├ Man Health 20 |
├ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
├ Mount rome_generic_chariot_horse |
├ Mount Entity rome_horse_medium |
└ Mount Health 0 |
Base Morale 55 |
Abilities
Merkabim Maurim- Stamina (average)
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
- Fast moving
- Javelins thrown when moving
- Good charge
- Weak in prolonged melee
- Good morale
Requires Buildings | |
---|---|
Lv. 0 |
Heavy Horse Studs
(rom_EASTERN_stables_heavy_2) Level 1
Royal Stables
(rom_EASTERN_stables_heavy_3) Level 2 |
Lv. 1 |
Nisean Stables
(rom_EASTERN_stables_heavy_4) Level 3 |
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Hannibal at the Gates | |
Imperator Augustus |