Athenai Phalangitai
(Athenian Pikemen)Specially selected Athenian citizens that are trained to fight in the Macedonian fashion.
A tightly formed phalanx of sarissa-armed infantry presented an almost impenetrable wall of spear points, especially to cavalry. The sarissa itself was a two-handed spear or pike, between four and seven metres long, and was adopted by the armies of Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Successors that followed them. With an iron tip and a bronze butt-spike which provided balance and could be dug into the ground to bolster a defensive stance, it was an effective weapon for mass combat. When advancing in close order against the enemy, each man would occupy a square roughly a metre to a side, with the sarissas of the first five ranks projecting beyond the phalanx. On the defensive the phalanxes would close up, locking together with each man resting his shield on the man in front for greater stability. Such formations sacrificed manoeuvrability, leading to their main weakness on their flanks and rear. Philip II’s employment of the sarissa, and this new Macedonian-style phalanx, developed from earlier hoplite warfare. There is some debate as to whether his wounding by either an Illyrian or Thracian long spear, which killed his mount, may have influenced the sarissa's introduction.
Unit Name Athenai Phalangitai |
Main Unit Key Ath_Pike |
Land Unit Key Ath_Pike |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 256 |
Category Melee Infantry |
Class Hoplite/Pike Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 974 |
Recruitment Cost 974 |
Upkeep Cost 195 |
Melee Attack 30 |
9 |
├ Melee Weapon pike2 |
├ Weapon Damage 9 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 2 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 6 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 8 |
50 |
├ Base Defence 19 |
├ Shield shield2 |
└ Shield Defence 31 |
12 |
├ Armour arm7 |
├ Armour Defence 12 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity light_heavy |
├ Man Health 20 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
Base Morale 50 |
Abilities
Athenai Phalangitai- Stamina (average)
Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat. - Pike Phalanx
The unit moves into a deep and close pike phalanx formation that increases frontal defense and attack but movement speed is reduced and the unit is vulnerable to flanking attacks.
Attributes
- 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
- Good defensive unit
- Low damage but average armour penetration
- Average attack
- Normal morale
- Very vulnerable when not in phalanx
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign | |
Macedonian Wars |