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Basilikoi Hippeis Arche BosphorusArche Bosphorus Melee Cavalry

Basilikoi Hippeis

(Bosporan Royal Cavalry)

The Bosporan kingdom, due to its position, has to face many nomadic raids, so it has adopted many elements from nomadic warfare, including the emphasis on cavalry. These elite horsemen are the strongest assets of the kingdom. They form the general's bodyguard on every campaign, but sometimes they accompany the king himself as well.

Macedonian Companion cavalry, known in Greek as the hetairoi, were the foremost shock troops of their age. Originally formed from the Macedonian nobility, esteemed friends and companions of their kings, these elite horsemen evolved under Philip II and Alexander the Great into a highly disciplined and formidable force with the adoption of the wedge formation that increased not only their manoeuvrability, but also their impact. Eventually their numbers were extended to include not just nobles, but in fact anyone who had been a friend to the king. Early Greek cavalry had been limited to skirmishing scouts and archers, as square formations of heavy cavalry up until this point were difficult to direct and wheel. However, the adoption of the wedge formation enabled the companions to exploit weak points or break the flanks of enemy infantry with precision. To achieve this they were armed with the 'xyston', a fearsome double-ended lance, designed to counter-balance itself and be reversible should one end break, plus a straight sword or curved kopis for close-quarters fighting. Armour took the form of a shaped bronze corselet, with optional greaves, and an open Boeotian helmet, which afforded some protection without hampering vision. The horse itself was unarmoured. The rider sat on a blanket, as neither saddle nor stirrups were used at this time.

Basilikoi Hippeis

Unit Name

Basilikoi Hippeis

Main Unit Key

Bos_Companion_Cav

Land Unit Key

Bos_Companion_Cav

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

100

Category

Cavalry

Class

Melee Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

2385

Recruitment Cost

2385

Upkeep Cost

477

Melee Attack

39

Weapon Damage

9

├ Melee Weapon

cspear4

├ Weapon Damage

9

├ Weapon Deadliness

0

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Cavalry

2

├ Bonus vs. Elephants

2

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

35

Melee Defence

54

├ Base Defence

23

├ Shield

cshield3

└ Shield Defence

31

Armour

24

├ Armour

carm12

├ Armour Defence

24

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

20

├ Man Entity

heavy_heavy

├ Man Health

20

├ Bonus Hit Points

0

├ Mount

cataphract_horse_greek

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_spc_cataphract

└ Mount Health

0

Base Morale

65

Abilities

Basilikoi Hippeis
  • Stamina (low)
    Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.
  • Flying Wedge
    The unit assumes a wedge formation that increases charge speed and bonus

Attributes

  • Fire Whilst Moving
    This unit can fire when mounted and moving.
  • 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.
  • Resistant to Cold
    This unit tires less quickly in snow.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Transport
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very slow speed
  • Weak ramming
Basilikoi Hippeis
  • Very good charge
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Weak in prolonged melee
  • Good morale
Requires Buildings
Basilikoi Hippeis Lv. 0 Hoplite Barracks
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3)
Level 2
Basilikoi Hippeis Lv. 1 Royal Barracks
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4)
Level 3
Faction Availability
Grand Campaign