Hetairoi (Late)
(Greek Companions)These superb cavalrymen are an armoured fist to drive deep into an enemy's vitals.
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.
Unit Name Hetairoi (Late) |
Main Unit Key Gre_Late_Companion_Cav |
Land Unit Key Gre_Late_Companion_Cav |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 100 |
Category Cavalry |
Class Shock Cavalry |
Custom Battle Cost 2513 |
Recruitment Cost 2513 |
Upkeep Cost 503 |
Melee Attack 40 |
9 |
├ Melee Weapon lance4 |
├ Weapon Damage 9 |
├ Weapon Deadliness 0 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Cavalry 0 |
├ Bonus vs. Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 2 |
Charge Bonus 42 |
61 |
├ Base Defence 45 |
├ Shield none |
└ Shield Defence 16 |
22 |
├ Armour carm11 |
├ Armour Defence 22 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
20 |
├ Man Entity heavy_heavy |
├ Man Health 20 |
├ Bonus Hit Points 0 |
├ Mount greek_elite_horse_lance |
├ Mount Entity rome_horse_super_heavy |
└ Mount Health 0 |
Base Morale 65 |
Abilities
Hetairoi (Late)- Stamina (poor)
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.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Transport- Very poor hull strength
- Very slow speed
- Weak ramming
- Very good charge
- Low damage but average armour penetration
- Weak in prolonged melee
- Good morale
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign |