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Spartiatai Epheboi Spartan GerousiaSpartan Gerousia Spear Infantry

Spartiatai Epheboi

(Spartan Youths)

Young Spartans, not yet ready to fight in a proper phalanx, are tasked with chasing off skirmishers in battle. Their tactics are one inspiration for the Iphicratean reforms of heavier peltasts. Due to their lighter equipment and extensive training, they are able to catch up with light units of other nations - not many can outrun them.

Toughened by years of training within the agoge, Spartan youths were moulded into warriors from the age of seven, becoming 'paidiskoi', or Spartan reserves, in their later teenage years. Separated from their mothers, the first stage of their training was the 'paides', in which they lived communally in one of the Spartan syssitia mess halls. Here they trained and exercised together, learning from their elders, and were purposefully underfed to toughen and accustom them to hunger, and teach them resourcefulness. This extended to depriving them of clothing too, providing only their red cloak each year. This taught the boys to steal, for which they were severely punished if caught, but for being caught, not for stealing from the helot slave population. At eighteen, they became paidiskoi, joining the army as reservists for two years. Armed with the hoplite spear and hoplon, and armoured in cloth, they would support the older Spartan men in battle. A chosen few would also be inducted into the krypteia, a secret organisation that were expected to spy on, steal from and kill the helots. Seen as both a test of ability and a necessary means of keeping the helots submissive, a declaration of war against the helots was made each autumn, effectively legalising the krypteia’s activity.

Spartiatai Epheboi

Unit Name

Spartiatai Epheboi

Main Unit Key

Gre_Spartan_Youths

Land Unit Key

Gre_Spartan_Youths

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

200

Category

Melee Infantry

Class

Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost

576

Recruitment Cost

576

Upkeep Cost

115

Melee Attack

32

Weapon Damage

9

├ Melee Weapon

spear2

├ Weapon Damage

9

├ Weapon Deadliness

0

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Cavalry

3

├ Bonus vs. Elephants

10

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

18

Melee Defence

78

├ Base Defence

20

├ Shield

shield6

└ Shield Defence

58

Armour

3

├ Armour

arm1

├ Armour Defence

3

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

20

├ Man Entity

shoplite_light

├ Man Health

20

└ Bonus Hit Points

0

Base Morale

55

Abilities

Spartiatai Epheboi
  • Stamina (excellent)
    Governs how fast the unit tires and restores fatigue, and is dependent on type of unit, weight and approach to combat.

Attributes

  • Expert Charge Defence
    This unit’s melee attack and damage are increased against charging enemies.
  • 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
Spartiatai Epheboi
  • Average defensive unit
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Weak attack
  • Poor morale
Requires Buildings
Spartiatai Epheboi Lv. 0 Muster Field
Muster Field
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_1)
Level 0
Holosideros Barracks
Holosideros Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_2)
Level 1
Hoplite Barracks
Hoplite Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_3)
Level 2
Spartiatai Epheboi Lv. 1 Royal Barracks
Royal Barracks
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_heavy_4)
Level 3
Garrison Buildings
Spartiatai Epheboi x 1 Sparta
Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_1)
Level 0
Sparta
Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_2)
Level 1
Commercial Sparta
Commercial Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_3_trade)
Level 2
Spartiatai Epheboi x 2 Sparta
Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_3)
Level 2
Commercial Sparta
Commercial Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_4_trade)
Level 3
Spartiatai Epheboi x 3 Fortified Sparta
Fortified Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_3_fort)
Level 2
Sparta
Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_4)
Level 3
Spartiatai Epheboi x 4 Fortified Sparta
Fortified Sparta
(dei_minor_city_SPARTA_4_fort)
Level 3
Perioikos Camp
Perioikos Camp
(rom_HELLENIC_military_main_aux_2)
Level 1
Faction Availability
Grand Campaign
Imperator Augustus
Macedonian Wars