Mercenaries Melee Ship

Assault Dieres - Mercenary Egyptian Infantry

With a ramming attack that can break an enemy hull, these ships are deadly weapons.

Mercenaries, used to hardship on campaign, are always a sound investment.

The waterline ram was first mounted on a vessel in around 850BC. Warships and naval tactics were transformed. Ships were no longer platforms for infantry battles on the water; the ship itself became the weapon. Galleys changed as the new reality sank in. Ramming at speed would hole and sink an enemy, therefore slimmer, faster, handier ships were required. More speed on demand obviously required more oars a fast ship with a single row of oars ended up being stupidly, impractically long. The solution, then, was to put in a second set of oars above the first, but slightly offset to allow for rowers' benches. These biremes, a Latin word meaning 'two oars', or dieres, the Greek equivalent, were no longer than previous designs but had twice the number of rowers. They were fast, manoeuvrable, and could carry a fighting contingent. Some nations also gave their bireme crews fire pots; these clay pots filled with oil and pitch were hurled at enemy ships in the entirely reasonable hope of setting them ablaze.

(Mercenary Egyptian Infantry)
Native troops supported the Greek phalanxes of Ptolemaic Egypt. Brave and proud warriors, Egyptians fulfilled several roles, but were most commonly used as peltasts, skirmishers on the flanks of the phalanxes, or as non-phalanx infantry in difficult terrain. Although the Ptolemies adopted all the trappings of the Pharaohs and their religious infrastructure, there was still much unrest among the native population long after the succession. This was due mainly to the way the Greek overlords used the traditions of the Pharaohs to fill their coffers at the expensive of ordinary people. The core of Ptolemaic armies was always Greek until the Battle of Raphia in 217BC, when they faced such a large Seleucid force and Ptolemy IV was forced to muster some 30,000 native Egyptians for the first time. Need overcame the suspicion of the disenchanted natives; the performance of the Egyptians in battle eventually led to a greater proportion of native troops in the Egyptian army and, in time, more diverse roles for those men as they gained the trust of their Greek commanders.

Abilities

Assault Dieres

• Row Hard 10
  Increases speed for 10 strokes.
  Ship speed

Mercenary Egyptian Infantry

• Shieldwall
  The unit moves into a close formation and raises shields.
  Armour strength, bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Limited speed

Attributes

• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• Resistant to Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Dieres

• Very poor hull strength
• Very light crew
• Fast speed
• Weak ramming
• Good boarding

Mercenary Egyptian Infantry

• Average attack
• Weak defence
• Average damage but low armour penetration
• Poor morale

Faction Mercenaries Pool

Units
Melee Infantry (20)
1.Mercenary Naked Swords
2.Mercenary Celtic Warriors
3.Mercenary Gallic Warriors
4.Mercenary Short Swords
5.Mercenary Axe Warriors
6.Mercenary Scutarii
7.Mercenary Iberian Swordsmen
8.Mercenary Samnite Warriors
9.Mercenary Noble Fighters
10.Mercenary Italian Swordsmen
11.Mercenary Wolf Warriors
12.Mercenary Hillmen
13.Mercenary Bactrian Hillmen
14.Mercenary Egyptian Infantry
15.Mercenary Coastal Levies
16.Mercenary Illyrian Raiders
17.Mercenary Falxmen
18.Mercenary Gladiatrices
19.Mercenary Lusitani Swordswomen
20.Mercenary Thracian Warriors
Missile Infantry (19)
21.Mercenary Briton Slingers
22.Mercenary Gallic Hunters
23.Mercenary Longbow Hunters
24.Mercenary Balearic Slingers
25.Mercenary Celtic Skirmishers
26.Mercenary Sabean Archers
27.Mercenary Cretan Archers
28.Mercenary Peltasts
29.Mercenary Rhodian Slingers
30.Mercenary Iberian Slingers
31.Mercenary Numidian Javelinmen
32.Mercenary Eastern Javelinmen
33.Mercenary Egyptian Archers
34.Mercenary Persian Archers
35.Mercenary Dacian Bowmen
36.Mercenary Dacian Skirmishers
37.Mercenary Gorgo's Skirmishers
38.Mercenary Syrian Archers
39.Mercenary Thracian Peltasts
Spear Infantry (14)
40.Mercenary Spear Band
41.Mercenary Spear Brothers
42.Mercenary Hoplites
43.Mercenary Italian Spearmen
44.Mercenary Sabean Spearmen
45.Mercenary Thureos Spears
46.Mercenary Veteran Hoplites
47.Mercenary Etruscan Hoplites
48.Mercenary Leopard Warriors
49.Mercenary Arabian Spearmen
50.Mercenary Spearwomen
51.Mercenary Parthian Spearmen
52.Mercenary Dacian Spears
53.Mercenary Kushite Shieldwomen
Melee Cavalry (16)
54.Mercenary Noble Horse
55.Mercenary Citizen Cavalry
56.Mercenary Gallic Light Horse
57.Mercenary Celtic Light Horse
58.Mercenary Briton Scout Riders
59.Mercenary Sabean Cavalry
60.Mercenary Iberian Cavalry
61.Mercenary Campanian Cavalry
62.Mercenary Italian Cavalry
63.Mercenary Scutarii Cavalry
64.Mercenary Arabian Cavalry
65.Mercenary Bactrian Light Horse
66.Mercenary Illyrian Cavalry
67.Mercenary Spear Horsemen
68.Mercenary Camel Spearmen
69.Mercenary Cappadocian Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (13)
70.Mercenary Numidian Cavalry
71.Mercenary Germanic Scout Riders
72.Mercenary Tarantine Cavalry
73.Mercenary Cantabrian Cavalry
74.Mercenary Numidian Noble Cavalry
75.Mercenary Horse Skirmishers
76.Mercenary Parthian Horse Archers
77.Mercenary Sarmatian Horse Archers
78.Mercenary Armoured Horse Archers
79.Mercenary Scythian Horse Archers
80.Mercenary 'Amazonian' Riders
81.Mercenary Thracian Cavalry
82.Mercenary Camel Archers
Shock Cavalry (3)
83.Mercenary Persian Cavalry
84.Mercenary Armoured Lancers
85.Mercenary Sarmatian Lancers
Elephant (3)
86.Mercenary African Elephants
87.Mercenary Indian War Elephants
88.Mercenary Syrian Armoured Elephants
Special (2)
89.Mercenary Molossian Dogs
90.Mercenary Celtic Warhounds
Melee Ship (14)
91.Medium Assault Raider - Mercenary Gallic Warriors
92.Assault Raider - Mercenary Gallic Warriors
93.Assault Dieres - Mercenary Egyptian Infantry
94.Assault Dieres - Mercenary Coastal Levies
95.Assault Bireme - Mercenary Italian Spearmen
96.Assault Dieres - Mercenary Parthian Spearmen
97.Assault Raider - Mercenary Bactrian Hillmen
98.Assault Raider - Mercenary Bactrian Hillmen
99.Assault Raider - Mercenary Celtic Warriors
100.Assault Tetreres - Mercenary Dacian Spears
101.Assault Tetreres - Mercenary Italian Spearmen
102.Assault Dieres - Mercenary Illyrian Raiders
103.Assault Dieres - Mercenary Sabean Spearmen
104.Assault Dieres - Mercenary Thureos Spears
Missile Ship (31)
105.Missile Raider - Mercenary Briton Slingers
106.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Peltasts
107.Missile Raider - Mercenary Celtic Skirmishers
108.Missile Raider - Mercenary Iberian Slingers
109.Medium Missile Raider - Mercenary Numidian Javelinmen
110.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Numidian Javelinmen
111.Missile Raider - Mercenary Numidian Javelinmen
112.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Arabian Spearmen
113.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Persian Archers
114.Missile Trieres - Mercenary Persian Archers
115.Missile Raider - Mercenary Celtic Skirmishers
116.Missile Raider - Mercenary Longbow Hunters
117.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Persian Archers
118.Missile Raider - Mercenary Dacian Bowmen
119.Missile Trieres - Mercenary Egyptian Archers
120.Missile Raider - Mercenary Longbow Hunters
121.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Peltasts
122.Missile Trieres - Mercenary Peltasts
123.Missile Raider - Mercenary Numidian Javelinmen
124.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Persian Archers
125.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Persian Archers
126.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Dacian Bowmen
127.Missile Trieres - Mercenary Numidian Javelinmen
128.Raiding Hemiolia - Mercenary Peltasts
129.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Mercenary Peltasts
130.Missile Trieres - Mercenary Persian Archers
131.Missile Raider - Mercenary Briton Slingers
132.Missile Trieres - Mercenary Peltasts
133.Missile Penteres - Mercenary Peltasts
134.Missile Raider - Mercenary Iberian Slingers
135.Medium Missile Raider - Mercenary Longbow Hunters