Gaetuli (Hannibal at the Gates) Melee Ship

Assault Hexeres - Numidian Noble Infantry

These magnificent ships are both intimidating and extremely dangerous.

These warlike Numidians command the respect of any who face them and live.

As centuries passed, naval tactics and needs changed across the Mediterranean. There was a move towards larger ships, partly as an expression of national or dynastic power: the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt were particularly fond of large ships to show their wealth and influence in a physical way. These 'polyremes', a term meaning many oared, were not suitable for ramming work in battle. In practice many of them had no more oars than smaller ships; what they had were more rowers per oar than smaller ships. A Roman hexareme or Greek hexeres would have a couple of banks of oars with three men per oar, and appear to be an over-sized version of a smaller ship. Even so, thanks to being tremendously heavy and strongly constructed, they were slow moving, and hardly capable of the quick turns needed to take advantage of enemy mistakes. Instead the large ships made use of their wide decks and plentiful carrying capacities and became fighting platforms for infantry and artillery. Boarding or long-range bombardment were the methods to be used to defeat the enemy; naval warfare had come full circle in terms of fighting methods, even if ships had grown significantly.

(Numidian Noble Infantry)
Numidia had a fierce warrior tradition, partly because the eastern Massylii and western Masaesylis had a tradition of bitter feuding and internal warfare. They took, and changed, sides in the Punic Wars to suit their own agenda, and only emerged as a single state after the Battle of Zama in 202BC. The fall of Carthage allowed the Numidians to expand their lands, and this led to the Jugurthine War of 112-105BC against Rome. Numidia’s king, Jugurtha, was only defeated when he was betrayed by his father-in-law, Bocchus. While the Numidians were famed as cavalrymen, their infantry forces were also quite effective. The historian Suetonius mentions that there were 'Numidian legions', a term normally used in Roman writings for Roman troops, when passing comment on Julius Caesar’s speech about Juba’s march to aid Scipio before the Battle of Thapsus in 46BC. This suggests that some Numidians were fighting in Roman style, and were possibly equipped in the same manner. The Numidians also adopted other tactics and war gear, such as the thureos-style shield and hoplite-like spears.

Abilities

Assault Hexeres

• Row Hard 30
  Increases speed for 30 strokes.
  Ship speed

Numidian Noble Infantry

• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move
• Steady
  Improves the unit's ability to endure enemy charges.
  Armour, melee defence
  Exertion: fatigue

Attributes

• 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 Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Hexeres

• Very good hull strength
• Heavy crew
• Slow speed
• Strong ramming
• Very good boarding

Numidian Noble Infantry

• Very good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Good morale

Gaetuli (Hannibal at the Gates) Units
General (5)
1.Numidian Noble Cavalry
2.Numidian Noble Infantry
3.Numidian Elite Spearmen
4.Numidian Pseudo-Legionaires
5.Numidian Armoured Camelry
Melee Infantry (7)
6.Nubian Axe Warriors
7.Desert Swordsmen
8.Rusicade Light Axemen
9.Coastal Axe Marauders
10.Numidian Armoured Swords
11.Numidian Pseudo-Legionaires
12.Royal Swords of Siga
Missile Infantry (6)
13.Archers
14.Tribal Slingers
15.Tribesmen
16.Numidian Javelinmen
17.Massylian Archers of Cirta
18.Hippo Regius Slingers
Spear Infantry (8)
19.Numidian Noble Infantry
20.Numidian Spearmen
21.Desert Spearmen
22.Light Spears of Mount Aurasius
23.River Muluia Spearmen
24.Numidian Armoured Spears
25.Spears of Cirta
26.Numidian Elite Spearmen
Melee Cavalry (2)
27.Desert Camel Spearmen
28.Numidian Armoured Camelry
Missile Cavalry (4)
29.Numidian Cavalry
30.Numidian Noble Cavalry
31.Desert Camel Archers
32.Archers of River Tafna
Shock Cavalry (1)
33.Numidian Spear Camelry
Fixed Artillery (3)
34.African Giant Ballista
35.African Bastion Scorpion
36.African Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
37.African Bastion Ballista
38.African Ballista
39.African Heavy Onager
40.African Bastion Onager
41.African Onager
42.Carthaginian Scorpion
Admiral (2)
43.Scorpion Trieres - Tribal Slingers
44.Assault Hexeres - Numidian Noble Infantry
Melee Ship (3)
45.Assault Hexeres - Numidian Noble Infantry
46.Fire Pot Dieres - Numidian Spearmen
47.Assault Dieres - Numidian Spearmen
Missile Ship (6)
48.Tower Penteres - Archers
49.Missile Penteres - Archers
50.Scorpion Trieres - Tribal Slingers
51.Missile Trieres - Tribal Slingers
52.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
53.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
54.Artillery Penteres - African Ballista (Ship)
55.Artillery Penteres - African Onager (Ship)