Gaetuli (Hannibal at the Gates) Melee Ship

Assault Dieres - Numidian Spearmen

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

No matter how reluctant, every spearman holds the line if he wants to live.

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.

(Numidian Spearmen)
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 Dieres

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

Numidian Spearmen

• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move

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 Dieres

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

Numidian Spearmen

• Average defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Weak attack
• Poor 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)