Carthage Missile Ship

Missile Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen

These massive warships put iron into their crews' hearts, and strike fear into the enemy's.

Javelin-armed skirmishers harry an enemy before the main battle is joined.

An arms race in warship size developed between the various nations around the Mediterranean. Size, in terms of the number of rowers, ships length and bulk and above all majesty of the vessel became as much a tool of statecraft as of warfare. A people who could afford such ships were almost certainly rich enough to withstand the strains of any war. A 'four' or quadreme was still a handy warship, able to manoeuvre in battle. The same could not be said of some of the large polyremes, a word meaning many oars. Practical archaeology shows that too many banks of oars simply don't work, so polyreme probably referred to the number of rowers: a septireme is likely to have had some seven rowers per bank of three oars, arranged in three, three, and two to an oar going up from the waterline. King Demetius of Macedon led his fleet at the battle of Salamis in 306BC from the deck of a hepteres or 'seven', but his ambitions didn't stop there. Neither did those of other kingdoms, and later lumbering warships including 'elevens', 'thirteens' and larger. As bigger ships to carry more rowers such vessels could also carry big marine contingents, arrow towers and an array of useful artillery.

(Libyan Javelinmen)
The javelin is among the oldest weapons in human hands. Equipped with javelins and little else, skirmishers harried their opposite numbers and peppered hoplite phalanxes before quickly retreating. This was the typical tactic of all unarmoured, javelin-armed troops: to engage at range and then fall back behind more heavily-armoured infantry, or continue attacks while trying to stay just out of reach of the enemy. Such harassment could be highly effective, in 391BC at the Battle of Lechaeum a force of Spartans, lacking the support of skirmishers or cavalry, were severely punished by javelin-armed Athenians who refused to meet them at close quarters. Over time, shields became common, such as those used by Thracian and Greek peltasts, but in turn these were rendered obsolescent by the Hellenic thureophoroi. Nevertheless, javelinmen and other irregulars continued to play a part in many armies throughout antiquity.

Abilities

Missile Hepteres

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

Attributes

• Resistant to Fatigue
  Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
• Hide (scrub & forest)
  This unit can hide in scrub and forest until enemy units get too close.
• Resistant to Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Missile Hepteres

• Exceptional hull strength
• Very heavy crew
• Very slow speed
• Strong ramming
• Good boarding
• Very good missile combat

Libyan Javelinmen

• Short range
• Fast rate of fire
• Very good damage and armour penetration
• Very weak in melee
• Very poor morale

Carthage Units
General (2)
1.
2.Sacred Band of Astarte
Command (1)
3.General's Bodyguard
Melee Infantry (6)
4.Libyan Infantry
5.Mob
6.Libyan Elite Infantry
7.Sacred Warrior Brothers
8.Carthaginian Infantry
9.Dido's Chosen
Missile Infantry (3)
10.Libyan Javelinmen
11.Libyan Peltasts
12.Carthaginian Archers
Pike Infantry (1)
13.African Pikemen
Spear Infantry (13)
14.Citizen Militia
15.Carthaginian Hoplites
16.Late Carthaginian Hoplites
17.Late Libyan Hoplites
18.Libyan Hoplites
19.Sacred Band
20.Carthaginian Spear Champions
21.Armored Hoplites
22.Veteran Hoplites
23.Phoenician Hoplites
24.Elite Phoenician Hoplites
25.Sacred Band of Baal Hammon
26.
Melee Cavalry (3)
27.Carthaginian Cavalry
28.Carthaginian Heavy Cavalry
29.Phoenician Heavy Horses
Shock Cavalry (2)
30.Noble Cavalry
31.Sacred Band of Astarte
Elephant (3)
32.African Elephants
33.African War Elephants
34.Hanno's Pride
Fixed Artillery (4)
35.Carthaginian Giant Ballista
36.Carthaginian Polybolos
37.Carthaginian Bastion Scorpion
38.Carthaginian Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
39.Carthaginian Bastion Ballista
40.Carthaginian Ballista
41.Carthaginian Scorpion
42.Carthaginian Heavy Onager
43.Carthaginian Bastion Onager
44.Carthaginian Onager
45.Snake Pot Ballista
Melee Ship (7)
46.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
47.Fire Pot Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
48.Assault Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
49.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
50.Fire Pot Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
51.Assault Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
52.Assault Hexeres - Sacred Band
Missile Ship (9)
53.Scorpion Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
54.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
55.Missile Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
56.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
57.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
58.Missile Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
59.Scorpion Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
60.Missile Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
61.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
62.Light Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Ballista (Ship)
63.Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Onager (Ship)