Carthage Spear Infantry

Sacred Band

The Sacred Band were a phalanx of veteran spearmen, raised in Carthage, and trained and armoured in Greek hoplite fashion. They were unique in that they were drawn from the populace of the city itself, rather than being allies, levied subject peoples or mercenaries; these were the groups that normally made up Carthaginian armies. Chosen from the nobility and wealthy citizens, they were well trained and disciplined. Thanks to their social status they could afford the full panoply of hoplite armour: a bronze cuirass, greaves and helm, and a hoplon shield. In the case of the Sacred Band these were predominately white in colour. Armed with hoplite spears, tipped with an iron head and bronze butt-spike for balance, members of the Sacred Band also carried straight swords. Renowned for their valour, even in defeat, the Sacred Band was expected to fight to the last, and did so at the Battle of the Crimissus in 340BC. Their numbers never recovered and in time the pressure of Carthage’s wars with Rome meant that the Sacred Band was superseded by mercenary armies, paid for by Carthage's trading wealth. These armies still had small numbers of Carthaginian citizens and Liby-Phoenicians, but the Sacred Band of old was no more.

Unit Name Sacred Band

Main Unit Key Car_Sacred_Band

Land Unit Key Car_Sacred_Band

Naval Unit Key greek_transport

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 860

Recruitment Cost 940

Upkeep Cost 100

Melee Attack 32

Weapon Damage 32

├ Melee Weapon rome_spear_elite

├ Melee Damage Base 21

├ Melee Damage Ap 11

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Bonus vs. Large 17

├ Bonus vs Elephants 19

└ Bonus vs Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 28

Melee Defence 83

├ Base Defence 57

├ Shield hoplite

└ Shield Defence 26

Armour 117

├ Armour bronze

├ Armour Defence 74

└ Shield Armour 43

Health 80

├ Man Entity rome_infantry_hoplite

├ Man Health 60

└ Bonus Hit Points 20

Base Morale 65

Abilities

• Hoplite Wall
  The unit moves into close wall formation.
  Bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Acceleration, speed
• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move
• Rapid Advance
  Improved unit movement speed over an extended period.
  Speed, acceleration, charge speed
  Exertion: fatigue

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.
• Encourage
  This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
• 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

• Very poor hull strength
• Very slow speed
• Weak ramming

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

Requires Buildings
Lv. 1	Royal Barracks (greek_military_heavy_4) Level 3

Faction Availability
Grand Campaign	Carthage Adirim loyalists Punic Rebels
Hannibal at the Gates	Carthage (Hannibal at the Gates) Adirim loyalists (Hannibal at the Gates) Punic Rebels (Hannibal at the Gates)
Imperator Augustus	Punic Rebels (Imperator Augustus)