Macedon Missile Ship

Heavy Tower Hepteres - Archers

The threatening towers on these powerful warships should serve as a warning to enemies!

Archers are ideal for goading the enemy into foolish action.

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.

(Archers)
Although archery was not highly thought of as a military skill in Greece, Crete produced truly excellent archers who were able to sell their services to the highest bidder as mercenaries. Firing bronze-tipped arrows from their heavy self bows, Cretan archers tended to carry shields, indicative of some additional prowess in melee, which must’ve made them an even more enticing proposition for a general hiring mercenaries for campaign. Their finest hours came when Alexander the Great hired Cretans directly into his army to support its unbeatable phalanx. Commanded by Clearchus, 500 Cretans accompanied the Macedonian phalanx into battle at Granicus, off-setting the Persians' numerical superiority on the day and enabling Alexander’s subsequent victory. Whereas the Romans didn’t traditionally use archers in their forces, once they conquered Greece Cretan archers began to appear as auxiliary troops in their armies. Notably, they fought in Caesar’s campaign in Gaul against Vercingetorix, causing him to rally the best archers the tribes could provide to range against them.

Abilities

Heavy Tower Hepteres

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

Archers

• Quick Reload
  Improved reloading for an extended time.
  Shots per minute
  Exertion: fatigue

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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Heavy Tower Hepteres

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

Archers

• Long range
• Average rate of fire
• Good damage but low armour penetration
• Very weak in melee
• Very poor morale

Macedon Units
General (8)
1.Companion Cavalry
2.Foot Companions
3.Royal Peltasts
4.Shield Bearers
5.Archaic Panoplia Hoplites
6.Alexander's Pride
7.Macedonian Royal Horse Guard
8.Macedonian Royal Guard
Melee Infantry (11)
9.Mob
10.Royal Peltasts
11.Thorax Swordsmen
12.Xiphos Of Macedon
13.Thureos Swordsmen
14.Macedonian Infantry
15.Macedonian Heavy Infantry
16.Agrianian Swordsmen
17.Macedonian Holy Band
18.Royal Companions
19.Macedonian Royal Guard
Missile Infantry (6)
20.Agrianian Axemen
21.Archers
22.Javelinmen
23.Light Peltasts
24.Peltasts
25.Slingers
Pike Infantry (5)
26.Foot Companions
27.Levy Pikemen
28.Pikemen
29.Thorax Pikemen
30.Royal Foot Companions
Spear Infantry (9)
31.Hoplites
32.Militia Hoplites
33.Shield Bearers
34.Thureos Spears
35.Archaic Panoplia Hoplites
36.Spears Of Macedon
37.Thorax Spearmen
38.Macedonian Royal Spearmen
39.Macedonian Hoplites
Melee Cavalry (4)
40.Aspis Companion Cavalry
41.Citizen Cavalry
42.Alexander's Pride
43.Macedonian Royal Horse Guard
Missile Cavalry (2)
44.Skirmisher Cavalry
45.Tarantine Cavalry
Shock Cavalry (3)
46.Companion Cavalry
47.Sarissa Cavalry
48.Thessalian Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (4)
49.Greek Giant Ballista
50.Greek Polybolos
51.Greek Bastion Scorpion
52.Greek Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (7)
53.Greek Bastion Ballista
54.Greek Ballista
55.Greek Beehive Onager
56.Greek Scorpion
57.Greek Heavy Onager
58.Greek Bastion Onager
59.Greek Onager
Admiral (3)
60.Tower Penteres - Archers
61.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Archers
62.Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts
Melee Ship (6)
63.Fire Pot Dieres - Light Peltasts
64.Assault Dieres - Light Peltasts
65.Fire Pot Dieres - Militia Hoplites
66.Assault Dieres - Militia Hoplites
67.Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts
68.Assault Tetreres - Thureos Spears
Missile Ship (9)
69.Scorpion Penteres - Archers
70.Tower Penteres - Archers
71.Missile Penteres - Archers
72.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Archers
73.Missile Hepteres - Archers
74.Raiding Hemiolia - Javelinmen
75.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Javelinmen
76.Scorpion Trieres - Slingers
77.Missile Trieres - Slingers
Artillery Ship (2)
78.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
79.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)