Sparta Melee Infantry

Agora Swordsmen

During his final years on campaign, Alexander the Great renamed his elite hypaspist infantrymen argyraspides or 'Silver Shields'. Following Alexander’s untimely death, his generals fought each other for territory and the enormous power that came with it. When the smoke cleared, the former 'commander-in-chief of the camp', Seleucus, controlled Babylon and several other eastern satrapies, proclaiming himself king in 306BC. His territory became known as the Seleucid Empire, and the Silver Shields formed the elite of its armies from the very beginning. Throughout most of their tenure they were equipped in the Macedonian fashion and trained for phalanx combat like their illustrious forebears. However, following their catastrophic defeat at Magnesia in 190BC by the Romans, the Seleucids began to re-model the Silver Shields on the impressive Roman legionaries who defeated them, certainly in equipment if not in tactics. It is thought that the 5000 men at the head of the Daphne Parade in 166BC were Silver Shields equipped in this way.

Unit Name Agora Swordsmen

Main Unit Key Gre_Spartan_Infantry

Land Unit Key Gre_Spartan_Infantry

Naval Unit Key greek_transport

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Melee Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 670

Recruitment Cost 670

Upkeep Cost 80

Missile Damage 39

├ Missile Weapon rome_pilum_heavy

├ Projectile pilum_heavy

├ Missile Damage 22

├ Missile Ap Damage 17

└ Base Reload Time 40

Accuracy 5

Range 40

Reload 0

Shots Per Minute 2

Ammunition 2

Melee Attack 32

Weapon Damage 36

├ Melee Weapon rome_celtic_hellenic_sword

├ Melee Damage Base 32

├ Melee Damage Ap 4

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Bonus vs. Large 0

├ Bonus vs Elephants 0

└ Bonus vs Infantry 5

Charge Bonus 17

Melee Defence 76

├ Base Defence 41

├ Shield caetra

└ Shield Defence 35

Armour 87

├ Armour mail_improved

├ Armour Defence 62

└ Shield Armour 25

Health 65

├ Man Entity rome_infantry_heavy_fast

├ Man Health 55

└ Bonus Hit Points 10

Base Morale 55

Abilities

• Shieldwall
  The unit moves into a close formation and raises shields.
  Armour strength, bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Limited speed
• Use the Whip
  Improved attack and fatigue resistance for a short time.
  Melee attack, weapon damage, fatigue resistance
  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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

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

• Very good attack
• Average defence
• Average damage but low armour penetration
• Good morale

Requires Buildings
Lv. 0	Holosideros Barracks (greek_military_heavy_2) Level 1 Hoplite Barracks (greek_military_heavy_3) Level 2 Periokos Camp (greek_military_light_2) Level 1 Skirmisher Camp (greek_military_light_3) Level 2 Civil Town (greek_town_civil_3) Level 2 Farming Town (greek_town_farm_3) Level 2 Market Town (greek_town_trade_3) Level 2
Lv. 1	Royal Barracks (greek_military_heavy_4) Level 3 Monument of Leonidas (greek_military_heavy_5) Level 4 Mercenary Camp (greek_military_light_4) Level 3 Civil Colony (greek_town_civil_4) Level 3 Farming Colony (greek_town_farm_4) Level 3 Market Colony (greek_town_trade_4) Level 3

Faction Availability
Grand Campaign	Spartan Rebels Sparta Spartan Gerousia
Imperator Augustus	Spartan Rebels (Imperator Augustus)