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Roman Legionary Cavalry Rome (Empire Divided)Rome (Empire Divided) Melee Cavalry

Roman Legionary Cavalry

Cavalry support is vital to all infantry work, even in the Legions.

By recruiting horsemen from Iberia, Gaul, Numidia and Thrace, Roman cavalry adapted to accommodate the army's changing needs and resources. Each Legion originally included 300 equites and 600 to 900 socii, so a typical consular army fielded between 1800 and 2400 horsemen. However, in order to cope with the demands of a growing empire, there was a gradual shift away towards using cavalry from outside the Italian peninsular. As equites became legionary officers and the socii citizens, cavalry recruits from Italy became scarce. By the time of Caesar’s Gallic campaigns the Legions relied almost exclusively on allied cavalry. Equipment changed little during this period; the spear and chainmail adopted by the equites, and probably influenced by the Celts, came full-circle with the recruitment of Gallic cavalry. Nevertheless, helmet and shield styles changed and the small, round shield of the equites, via the Galatians of Asia Minor, gradually became the versatile 'thureos'.

Roman Legionary Cavalry

Unit Name

Roman Legionary Cavalry

Main Unit Key

3c_Rom_Roman_Legionary_Cavalry

Land Unit Key

3c_Rom_Roman_Legionary_Cavalry

Naval Unit Key

3c_pel_transport

Soldiers

80

Category

Cavalry

Class

Melee Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

620

Recruitment Cost

620

Upkeep Cost

125

Melee Attack

33

Weapon Damage

25

├ Melee Weapon

rome_spear_cav

├ Melee Damage Base

20

├ Melee Damage Ap

5

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

15

├ Bonus vs Elephants

15

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

29

Melee Defence

30

├ Base Defence

10

├ Shield

cavalry

└ Shield Defence

20

Armour

70

├ Armour

mail

├ Armour Defence

40

└ Shield Armour

30

Health

80

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_heavy

├ Man Health

40

├ Bonus Hit Points

15

├ Mount

rome_horse_spear_shield_m

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_medium

└ Mount Health

25

Base Morale

45

Abilities

Roman Legionary Cavalry
  • Cavalry Testudo
    The unit raises their shields and turns towards the aggressor.
    Protection against missiles
    Can't move
  • Flying Wedge
    The unit moves into a flying wedge-shaped attack formation.
    Charge bonus, melee attack
    Acceleration, melee defence

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

Transport
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very slow speed
  • Weak ramming
Roman Legionary Cavalry
  • Good attack
  • Average defence
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Average morale
Requires Buildings
Roman Legionary Cavalry Lv. 0 Legionary Barracks
Legionary Barracks
(3c_rome_military_3)
Level 2
Cavalry Barracks
Cavalry Barracks
(3c_rome_military_cavalry_4)
Level 3
Castrum Stativum
Castrum Stativum
(3c_rome_military_infantry_4)
Level 3
Garrison Buildings
Roman Legionary Cavalry x 1 Cavalry Barracks
Cavalry Barracks
(3c_rome_military_cavalry_4)
Level 3