Saxoni (Empire Divided) Missile Ship

Medium Missile Raider - Saxoni Bows

Tough warships for harrying the enemy, constructed to take on the worst of seas.

A rain of arrows to slim down enemy numbers before the charge.

Most of the northern European tribes were not naval powers, but there were still able seafarers to be found amongst them. Shipbuilding techniques were well understood, so while many vessels were small leather-skinned boats for inland and inshore use, bigger sea-going vessels were also made. Shipwrights used heavy planking for hulls, stitched together and then fastened to a wooden skeleton to create sturdy craft able to cope with Atlantic conditions. Julius Caesar was surprised at the quality of the enemy ships when his fleet clashed with the Veneti from modern-day Brittany. The Veneti vessels had flat bottoms to cope with shallows, but were also of heavy oak construction to cope with rough seas. This made them tough opposition for Roman galleys, and capable of shrugging off a ramming attack. Caesar said that the enemy ships "...were constructed of planks a foot in breadth, fastened by iron spikes the thickness of a man's thumb; the anchors were secured fast by iron chains instead of cables”. When the Romans were forced to board, they faced fearsome warriors used to close-quarters fighting at sea.

(Saxoni Bows)
Arguably the first time the 'Saxoni' - an aggressive Germanic tribe - was mentioned was by the Egyptian writer Claudius Ptolemy in 'Geographia', during the 2nd century AD. At the time, they were thought to occupy land to the north of the Lower Elbe river, where modern-day Hamburg stands today. The Emperor Julian mentioned the Saxoni again, in AD 356, during a speech against his rival, Magnentius, with whom they had allied. In the 3rd century AD, pressure on the Roman Empire's northern frontier, due to alarmingly-frequent Saxoni raids, led to dedicated defence of the 'Saxon Shore' on both sides of the English Channel. Several branches of Saxoni, along with their neighbours the Angles and Jutes, migrated and settle in the former Roman province of Britannia, eventually becoming known as the 'English'.

Abilities

Medium Missile Raider

• Row Hard 10
  Increases speed for 10 strokes.
  Ship speed

Attributes

• Resistant to Fatigue
  Fatigue has less of an effect on this unit.
• Guerrilla Deployment
  This unit can deploy outside of the deployment zone.
• Hide (scrub & forest)
  This unit can hide in scrub and forest until enemy units get too close.
• Resistant to Cold
  This unit tires less quickly in snow.
• Snipe
  This unit remains hidden while firing.
• Stalk
  This unit can move hidden in any terrain.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Medium Missile Raider

• Good hull strength
• Medium crew
• Fast speed
• Weak ramming
• Poor boarding
• Good missile combat

Saxoni Bows

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

Saxoni (Empire Divided) Units
General (3)
1.Gedriht Spearmen
2.Gedriht Swordsmen
3.Noble Saxoni Cavalry
Melee Infantry (7)
4.Armoured Germanic Swords
5.Germanic Axe Warriors
6.Duguth Swordsmen
7.Gedriht Swordsmen
8.Gedriht Swordsmen
9.Geoguth Warriors
10.Saxoni Raiders
Missile Infantry (5)
11.Germanic Hurlers
12.Germanic Skirmishers
13.Elite Saxoni Javelinmen
14.Germanic Archers
15.Saxoni Bows
Pike Infantry (1)
16.Germanic Pikes
Spear Infantry (7)
17.Germanic Spear Masters
18.Germanic Spearmen
19.Spear Levy
20.Duguth Spearmen
21.Gedriht Spearmen
22.Gedriht Spearmen
23.Geoguth Spearmen
Melee Cavalry (4)
24.Germanic Mounted Warband
25.Noble Saxoni Cavalry
26.Noble Saxoni Cavalry
27.Saxoni Mounted Warband
Missile Cavalry (1)
28.Germanic Horse Skirmishers
Shock Cavalry (1)
29.Germanic Lancers
Fixed Artillery (2)
30.German Giant Ballista
31.German Bastion Scorpion
Field Artillery (6)
32.German Ballista
33.German Bastion Ballista
34.German Scorpion
35.German Heavy Onager
36.German Onager
37.German Bastion Onager
Special (1)
38.Savage Dogs
Admiral (3)
39.Heavy Raider - Gedriht Swordsmen
40.Heavy Raider - Armoured Germanic Swords
41.Medium Missile Raider - Saxoni Bows
Melee Ship (7)
42.Assault Raider - Saxoni Raiders
43.Assault Raider - Geoguth Warriors
44.Heavy Raider - Armoured Germanic Swords
45.Heavy Raider - Gedriht Swordsmen
46.Heavy Raider - Armoured Germanic Swords
47.Medium Assault Raider - Germanic Axe Warriors
48.Medium Assault Raider - Duguth Spearmen
Missile Ship (4)
49.Medium Missile Raider - Germanic Hunters
50.Medium Missile Raider - Saxoni Bows
51.Medium Missile Raider - Saxoni Bows
52.Missile Raider - Germanic Hurlers