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HomeHome / Total War: Rome II / Armenia / Units / Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers
Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers ArmeniaArmenia Missile Ship

Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers

From a shipboard tower, all enemies become little targets to be potted at will.

Weight of numbers brings its own quality to arrow fire.

The 'five', called a quinquereme in Latin and a penteres in Greek, was a ship first used by the Syracusans against the Carthaginians sometime around 398BC. Like other polyremes, a term meaning many-oared, the chances were that it did not have five banks of oars but that the word 'oar' was used to mean 'rower'. In such a case, the arrangement of rowers would be two-two-one going up from the waterline. It makes sense to keep as much weight as possible low in the vessel to help its stability; a high centre of gravity makes any ship liable to capsize if struck from the side. The quinquereme, then, would be a formidable vessel both in terms of appearance and combat value. With a large fighting contingent aboard and plenty of deck space, this heavy vessel could cope with most enemies and threats.

(Eastern Archers)
Eastern archers could inflict heavy casualties when used in large numbers, and their composite bows gave them a good range, accuracy and penetrating power. The composite bow was, as its name suggests, made from many materials, and its layers of wood, sinew and animal horn made it a very effective energy-storing spring. In the hands of a reasonable bowman, an arrow from a composite bow would go through chainmail at respectable ranges. It did not, however, take kindly to getting wet. The glues used in its construction soon broke down in damp conditions. In the deserts of the east this was hardly a problem, but it does explain why the composite bow was never adopted in Europe.

Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers
Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers

Unit Name

Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers

Main Unit Key

Eas_Archers_Five_Lft_Bow

Land Unit Key

Eas_Archers

Naval Unit Key

persian_lft_five

Soldiers

140

Category

Medium Ship

Class

Missile Ship

Custom Battle Cost

1020

Recruitment Cost

1020

Upkeep Cost

204

Missile Damage

35

├ Missile Weapon

rome_recurve_bow

├ Projectile

arrow_recurve

├ Missile Damage

31

├ Missile Ap Damage

4

└ Base Reload Time

12

Accuracy

5

Range

150

Reload

13

Shots Per Minute

6

Ammunition

15

Ship Health

1090

└ Ship

persian_five

Ship Speed

5

Melee Attack

8

Weapon Damage

24

├ Melee Weapon

rome_shortsword

├ Melee Damage Base

20

├ Melee Damage Ap

4

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

0

├ Bonus vs Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

3

Melee Defence

12

├ Base Defence

12

├ Shield

none

└ Shield Defence

0

Armour

10

├ Armour

cloth

├ Armour Defence

10

└ Shield Armour

0

Health

45

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_very_light_fast

├ Man Health

40

└ Bonus Hit Points

5

Base Morale

20

Abilities

Tower Penteres
  • Row Hard 20
    Increases speed for 20 strokes.
    Ship speed

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.
  • Resistant to Heat
    This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Tower Penteres
  • Good hull strength
  • Medium crew
  • Average speed
  • Average ramming
  • Average boarding
  • Very good missile combat
Eastern Archers
  • Long range
  • Average rate of fire
  • Good damage but low armour penetration
  • Very weak in melee
  • Very poor morale
Requires Buildings
Tower Penteres - Eastern Archers Lv. 0 Military Pier
Military Pier
(east_port_military_2)
Level 1
Naval Yard
Naval Yard
(east_port_military_3)
Level 2
Drydock
Drydock
(east_port_military_4)
Level 3