menu
HomeHome / Total War: Rome II / Epirus / Units / Aspis Companion Cavalry
Aspis Companion Cavalry EpirusEpirus Melee Cavalry

Aspis Companion Cavalry

The Companions are an elite force, capable of great deeds if used properly.

Macedonian Companion cavalry, known in Greek as the hetairoi, were the foremost shock troops of their age. Originally formed from the Macedonian nobility, esteemed friends and companions of their kings, these elite horsemen evolved under Philip II and Alexander the Great into a highly disciplined and formidable force with the adoption of the wedge formation that increased not only their manoeuvrability, but also their impact. Eventually their numbers were extended to include not just nobles, but in fact anyone who had been a friend to the king. Early Greek cavalry had been limited to skirmishing scouts and archers, as square formations of heavy cavalry up until this point were difficult to direct and wheel. However, the adoption of the wedge formation enabled the companions to exploit weak points or break the flanks of enemy infantry with precision. To achieve this they were armed with the 'xyston', a fearsome double-ended lance, designed to counter-balance itself and be reversible should one end break, plus a straight sword or curved kopis for close-quarters fighting. Armour took the form of a shaped bronze corselet, with optional greaves, and an open Boeotian helmet, which afforded some protection without hampering vision. The horse itself was unarmoured. The rider sat on a blanket, as neither saddle nor stirrups were used at this time.

Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry Aspis Companion Cavalry
Aspis Companion Cavalry

Unit Name

Aspis Companion Cavalry

Main Unit Key

Gre_Aspis_Companion_Cav

Land Unit Key

Gre_Aspis_Companion_Cav

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

80

Category

Cavalry

Class

Melee Cavalry

Custom Battle Cost

1300

Recruitment Cost

1300

Upkeep Cost

200

Missile Damage

32

├ Missile Weapon

rome_javelin_precursor

├ Projectile

javelin_prec

├ Missile Damage

20

├ Missile Ap Damage

12

└ Base Reload Time

15

Accuracy

5

Range

40

Reload

0

Shots Per Minute

4

Ammunition

2

Melee Attack

68

Weapon Damage

38

├ Melee Weapon

rome_kopis_cav

├ Melee Damage Base

32

├ Melee Damage Ap

6

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

0

├ Bonus vs Elephants

0

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

40

Melee Defence

34

├ Base Defence

19

├ Shield

hoplite_cav

└ Shield Defence

15

Armour

95

├ Armour

bronze

├ Armour Defence

60

└ Shield Armour

35

Health

105

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_very_heavy

├ Man Health

45

├ Bonus Hit Points

20

├ Mount

rome_hellenic_horse_sword_shield_vh

├ Mount Entity

rome_horse_very_heavy

└ Mount Health

40

Base Morale

70

Abilities

Aspis Companion Cavalry
  • Diamond
    The unit moves into a diamond-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.
  • Encourage
    This unit provides a morale bonus to nearby allies.
  • 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
Aspis Companion Cavalry
  • Very good attack
  • Average defence
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Good morale
Requires Buildings
Aspis Companion Cavalry Lv. 0 Royal Barracks
Royal Barracks
(greek_military_heavy_4)
Level 3