Massilia Missile Ship

Raiding Hemiolia - Celtic Skirmishers

These swift, manoeuvrable ships are a useful scouting force for any admiral.

Even the poorest of the tribe can fight for its honour and glory.

The 'one-and-a-half' or 'hemiolia' was a light galley which was much favoured by pirates in the ancient world. It developed from the bireme, a ship that had two full decks of oars along its entire length. The hemiola reduced the number of oars on the upper level, leaving roughly half the number of oars and rowers in the midship section. The smaller number of rowers had little effect on overall speed because the laden weight of the vessel also dropped. Because it used both oars and sails, and the crew could rapidly change propulsion method, it was an ideal vessel for chasing down fat, wealthy merchant ships. Boarding attacks were mounted from hemiolas; ramming was not a useful tactic as loot ended up with the fish rather than enriching the pirates! The speed and handiness of hemiolas made them useful as scouts, supply boats and vessels used to pick off damaged enemies at the edge of battles.

(Celtic Skirmishers)
As far as the Celts were concerned, the best way to kill a man was in hand-to-hand combat. The Celts thought there was great value in personal bravery and there was no honour in killing from a distance. Even so, slingers, javelinmen and archers still had their place on the battlefield. It was often the only way that some Celts could go to war: Celtic warriors paid for their own equipment, so only the wealthy could afford, or had the right to carry, fine armour and weapons. Skirmishers were usually the poor: freemen who served as clients to the noble class. While they could never hope to achieve the same status as their noble masters, they could still prove their worth in the cut and thrust of battle.

Abilities

Raiding Hemiolia

• Row Hard 10
  Increases speed for 10 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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Raiding Hemiolia

• Very poor hull strength
• Light crew
• Very fast speed
• Weak ramming
• Very poor boarding
• Poor missile combat

Celtic Skirmishers

• Short range
• Fast rate of fire
• Very good damage and armour penetration
• Very weak in melee
• Very poor morale

Massilia Units
General (3)
1.Hippeus Lancers
2.Hoplites
3.Massilian Hoplites
Melee Infantry (3)
4.Axe Warriors
5.Celtic Warriors
6.Thorax Swordsmen
Missile Infantry (3)
7.Celtic Skirmishers
8.Celtic Slingers
9.Peltasts
Spear Infantry (7)
10.Levy Freemen
11.Celtic Tribesmen
12.Citizen Hoplites
13.Hoplites
14.Light Hoplites
15.Massilian Hoplites
16.Massilian Thureos Spears
Melee Cavalry (3)
17.Light Horse
18.Citizen Cavalry
19.Massilian Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (2)
20.Skirmisher Cavalry
21.Tarantine Cavalry
Shock Cavalry (1)
22.Hippeus Lancers
Fixed Artillery (4)
23.Greek Giant Ballista
24.Greek Polybolos
25.Greek Bastion Scorpion
26.Greek Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
27.Greek Bastion Ballista
28.Greek Ballista
29.Greek Scorpion
30.Greek Heavy Onager
31.Greek Bastion Onager
32.Greek Onager
Admiral (2)
33.Greek Missile Penteres - Celtic Slingers
34.Assault Tetreres - Hoplites
Melee Ship (3)
35.Assault Dieres - Celtic Tribesmen
36.Assault Tetreres - Hoplites
37.Assault Hexeres - Thureos Spears
Missile Ship (7)
38.Raiding Hemiolia - Celtic Skirmishers
39.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Celtic Skirmishers
40.Scorpion Penteres - Celtic Slingers
41.Tower Penteres - Celtic Slingers
42.Greek Missile Penteres - Celtic Slingers
43.Scorpion Trieres - Celtic Slingers
44.Missile Trieres - Celtic Slingers
Artillery Ship (2)
45.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
46.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)