Meroe Melee Ship

Fire Pot Dieres - Levy Spearmen

Fire pots, hurled onto enemy decks, are a terrible threat to wooden ships.

Levies are plentiful, and can stand in battle when properly commanded.

The waterline ram was first mounted on a vessel in around 850BC. Warships and naval tactics were transformed. Ships were no longer platforms for infantry battles on the water; the ship itself became the weapon. Galleys changed as the new reality sank in. Ramming at speed would hole and sink an enemy, therefore slimmer, faster, handier ships were required. More speed on demand obviously required more oars a fast ship with a single row of oars ended up being stupidly, impractically long. The solution, then, was to put in a second set of oars above the first, but slightly offset to allow for rowers' benches. These biremes, a Latin word meaning 'two oars', or dieres, the Greek equivalent, were no longer than previous designs but had twice the number of rowers. They were fast, manoeuvrable, and could carry a fighting contingent. Some nations also gave their bireme crews fire pots; these clay pots filled with oil and pitch were hurled at enemy ships in the entirely reasonable hope of setting them ablaze.

(Levy Spearmen)
Throughout the civilised world, levies formed the backbone of many armies. Called to service from among citizens or subjects, they followed a long tradition that began, in Greece at least, with hoplite warfare between the city-states. Equipped with spears, these levied phalanxes could present a formidable wall of spear points to other infantry and cavalry. What levies lacked in skill and discipline compared to professional soldiers and mercenaries, they made up for in numbers and the advantage their weaponry provided. These troops, especially the citizen-levy of the Greek city-states, were at first expected to provide their own arms and equipment. As time passed, the citizen army developed into a more formalised body in which arms and equipment were provided. Often, however, personal loyalty to a general or king replaced any sense of civic duty, although 'civic duty' might be grudging to say the least in men taken from their homes, families and livelihoods, and thrust into battle.

Abilities

Fire Pot Dieres

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

Levy Spearmen

• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move

Attributes

• Hide (forest)
  This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
• Resistant to Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Fire Pot Dieres

• Very poor hull strength
• Very light crew
• Fast speed
• Very strong initial ramming
• Good boarding

Levy Spearmen

• Average defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Weak attack
• Poor morale

Meroe Units
General (2)
1.Aethiopian Cavalry
2.Swordsmen
Melee Infantry (1)
3.Swordsmen
Missile Infantry (4)
4.Archers
5.Javelinmen
6.Tribal Slingers
7.Tribesmen
Spear Infantry (1)
8.Levy Spearmen
Melee Cavalry (1)
9.Aethiopian Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (3)
10.African Giant Ballista
11.African Bastion Scorpion
12.African Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
13.African Bastion Ballista
14.African Ballista
15.African Scorpion
16.African Heavy Onager
17.African Bastion Onager
18.African Onager
Admiral (2)
19.Assault Hexeres - Swordsmen
20.Scorpion Trieres - Tribal Slingers
Melee Ship (3)
21.Assault Hexeres - Swordsmen
22.Fire Pot Dieres - Levy Spearmen
23.Assault Dieres - Levy Spearmen
Missile Ship (6)
24.Tower Penteres - Archers
25.Missile Penteres - Archers
26.Scorpion Trieres - Tribal Slingers
27.Missile Trieres - Tribal Slingers
28.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
29.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
30.Light Artillery Penteres - African Ballista (Ship)
31.Artillery Penteres - African Onager (Ship)