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Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Infantry RomeRome Melee Ship

Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Infantry

With a ramming attack that can break an enemy hull, these ships are deadly weapons.

Able soldiers, well schooled in war, and eager to serve Rome.

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.

(Auxiliary Infantry)
Auxiliaries supplemented the Legions of the late Republic and Principate and were recruited from non-citizens, usually provincial volunteers or from allied kingdoms. With the pressures of war requiring increasing numbers, especially in the aftermath of the Social War of 91-88BC, recruitment from Rome’s expanding provinces became a necessity. To limit the risk of rebellion, auxiliary units were recruited from a single province but always stationed far from home. Auxiliaries could be infantry, cavalry or specialists such as archers, and retained their own cultural identities and equipment. Being stationed in Roman provinces, under Roman rule, had an inevitable Romanising effect on auxiliaries, as did the rewards of service: land and citizenship. Some units eventually had 'Civium Romanorum' as a title, meaning they were Roman citizens. From as early as Caesar’s Gallic campaigns auxiliaries accounted for nearly all Roman cavalry, and during the 2nd century AD auxiliary numbers actually exceeded those of the Legions.

Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Infantry

Unit Name

Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Infantry

Main Unit Key

Aux_Infantry_Two

Land Unit Key

Aux_Infantry

Naval Unit Key

roman_two

Soldiers

60

Category

Light Ship

Class

Melee Ship

Custom Battle Cost

370

Recruitment Cost

370

Upkeep Cost

74

Ship Health

501

└ Ship

roman_two

Ship Speed

6

Melee Attack

18

Weapon Damage

25

├ Melee Weapon

rome_spear

├ Melee Damage Base

20

├ Melee Damage Ap

5

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

20

├ Bonus vs Elephants

20

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

15

Melee Defence

55

├ Base Defence

30

├ Shield

oval

└ Shield Defence

25

Armour

75

├ Armour

mail

├ Armour Defence

40

└ Shield Armour

35

Health

50

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_heavy

├ Man Health

40

└ Bonus Hit Points

10

Base Morale

45

Abilities

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

Attributes

  • Disciplined
    This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
  • Formation Attack
    The unit will try to stay in formation when in melee.
  • Hide (forest)
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Bireme
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very light crew
  • Fast speed
  • Weak ramming
  • Good boarding
Auxiliary Infantry
  • Good defensive unit
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Average attack
  • Normal morale
Requires Buildings
Assault Bireme - Auxiliary Infantry Lv. 0 Shipwright
Shipwright
(rome_port_patrol_2)
Level 1
Docks
Docks
(rome_port_patrol_3)
Level 2
Coastal Patrol
Coastal Patrol
(rome_port_patrol_4)
Level 3