Seleucid Missile Ship

Heavy Tower Hepteres - Syrian Heavy Archers

The threatening towers on these powerful warships should serve as a warning to enemies!

These scale-armoured bowmen can do terrible damage to the enemy.

An arms race in warship size developed between the various nations around the Mediterranean. Size, in terms of the number of rowers, ships length and bulk and above all majesty of the vessel became as much a tool of statecraft as of warfare. A people who could afford such ships were almost certainly rich enough to withstand the strains of any war. A 'four' or quadreme was still a handy warship, able to manoeuvre in battle. The same could not be said of some of the large polyremes, a word meaning many oars. Practical archaeology shows that too many banks of oars simply don't work, so polyreme probably referred to the number of rowers: an octeres is likely to have had some eight rowers per bank of three oars, arranged in three, three, and two to an oar going up from the waterline. King Demetius of Macedon led his fleet at the battle of Salamis in 306BC from the deck of a hepteres or 'seven', but his ambitions didn't stop there. Neither did those of other kingdoms, and later lumbering warships including 'elevens', 'thirteens' and larger. As bigger ships to carry more rowers such vessels could also carry big marine contingents, arrow towers and an array of useful artillery.

(Syrian Heavy Archers)
Massed in large numbers, eastern archers can inflict heavy casualties, and the composite bows they carry afford them greater range, accuracy and power than many of their western counterparts. Constructed from a combination of wood, sinew and animal horn, the composite bow was far more effective than the traditional wooden or 'self' bow. As its core offered greater flexibility, allowing the archer to draw its string back further and achieve a great range and power, the composite bow could find a target up to 35 metres away and pierce chainmail armour. Requiring great strength and stamina to use well, the composite bow demanded respect, care and attention. As military campaigns were often fought during the summer and autumn months, archers could rest their weapons during the winter - reconditioning the bodies before restringing and tensioning for future use.

Abilities

Heavy Tower Hepteres

• Row Hard 30
  Increases speed for 30 strokes.
  Ship speed

Syrian Heavy Archers

• Precision Shot
  Improved missile weapon damage for an extended period.
  Missile damage
  Exertion: fatigue

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

Heavy Tower Hepteres

• Exceptional hull strength
• Very heavy crew
• Very slow speed
• Strong ramming
• Good boarding
• Exceptional missile combat

Syrian Heavy Archers

• Long range
• Fast rate of fire
• Good damage but low armour penetration
• Very weak in melee
• Poor morale

Seleucid Units
General (9)
1.Agema Cavalry
2.Companion Cavalry
3.Hellenic Cataphracts
4.Royal Peltasts
5.Scythed Chariots
6.Shield Bearers
7.Silver Shield Pikemen
8.Silver Shield Swordsmen
9.Indian Armoured Elephants
Melee Infantry (5)
10.Hillmen
11.Mob
12.Royal Peltasts
13.Silver Shield Swordsmen
14.Thorax Swordsmen
Missile Infantry (8)
15.Eastern Javelinmen
16.Persian Light Archers
17.Eastern Slingers
18.Syrian Heavy Archers
19.Archers
20.Javelinmen
21.Light Peltasts
22.Peltasts
Pike Infantry (4)
23.Levy Pikemen
24.Pikemen
25.Silver Shield Pikemen
26.Thorax Pikemen
Spear Infantry (4)
27.Eastern Spearmen
28.Persian Hoplites
29.Shield Bearers
30.Thureos Spears
Melee Cavalry (5)
31.Camel Spearmen
32.Azat Knights
33.Median Cavalry
34.Citizen Cavalry
35.Light Cavalry
Missile Cavalry (4)
36.Camel Archers
37.Horse Skirmishers
38.Skirmisher Cavalry
39.Tarantine Cavalry
Shock Cavalry (2)
40.Agema Cavalry
41.Hellenic Cataphracts
Chariot (1)
42.Scythed Chariots
Elephant (2)
43.Indian Armoured Elephants
44.Indian War Elephants
Fixed Artillery (4)
45.Greek Giant Ballista
46.Greek Polybolos
47.Greek Bastion Scorpion
48.Greek Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
49.Greek Bastion Ballista
50.Greek Ballista
51.Greek Scorpion
52.Greek Heavy Onager
53.Greek Bastion Onager
54.Greek Onager
Admiral (2)
55.Tower Penteres - Persian Light Archers
56.Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts
Melee Ship (5)
57.Assault Dieres - Hillmen
58.Fire Pot Dieres - Light Peltasts
59.Fire Pot Dieres - Peltasts
60.Assault Hexeres - Royal Peltasts
61.Assault Tetreres - Thureos Spears
Missile Ship (10)
62.Scorpion Penteres - Persian Light Archers
63.Tower Penteres - Persian Light Archers
64.Missile Penteres - Persian Light Archers
65.Scorpion Trieres - Eastern Slingers
66.Missile Trieres - Eastern Slingers
67.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Syrian Heavy Archers
68.Raiding Hemiolia - Light Peltasts
69.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Light Peltasts
70.Raiding Hemiolia - Peltasts
71.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Peltasts
Artillery Ship (2)
72.Light Artillery Penteres - Greek Ballista (Ship)
73.Artillery Penteres - Greek Onager (Ship)