Companion Cavalry
These superb cavalrymen are an armoured fist to drive deep into enemy ranks.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.
Unit Name Companion Cavalry |
Main Unit Key Gre_Companion_Cav |
Land Unit Key Gre_Companion_Cav |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 80 |
Category Cavalry |
Class Shock Cavalry |
Custom Battle Cost 1300 |
Recruitment Cost 1300 |
Upkeep Cost 200 |
Melee Attack 46 |
27 |
├ Melee Weapon rome_lance_elite |
├ Melee Damage Base 15 |
├ Melee Damage Ap 12 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Large 10 |
├ Bonus vs Elephants 10 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 76 |
21 |
├ Base Defence 21 |
├ Shield none |
└ Shield Defence 0 |
70 |
├ Armour bronze_elite |
├ Armour Defence 70 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
100 |
├ Man Entity rome_infantry_very_heavy |
├ Man Health 45 |
├ Bonus Hit Points 20 |
├ Mount rome_hellenic_horse_lance_vh |
├ Mount Entity rome_horse_very_heavy_shock |
└ Mount Health 35 |
Base Morale 70 |
Abilities
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
- Very good charge
- Low damage but average armour penetration
- Weak in prolonged melee
- Good morale
Garrison Buildings | |
---|---|
x 2 |
Satrap's Stables
(greek_military_east_stable_3) Level 2
Royal Stables
(greek_military_east_stable_4) Level 3 |
Faction Availability | |
---|---|
Grand Campaign |