Seleucid Pike Infantry

Silver Shield Pikemen

Veteran pikemen are rarely matched in quality or courage on the battlefield.

During his final years on campaign, Alexander the Great renamed his elite hypaspist infantrymen argyraspides or 'Silver Shields'. Following Alexander’s untimely death, his generals fought each other for territory and the enormous power that came with it. When the smoke cleared, the former 'commander-in-chief of the camp', Seleucus, controlled Babylon and several other eastern satrapies, proclaiming himself king in 306BC. His territory became known as the Seleucid Empire, and the Silver Shields formed the elite of its armies from the very beginning. Throughout most of their tenure they were equipped in the Macedonian fashion and trained for phalanx combat like their illustrious forebears. However, following their catastrophic defeat at Magnesia in 190BC by the Romans, the Seleucids began to re-model the Silver Shields on the impressive Roman legionaries who defeated them, certainly in equipment if not in tactics. It is thought that the 5000 men at the head of the Daphne Parade in 166BC were Silver Shields equipped in this way.

Abilities

Silver Shield Pikemen

• Pike Phalanx
  The unit moves into a deep, close defensive formation.
  Bonus vs cavalry, bracing
  Limited speed

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.
• 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

Transport

• Very poor hull strength
• Very slow speed
• Weak ramming

Silver Shield Pikemen

• Very good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Good morale
• Very vulnerable when not in phalanx

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)