

Iapygian Peltasts
Messapia's finest skirmishers are the first into battle, filling the sky - and the enemy frontline - with their deadly javelins.Like the Siculi tribe to the west in Sicily, Messapian warriors favoured large shields and open-faced, Illyrian style helmets, albeit with more crests and, on occasion, horns. Their weapon of choice was the spear; some Iapygian tribes, like their Illyrian ancestors, adopted the Greek style of hoplite phalanx combat, whilst others fought in a less organised style, using shorter, multi-purpose spears. Short melee weapons were also used, such as the curved 'kopis' swords and one-handed axes. Messapian warfare was a mixture of their Illyrian heritage and the influence of their Oscan neighbours. The former employed skirmishers, who were useful for raiding and piracy, while the latter wasn't able to field javelinmen and slingers in any numbers, instead relying on mounted nobles supported by their retainers. According to Herodotus, Oscan tribal cavalry was crucial in holding off Taras' invasion of Messapian and Peucetian towns in 473BC, an action which extended the conflict until 467BC. The king of Messapia later made two alliances with Athens, around 430BC and again in 418 BC, supplying the Athenians with javelinmen for the war against Syracuse.
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Unit Name Iapygian Peltasts |
Main Unit Key inv_app_peltasts |
Land Unit Key inv_app_peltasts |
Naval Unit Key pel_transport |
Soldiers 120 |
Category Missile Infantry |
Class Missile Infantry |
Custom Battle Cost 650 |
Recruitment Cost 650 |
Upkeep Cost 130 |
Missile Damage 32 |
├ Missile Weapon rome_javelin |
├ Projectile javelin_normal |
├ Missile Damage 20 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 12 |
└ Base Reload Time 10 |
Accuracy 5 |
Range 80 |
Reload 18 |
Shots Per Minute 7 |
Ammunition 7 |
Melee Attack 18 |
Weapon Damage 24 |
├ Melee Weapon rome_shortsword |
├ Melee Damage Base 20 |
├ Melee Damage Ap 4 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Large 0 |
├ Bonus vs Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 0 |
Charge Bonus 10 |
Melee Defence 40 |
├ Base Defence 15 |
├ Shield peltast_thureos |
└ Shield Defence 25 |
Armour 65 |
├ Armour spolas |
├ Armour Defence 35 |
└ Shield Armour 30 |
Health 50 |
├ Man Entity rome_infantry_medium |
├ Man Health 40 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 10 |
Base Morale 40 |
Abilities
No Ability
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.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Transport- Very poor hull strength
- Very slow speed
- Weak ramming
- Short range
- Fast rate of fire
- Very good damage and armour penetration
- Large shield
- Very weak in melee
- Poor morale
Requires Buildings | |
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Hoplite Barracks
(inv_gre_military_3) Level 2 ![]()
Royal Barracks
(inv_gre_military_4) Level 3 |
Faction Availability | |
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Rise of the Republic |