Gaetuli (Hannibal at the Gates) Melee Ship

Assault Hexeres - Numidian Noble Infantry

These magnificent ships are both intimidating and extremely dangerous.

The elite of the Numidian peoples are more than capable of holding their own in melee.

As centuries passed, naval tactics and needs changed across the Mediterranean. There was a move towards larger ships, partly as an expression of national or dynastic power: the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt were particularly fond of large ships to show their wealth and influence in a physical way. These 'polyremes', a term meaning many oared, were not suitable for ramming work in battle. In practice many of them had no more oars than smaller ships; what they had were more rowers per oar than smaller ships. A Roman hexareme or Greek hexeres would have a couple of banks of oars with three men per oar, and appear to be an over-sized version of a smaller ship. Even so, thanks to being tremendously heavy and strongly constructed, they were slow moving, and hardly capable of the quick turns needed to take advantage of enemy mistakes. Instead the large ships made use of their wide decks and plentiful carrying capacities and became fighting platforms for infantry and artillery. Boarding or long-range bombardment were the methods to be used to defeat the enemy; naval warfare had come full circle in terms of fighting methods, even if ships had grown significantly.

(Numidian Noble Infantry)
Numidia had a fierce warrior tradition, partly because the eastern Massylii and western Masaesyli had a history of bitter feuding and internal warfare. They took, and changed, sides in the Punic Wars to suit their own agendas, only emerging as a single state after the cataclysmic Battle of Zama in 202BC. The defeat of Carthage allowed the Numidians to expand their lands, eventually leading to the Jugurthine War of 112-105BC against Rome. Numidia’s king, Jugurtha, was only defeated when he was betrayed by his father-in-law, Bocchus. While the Numidians were famed as cavalrymen, their infantry forces were also quite effective. The historian Suetonius mentions that there were Numidian 'legions', a term reserved for Roman troops, when passing comment on Julius Caesar’s speech regarding Juba’s march to aid Scipio before the Battle of Thapsus in 46BC. This suggests that some Numidians were fighting in the Roman style, and were possibly equipped in the same manner. The Numidians also adopted other tactics and war gear, such as the thureos-style shield and hoplite-like spears.

Abilities

Assault Hexeres

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

Numidian Noble Infantry

• Cavalry Counter-tactics
  Improves unit's ability to endure enemy cavalry charges for an extended time.
  Bonus vs mounted units
• Square
  The unit moves into a close square formation.
  Bracing, morale, melee defence
  Can't move
• Shield Screen
  The unit raises their shields in a static defensive formation.
  Bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Can't move

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.
• Resistant to Heat
  This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Assault Hexeres

• Very good hull strength
• Heavy crew
• Slow speed
• Strong ramming
• Very good boarding

Numidian Noble Infantry

• Very good defensive unit
• Low damage but average armour penetration
• Average attack
• Good morale

Gaetuli (Hannibal at the Gates) Units
General (2)
1.Numidian Noble Cavalry
2.Numidian Noble Infantry
Missile Infantry (4)
3.Archers
4.Tribal Slingers
5.Tribesmen
6.Numidian Javelinmen
Spear Infantry (2)
7.Numidian Noble Infantry
8.Numidian Spearmen
Missile Cavalry (2)
9.Numidian Cavalry
10.Numidian Noble Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (3)
11.African Giant Ballista
12.African Bastion Scorpion
13.African Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
14.African Bastion Ballista
15.African Ballista
16.African Heavy Onager
17.African Bastion Onager
18.African Onager
19.Carthaginian Scorpion
Admiral (2)
20.Scorpion Trieres - Tribal Slingers
21.Assault Hexeres - Numidian Noble Infantry
Melee Ship (3)
22.Assault Hexeres - Numidian Noble Infantry
23.Fire Pot Dieres - Numidian Spearmen
24.Assault Dieres - Numidian Spearmen
Missile Ship (6)
25.Tower Penteres - Archers
26.Missile Penteres - Archers
27.Scorpion Trieres - Tribal Slingers
28.Missile Trieres - Tribal Slingers
29.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
30.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
31.Light Artillery Penteres - African Ballista (Ship)
32.Artillery Penteres - African Onager (Ship)