Libya Melee Ship

Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites

Ramming attacks from these ships inflict terrible damage.

The sons of Carthage are men worthy of the name "hoplite".

There is a good deal of debate as to how large ancient warships worked; the principles are understood, but the details are not always so clear. A Roman 'quadreme' or Greek 'tetreres' would seem to have four rows of oars if the name is translated literally. However, it is unclear how four sets of oars each with one rower apiece could be used without them getting in a terrible tangle even with a magnificently trained crew, or how the top set of rowers would be able to handle the extremely long oars pitched at a steep angle and still produce any power. The chances are that the term 'oar' had become synonymous with 'rower' and that the lowest bank had more than one man per oar. The other option was to go back to a double row of oars, with two men apiece. Two banks of oars would also have made for a cheaper construction task for each ship. Either way, the result was a ship that could rival the lighter trireme in speed, yet had more deck space for a large fighting contingent or artillery pieces.

(Carthaginian Hoplites)
Hoplites date back to the wars between the Greek city-states in the 8th and 7th centuries BC. During the Greco-Persian Wars most hoplites wore a Corinthian-style bronze helm, and a cuirass of bronze or stiffened linen or canvas. They were armed with a short sword and an iron-tipped spear with a bronze counterbalance butt-spike. Hoplites were named, though, after the round hoplon shield they carried. The hoplon-and-spear combination required them to fight as a phalanx, a block of spearmen some eight ranks deep. When closed up, each man would find shelter behind the shield of his neighbour, creating a wall of bristling spear-points. While all hoplites were originally citizen-soldiers, full-time mercenaries took over and became the standard fighting unit of the Greek world. Later, under Phillip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, the shield became smaller, while the spear developed into the five metre sarissa pike. Many armies adopted the phalanx of hoplites as a tactical unit because it was very successful in battle.

Abilities

Assault Tetreres

• Row Hard 20
  Increases speed for 20 strokes.
  Ship speed

Carthaginian Hoplites

• Hoplite Wall
  The unit moves into close wall formation.
  Bracing, melee defence, shield strength
  Acceleration, speed

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 Tetreres

• Average hull strength
• Medium crew
• Average speed
• Average ramming
• Average boarding

Carthaginian Hoplites

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

Libya Units
General (2)
1.African War Elephants
2.General's Bodyguard
Command (1)
3.General's Bodyguard
Melee Infantry (2)
4.Libyan Infantry
5.Mob
Missile Infantry (2)
6.Libyan Javelinmen
7.Libyan Peltasts
Spear Infantry (5)
8.Citizen Militia
9.Carthaginian Hoplites
10.Late Carthaginian Hoplites
11.Late Libyan Hoplites
12.Libyan Hoplites
Melee Cavalry (1)
13.Carthaginian Cavalry
Fixed Artillery (4)
14.Carthaginian Giant Ballista
15.Carthaginian Polybolos
16.Carthaginian Bastion Scorpion
17.Carthaginian Scorpion (Fixed)
Field Artillery (6)
18.Carthaginian Bastion Ballista
19.Carthaginian Ballista
20.Carthaginian Scorpion
21.Carthaginian Heavy Onager
22.Carthaginian Bastion Onager
23.Carthaginian Onager
Admiral (4)
24.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
25.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
26.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
27.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
Melee Ship (6)
28.Assault Tetreres - Carthaginian Hoplites
29.Fire Pot Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
30.Assault Dieres - Libyan Hoplites
31.Assault Tetreres - Late Carthaginian Hoplites
32.Fire Pot Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
33.Assault Dieres - Late Libyan Hoplites
Missile Ship (9)
34.Scorpion Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
35.Tower Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
36.Missile Penteres - Libyan Javelinmen
37.Raiding Hemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
38.Heavy Tower Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
39.Missile Hepteres - Libyan Javelinmen
40.Scorpion Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
41.Missile Trieres - Libyan Javelinmen
42.Pursuit Trihemiolia - Libyan Javelinmen
Artillery Ship (2)
43.Light Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Ballista (Ship)
44.Artillery Penteres - Carthaginian Onager (Ship)