Mercenary 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.

Unit Name Mercenary Hoplites

Main Unit Key inv_mercenary_hoplites

Land Unit Key inv_mercenary_hoplites

Naval Unit Key pel_transport

Soldiers 160

Category Melee Infantry

Class Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost 500

Recruitment Cost 500

Upkeep Cost 400

Melee Attack 35

Weapon Damage 26

├ Melee Weapon rome_hoplite_spear

├ Melee Damage Base 20

├ Melee Damage Ap 6

├ Armour Piercing No

├ Bonus vs. Large 15

├ Bonus vs Elephants 15

└ Bonus vs Infantry 0

Charge Bonus 15

Melee Defence 55

├ Base Defence 40

├ Shield hoplite

└ Shield Defence 15

Armour 80

├ Armour spolas

├ Armour Defence 35

└ Shield Armour 45

Health 60

├ Man Entity rome_infantry_hoplite

├ Man Health 45

└ Bonus Hit Points 15

Base Morale 50

Abilities

• 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.

Strengths & Weaknesses

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

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

Rise of the Republic Mercenaries Pool