Kyrenaian Agema
Class: spearmen · Category: infantry · Men per unit: 60
Reforms: Unlocked by Kyrenean Reforms II
Description
These men are our veteran phalangites, the Kyrenaian Agema. Armed in the Macedonian fashion, most of them wear a flexible linen cuirass, the linothorax, while some have even been equipped with bronze muscle cuirasses; bronze pelte shields; as well as plain bronze or colourfully painted konos helmets. The Agema confront their enemies with a bristling wall of pikes, but also carry a sword for man-to-man combat. The Kyrenaian Agema are an elite force, and should be utilized to secure the most vulnerable spots of your phalanx.
Historical background
Not much is known about the army of Kyrene under Magas, but since the city was an important and fertile Greek city under Ptolemaic control, it will have largely consisted of Ptolemaic forces with some units typical of Greek city-states. When Ptolemy gave Kyrene a new constitution somewhere between 321 and 305 BC, he allowed the Kyrenaians to raise their own military force, which could also be mobilized for a conflict beyond its borders (Johnstono, ‘Army of Ptolemaic Egypt’ (2020), pp. 49-50). Indeed, Polybios mentions that during the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC, 3,000 Libyans fought as pikemen on the side of the Ptolemies under the command of Ammonios of Barke (Polybius V.65.8). Since these Libyans were positioned in the place of honour, between the Macedonian phalanx and the Ptolemaic Agema, it is likely that Kyrene was capable of fielding a substantial force of well-equipped and experienced veteran phalangites. As many Ptolemaic phalangites hailed from Kyrene, this unit is largely identical to the Ptolemaic Agema Phalangites, even though it displays locally popular symbols such as silphium or a horned Zeus on its shields.
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 60 | █████████· 87% |
| Attack | 21 | ██████████ 99% |
| Charge bonus | 3 | ██········ 16% |
| Defence | 30 | ████······ 42% |
| · armour | 12 | ███████··· 69% |
| · defence skill | 15 | ██········ 23% |
| · shield | 3 | ████······ 37% |
| Morale | 12 | ██████···· 57% |
| Discipline | Normal | |
| Training | Highly trained | |
| Recruitment cost | 2,209 dn | ██████···· 57% |
| Upkeep per turn | 808 dn | ████████·· 78% |
| Turns to recruit | 4 |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 21 | 6 | Charge bonus | 3 | 3 | Type | melee · blade | melee · simple | Damage | piercing | piercing |
| Properties | Long spear (bonus against cavalry, penalty against infantry) · +8 attack against cavalry · very long pike (phalanx) | — |
Defence
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 30 | — | Armour | 12 | — | Defence skill | 15 | — | Shield | 3 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | -5 / -1 / -8 / -1 | Charge distance | 0 | Formations | Square · Phalanx |
Technical stats
| Time between blows (primary / secondary) | 2.5 s / 2.5 s | Extra fatigue in hot climates | 0 | Collision mass per man (1.0 is normal) | 1.23 | Spacing between men: close / loose | 1 × 1 m / 2 × 2.4 m |
| Default ranks | 5 |
In battle: Can sap · Good stamina
Who can recruit it
A core roster unit for one faction, which can raise it anywhere it holds the right building:
Exactly what a settlement must have, route by route (2)
| Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Rule | Tier 3 Military Industrial Complex · Kyrenean Reforms II · Tier 2 Colony | Homeland | Tier 2 Military Industrial Complex · Kyrenean Reforms II |