Description
The Leukaspides ("White Shields") appear as the second corps of the Antigonid Phalanx from the late 3rd century BC on. Plutarch (Life of Kleomenes, 23,1) attests their presence at the Battle of Sellasia in 222 BC, where they fought against the Spartan Helots that had been armed in the manner of the Macedonian Phalanx. This implies that the Leukaspides were seen as the weaker part of the Antigonid pikemen and they were possibly less armoured than the Chalkaspides, who wore kottybos armour and a sort of padded linen vest - only the front ranks were equipped with hermithorax. Maybe the Leukaspides had to do without the hermithorax, but their weaker equipment might only refer to the early days of the unit. As a recent article convincingly argued, Antigonos III Doson had probably recruited them from the Thraco-Macedonian inhabitants east of Mygdonia and from other population groups at the fringes of the kingdom to increase the manpower of his phalanx. By the 2nd century, they might have become virtually unrecognisable from the Chalkaspides.
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 60 | █████████· 87% |
| Attack | 19 | █████████· 92% |
| Charge bonus | 1 | █········· 4% |
| Defence | 24 | ███······· 27% |
| · armour | 10 | █████····· 54% |
| · defence skill | 11 | █········· 6% |
| · shield | 3 | ████······ 37% |
| Morale | 10 | ███······· 29% |
| Discipline | Normal | |
| Training | Highly trained | |
| Recruitment cost | 1,923 dn | █████····· 46% |
| Upkeep per turn | 774 dn | ████████·· 75% |
| Turns to recruit | 2 |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 19 | 4 | Charge bonus | 1 | 1 | 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 | 24 | — | Armour | 10 | — | Defence skill | 11 | — | Shield | 3 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | -4 / -1 / -6 / -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 | 1 | Collision mass per man (1.0 is normal) | 1.05 | 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 (3)
| Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indirect Rule | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Tier 1 Colony | Direct Rule | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Tier 1 Colony | Homeland | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex |