Early Praetorian Cohort
Class: heavy · Category: infantry · Men per unit: 40
Description
This unit represents the Praetorians that would have existed during the late Republic and early Principate. Soldiers like these would have formed the bodyguards of Octavian (later Augustus) and Marc Anthony from Caesar's death to the battle of Actium, and later they would have taken part in Germanicus Caesar's campaigns in Germany in the early 1st Century AD. Predominantly Italian in origin, the soldiers are equipped in much the same fashion as normal legionaries at the turn of the 1st Century AD, with a semi-cylindrical scutum, bronze "Montefortino"-style helmet, sturdy chain-mail armour (lorica hamata), a gladius (Fulham-pattern) and two pila, as shown on the late 1st century BC funerary monument known as the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus and confirmed by archaeological record. Note that two belts are worn - one for the gladius, and the other for the dagger (pugio). Despite some depictions in contemporary art, there is no hard evidence that the Praetorians ever wore Attic helmets, even on parade - a fact which many modern interpretations seem quite happy to ignore. Tough, well-trained and equipped, their discipline and morale are excellent, as one would expect of experienced legionaries, hand-picked from the best the legions of the Empire have to offer.
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 40 | ███······· 30% |
| Attack | 19 | █████████· 92% |
| Charge bonus | 12 | ████······ 42% |
| Defence | 46 | █████████· 89% |
| · armour | 15 | ████████·· 82% |
| · defence skill | 24 | ███████··· 69% |
| · shield | 7 | █████████· 91% |
| Morale | 13 | ███████··· 70% |
| Discipline | Normal | |
| Training | Highly trained | |
| Recruitment cost | 1,793 dn | ████······ 36% |
| Upkeep per turn | 656 dn | █████····· 54% |
| Turns to recruit | 16 |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 19 | 12 | Charge bonus | 12 | 13 | Type | thrown · blade | melee · blade | Damage | piercing | piercing |
| Projectile | pilum_early | — | Range | 40 | — | Ammunition | 1 | — | Properties | Armour-piercing (counts only half the target's armour) · used just before charging into combat | — |
Defence
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 46 | — | Armour | 15 | — | Defence skill | 24 | — | Shield | 7 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | 0 / -2 / 0 / -2 | Charge distance | 30 | Formations | Square · Testudo |
Technical stats
| Time between blows (primary / secondary) | 2.5 s / 2.5 s | Extra fatigue in hot climates | 5 | Collision mass per man (1.0 is normal) | 1.4 | Spacing between men: close / loose | 1 × 1.2 m / 2 × 2.4 m |
| Default ranks | 5 |
In battle: Can sap · Very good stamina
Who can recruit it
This unit cannot be recruited from any building.