Massaliote Hoplites
Class: spearmen · Category: infantry · Men per unit: 40
Description
Massalia finds itself in a difficult position. Being the only major Greek polis in Southern Gaul and being surrounded by various Celtic and Ligurian tribes, it must cement its influence over the strange lands it has colonised. The Massaliote aristocracy has strictly upheld its traditional Ionian laws over the centuries since the foundation of the city around 600 BC. The only way to become a respectable member of the ruling council of 600, the timouchoi, is to have children, thus securing the Greek future, and to be the son of someone who has been a citizen of Massalia for over three generations (Strab. IV.1.4). This conservative practice has made the well-off citizenry a small but proud class of men. Though Massalia’s hoplite force was never huge, possibly counting around 6,000 men at its high-point in the 1st century BC (Dietler, Archaeologies of Colonialism, p. 180), it is battle-hardened from constant fighting with the neighbouring tribes (Iust. 43.3). Demonstrating his traditional ways, the Massaliote hoplite is clad in a Linothorax cuirass, a bronze helmet, and greaves; equipped with a dory (a 2-3m/ 6-9 ft spear), and an aspis, a round shield bearing the Massaliote lion.
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 40 | ███······· 30% |
| Attack | 9 | █········· 13% |
| Charge bonus | 13 | █████····· 52% |
| Defence | 41 | ████████·· 76% |
| · armour | 10 | █████····· 54% |
| · defence skill | 26 | ████████·· 78% |
| · shield | 5 | ██████···· 57% |
| Morale | 10 | ███······· 29% |
| Discipline | Low | |
| Training | Highly trained | |
| Recruitment cost | 1,647 dn | ███······· 27% |
| Upkeep per turn | 603 dn | ████······ 42% |
| Turns to recruit | 2 |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 9 | — | Charge bonus | 13 | — | Type | melee · blade | — | Damage | piercing | — |
| Properties | Light spear (braced against cavalry charges from the front) · +8 attack against cavalry | — |
Defence
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 41 | — | Armour | 10 | — | Defence skill | 26 | — | Shield | 5 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | -1 / -1 / -4 / -1 | Charge distance | 30 | Formations | Square |
Technical stats
| Time between blows (primary / secondary) | 2.5 s / — | Extra fatigue in hot climates | 1 | Collision mass per man (1.0 is normal) | 1.11 | Spacing between men: close / loose | 1 × 1.05 m / 2 × 2.4 m |
| Default ranks | 5 |
In battle: Can hide in long grass · Can sap · Very good stamina
Who can recruit it
A core roster unit for one faction, which can raise it anywhere it holds the right building:
Any faction holding one of the provinces below can field it.
Exactly what a settlement must have, route by route (4)
| Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any settlement | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Massaliote area of recruitment · Any Government (Dependency, Indirect Rule or Direct Rule) · Tier 2 Colony not built | 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 |
Areas of recruitment
| Zone | Provinces | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massaliote | 0 |