Mercenary Cretan Archers
Mercenary. Hired from a regional pool, not recruited from a building.
Class: missile · Category: infantry · Men per unit: 40
Description
By far the most famous of Greek archers, the Cretan Archers are renowned as specialist mercenaries throughout Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. The political instability and endemic warfare of Crete means a steady supply of Cretans is available for mercenary service overseas. With their composite bows, they outrange most other archers, and due to their experience and skills learned from childhood they are some of the best bowmen of the ancient world. In this period, the Hellenistic era, they were protected by light Linothorakes with Pteryges, bronze helmets or Petasos hats, boots, as well as small round Pelte shields. Should these mercenary Cretan Archers be forced into a melee, they can defend themselves with curved Machaira swords.
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 40 | ███······· 30% |
| Attack | 11 | ███······· 34% |
| Charge bonus | 5 | ███······· 26% |
| Defence | 25 | ███······· 28% |
| · armour | 7 | ████······ 42% |
| · defence skill | 16 | ███······· 28% |
| · shield | 2 | ███······· 25% |
| Morale | 10 | ███······· 29% |
| Discipline | Normal | |
| Training | Trained | |
| Upkeep per turn | 662 dn | ██████···· 56% |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 11 | 8 | Charge bonus | 5 | 7 | Type | missile · archery | melee · blade | Damage | piercing | slashing |
| Projectile | arrow | — | Range | 170 | — | Ammunition | 25 | — |
Defence
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 25 | — | Armour | 7 | — | Defence skill | 16 | — | Shield | 2 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 | Charge distance | 30 | Formations | Square |
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) | 0.96 | Spacing between men: close / loose | 1.1 × 2.6 m / 1.98 × 4.68 m |
| Default ranks | 5 |
In battle: Very good stamina
Where to hire it
Mercenaries are hired from a regional pool, not recruited from a building. This unit is offered by 19 pools covering 85 regions, at 3,532–3,767 dn to hire and 2–3 experience.
Mercenary pools: Achaea · Aegean · Amaseia · Arkadia · Crete · Cyprus · Egypt · Gytheion · Halikarnassos · Kilikia · Kyrene · Naupaktos · Pella · Pergamon · Rhodes · Sardis · Sicily · Stratonikeia · Syracuse
At least one of those pools sells to any faction that has an army in range, with no faction restriction.
Some pools additionally restrict it to Achaean League · Aetolian League · Antigonid Kingdom · Chrysaorian League · Cilician Pirates · Cyrene · Pergamon · Pontus · Ptolemaic Empire · Ptolemaic Rebels · Rhodes · Seleucid Empire · Seleucid Rebels · Seleucid Rebels · Sparta · Syracuse.
The 85 regions where this unit appears in a mercenary pool
Achaia · Aidaia · Aitolia · Akarnania · Ambrakikos Kolpos · Ammonia · Arabike Aigyptos · Argolis · Arkadia · Arktonnesos · Arsinoites Nomos · Attike · Barke · Bithynia · Boiotia · Boreia Trogodytike · Bosporos · Bousirites Nomos · Chaonia · Chios · Dytike Aigyptos · Edonis · Elis · Elymia · Emathia · Epikrateia · Euboia · Euesperidai · Gortynia · Hermopolites Nomos · Heroopolites Nomos · Hipparia · Ionia · Itania · Kaikia · Kalbia · Kardia · Karia · Kianos Kolpos · Kibyratis
…and 45 more.