Tarantine Cavalry
Class: heavy · Category: cavalry · Men per unit: 30
Reforms: Unlocked by Athenian Military Reforms
Description
The "Tarantines" are typical of traditional Greek cavalry, in that they used javelins and fought as mounted skirmishers (‘hippakontistai’). What makes them distinctive, however, is that they use a large round shield; next to the protection that is already offered by their Linothorax armour and Attic or Boiotian helmets. The shield used by Tarantine Cavalry is a heavily rimmed and bowl-shaped Argive aspis (Ueda-Sarson, Tarantine Cavalry, 2004). Their main tactical role is that of mounted javelinmen, typically brigaded with other light cavalry, serving as "experts in wheeling and retreating”. However, their heavy shield enables the Tarentines to not just resist the missiles of enemy skirmishers, but also to better engage in close combat when required (i.e. Diod. 19.39.5).
Stats
| Rank in roster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men per unit | 30 | █········· 8% |
| Attack | 11 | ███······· 34% |
| Charge bonus | 23 | ████████·· 80% |
| Defence | 28 | ████······ 37% |
| · armour | 9 | █████····· 50% |
| · defence skill | 16 | ███······· 28% |
| · shield | 3 | ████······ 37% |
| Morale | 12 | ██████···· 57% |
| Discipline | Normal | |
| Training | Untrained | |
| Recruitment cost | 1,982 dn | █████····· 49% |
| Upkeep per turn | 798 dn | ████████·· 78% |
| Turns to recruit | 2 |
Weapons
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack | 11 | 11 | Charge bonus | 23 | 25 | Type | thrown · archery | melee · blade | Damage | piercing | slashing |
| Projectile | javelin | — | Range | 60 | — | Ammunition | 7 | — | Properties | Thrown | — |
Defence
| Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 28 | — | Armour | 9 | — | Defence skill | 16 | — | Shield | 3 | — |
Condition and terrain
| Hit points | 1 | Mount | light horse | Ground: scrub / sand / forest / snow | 0 / -1 / -3 / -1 | Charge distance | 40 |
| Formations | Square |
Technical stats
| Time between blows (primary / secondary) | 2.5 s / 2.5 s | Extra fatigue in hot climates | 2 | Spacing between men: close / loose | 2.2 × 5.2 m / 3.3 × 7.8 m | Default ranks | 5 |
In battle: Very good stamina
Who can recruit it
A core roster unit for 2 factions, each able to raise it anywhere they hold the right building:
Any faction holding one of the provinces below can field it.
Exactly what a settlement must have, route by route (7)
| Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires | Building | Also requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indirect Rule | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Athenian Military Reforms · Tier 1 Colony | Direct Rule | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Athenian Military Reforms · Tier 1 Colony | Homeland | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Athenian Military Reforms | Any settlement | Garrison Building or Tier 1 Military Industrial Complex · Tarentine 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 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarentine | 1 |