Infantry units
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Spearmen
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Spearmen are the main troop of most armies. Greek spearmen are more armored than other ones and could cost a bit more. They can aslo use the phalanx formation for a tighter and more effective battle formation.

Macedonian spearmen (hipaspists) were the elite, forming the king's bodyguard.
Roman spearmen (Triari) are veteran soldiers

Strength: strong against cavalry, resillient against arrow due to their large shield (see battle of Marathon)
Weakness: subject to hit'n run from skirmishers (see battle of Lechaeum)


Pikemen
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Pikemen are a derivative of spearmen, with longer weapons and ligther armor (for more long range mobility and charging).
Individually weaker than spearmen, they do well when organised into a pack.

They can use phalanx and syntagma formation. The latest one make a frontal assault merely a suicide (see siege of Atrax). The mass of pikes also deflected some projectiles

Macedonian pikemen were professional soldiers.

Strength: extremely strong against cavalry, can repel almost any charge in pack
Weakness: strong in number, weak when disorganised, lightly armored


Swordsmen
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Swordsmen are stronger melee infantry. A good sword was expensive and more restricted to an elite.

See: Spartan elite swordsmen
Iberian swordsmen are the core of the army, but lightly armored and cheaper.
Hastati were the less trained roman swordsmen. They also thrown their pila (heavy javelin) just before charging.

Strength: strong melee infantry
Weakness: not really suited against cavalry, especially spear cavalry


Javelinist
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Javelinists are short range support troops. They usually get in front and throw a javelin or two to soften the advancing troops before retreating to leave the melee fight.

Strenght: expert of hit'n run, they do well on uncovered melee units (see battle of Lechaeum)
Weakness: not well armored, they will act poorly when engaged, even if they can survive a bit


Archer
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Archers are long range support troops. Like their javelinist counterparts they usually acted before the melee battle or target fleeing ennemies.

To distinguish them from skirmishers, archers would not be able to hit'n run efficiently. This is taking only the very long range parabolic shot instead of also direct rapid shots.

Strength: long range
Weakness: not armored at all, they will be overwhelemed by almost anything that can get in range.



Cavalry units
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Spear cavalry
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The spear cavalry is the heavier one. It is well armored and has the best weapon for pinning down ennemies. Even if it is not the most manœuvrable.

They are so the most expensive unit.

Strength: good and reliable cavalry
Weakness: expensive, weak against spears and pikes are their nightmare


Sword cavalry
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Sword was not the weapon of choice to fight mounted. Celtic sword cavalry tend even to fight by foot and get back to their horse afterward.

For the game, they would be lightly armored and manœuvrable, they are best suited for raiding and targeting strategic points (siege units, support troops)

Strength: deal a lot of damage quickly
Weakness: not well armored they will not stay long in open fight


Javelin cavalry
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Dedicated mounted javelin throwers weren't mentionned historically. They were mostly bound with spear cavalry, throw some javelin as secondary weapon before joining the battle.

For the game, they would be the top hit'n run unit, but more expansive

Strength: strong at hit'n running, more efficient than their infantry counterpart by being faster
Weakness: because faster than the infantry, they will be lightly armored to be still counterable by other cheaper skirmishers or archers. Otherwise they wouldn't have significant weakness.


Archer cavalry
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Fast long range unit, but rare at that time. Mounted archers will after be the most effective unit in the battlefield, until heavy armored knight came.

Strength: fast and long range, hard to pick
Weakness: no armor, to give them a weakness


Elephant
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Check Carthage use of elephants in Punic wars and encounter of Alexander with the Mauryas. They were a few of them comparing to other unit numbers, but also devastating.

They were frightened during the battle of Zarma and some of them turned back against the Carthaginian army.

Strenght: very durable and powerfull
Weakness: very expansive, can lose control


Elephant archer
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Camel archer
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