Heavy Peltasts (RTW Unit)
A combination of protection and mobility make heavy peltasts suitable for skirmishing duties as well as for taking a stand as part of the main battle line.
Overview
Heavy peltasts are skirmishers, but carry large oval shields into battle. This added protection makes them suitable for standing in the main battle line, as well as for flanking and screening duties.\n\n Their javelins are intended to thin the ranks of approaching troops, weakening their morale just before battle is joined. They also carry short swords for when they are asked to engage in close combat. A heavy peltast’s shield (the thureos), is made from wood covered in leather. While this confers reasonable protection, when confronted with heavy infantry or practically any form of cavalry, these troops should not be expected to stand for long. Like other peltasts, this unit is well suited to using ambush tactics.
Details
Heavy Peltasts are the best skirmishers in the game. They are like normal Peltasts, but with some armour and large shields. They are OK in a melee, where they benefit from their armour and shields, which allows them to defeat other skirmishers easily in both ranged duels and melee, as they take a lot less casualties from return javelin fire. They still have no real chance against strong infantry in a melee but they will at least survive much longer against them. Use them like Peltasts but don’t hesitate to charge into flanks or into weak enemy units to support an allied unit. You should use more of them too, because unlike most skirmishers this one is actually useful. Their upkeep is the same as the normal Peltasts, despite these ones being a much better unit.