Militia Hoplites (RTW unit)

Militia Hoplites (RTW unit)
Class	Spearmen
Unit Size	160 men
Weaponry	Spear; Sword;
Morale	2
Melee Attack	5; 3;
Ranged Attack	N/A
Defence	8
Charge Bonus	2; 1;
Accuracy	N/A
Range	N/A
Ammunition	N/A
Region	Global
Recruitment Cost	230
Upkeep Cost	100
Turns to Build	1
Unit Limit	Unlimited
Building Requirements	Barracks
Technology Requirements	None
Attributes	Can sap; Can hide in forests; Can form phalanx;

Militia hoplites are levies drawn from cities and thrust into battle with a little training.

Overview

Militia hoplites are levies drawn from cities and thrust into battle with a little training. They fight best as spearmen, and are armed with long spears and each carries the large round hoplon shield which gives them their name. As a type of infantry hoplites have been around for centuries and have changed little in tactics or equipment. These men wear no armor, but then they are drawn from the poorer classes and it is traditional for citizens to provide their own war gear when called into the army. The cities of the Greek world have a long tradition of the people defending their own cities from invaders.

They are at their best when used as a solid block of spearmen and can form a phalanx to attack the enemy.

Details

Militia Hoplites are the first phalanx infantry unit for Macedon, the Greek City-States, the Seleucids, and Thrace. Militia Hoplites are inexpensive units that appear early in the game. Their ability to form a phalanx is vital for their survival on the battlefield. A combination of poor morale, low attack, and little armor make these units poor soldiers without being in a phalanx formation. Because of their low morale, make sure they have friendly troops nearby and hopefully a general. Even when they are in a phalanx formation Militia Hoplites can easily be routed if flanked or attacked from behind, despite their stronger front side of the phalanx. Militia Hoplites are also susceptible to missile fire.

Despite their weaknesses, if their morale holds they can often crush other early tier infantry, even troops like Falxmen that are usually a lot better might end up being butchered on their spears. However as the Greeks they should be replaced by the far superior Hoplites as soon as possible. For the Seleucids and Macedon, they can be used for a bit longer, since Levy Pikemen are not that much better, and are harder to replace.