Seleucid Units

Peasant

The last option of any desperate army (except perhaps slaves or convicts), peasants are good for increasing your numbers…and not much else. Poorly armed and with little military experience, their morale and discipline are both understandably low. They are cheap to train, however, and their one advantage is an ability to hide well. Peasants should be used as an absolute last resort, or in cases where funds are extremely short.

Peltasts

The Greek equivalent of skirmishers, peltasts carry a bunch of javelins into battle. They are also armed with swords and shields, but their lack of armour makes them as weak at close quarters as most other ranged units. They are skilled at hiding and attacking from ambush, but should be drawn back as soon as an actual battle commences.

Archers/Bowmen

Archers were used more widely by some cultures than others. The Romans, amongst almost all the peoples of the ancient world, were prominent in their disdain for archers (and indeed for almost any kind of ranged weapons). Nevertheless, archers are sometimes necessary (particularly, for example, in sieges), and the legions therefore recruited them from amongst the poorer sections of society, and from allies. They are not armoured and thus almost useless in hand-to-hand combat.

Militia Hoplites

Hoplites formed the core of the Greek armies for centuries, with their long spears that stretched out more than a dozen feet in front of them. They almost always fought in phalanxes, presenting an impenetrable wall of iron to their foes. As their name may suggest, militia hoplites are drawn from civilian ranks in times of great need, and therefore cannot be expected to be either skilled or disciplined fighters. However, they can still hold off an enemy for a substantial amount of time, particularly a mounted enemy.

Levy Pikemen

As the name suggests, these pikemen are civilians, conscripted during times of war. They are trained to fight as a phalanx – another reminder of the Seleucids’ Macedonian heritage – but are not as highly trained as Greek professional soldiers, obviously. These men cannot hold their own for long in a fight.

Phalanx Pikemen

More professional and with far more experience than their levied comrades, Phalanx Pikemen are accordingly more effective as a unit, and make up the bulk of many Seleucid armies. They carry swords for close combat, although their primary function is to create a wall of pike-points and “fix” the enemy in place while other Seleucid units go on the offensive.

Silver Shield Pikemen

The elite of the Seleuicid phalanxes, Silver Shield Pikemen are drawn from the higher levels of society and therefore have better morale and discipline. They are capable of taking on most other infantry types, although they suffer from the same problems as do all other units who fight in a phalanx. Silver shield pikemen, in combination with more mobile units like cavalry, will be a difficult force for any enemy to combat.

Silver Shield Legionaries

Just as the Seleucids inherited the phalanx from their Macedonian predecessors, they were able to learn the legionary tactics from the Romans. Able to switch formations far more easily than pikemen, these legionaries are the most useful of all Seleucid infantry units. They even carry the same weapons as the Romans – namely pila and a short sword, in addition to a large shield that protects much of the body.

Militia Cavalry

These light horsemen are armed with javelins and are therefore ideally suited for raids and scouting, but not very useful in a pitched battle. They should definitely be kept away from enemy cavalry, which they have no protection against. Militia cavalry, like militia hoplites, were recruited from civilian ranks only when necessary.

Greek Cavalry

The Greek medium cavalry unit, these cavalry go to war without either shields or armour. They are therefore not very strong against other horsemen, and must also be used more for raids or attacks on ranged units. They are armed with spears. Greek cavalry, as compared to militia cavalry, was a more professional force, with better training and more experience.

Companion Cavalry

The descendants of those shock cavalry used by Alexander the Great so effectively, the modern Companion Cavalry are extremely competent in their own right. They are made up of aristocrats and thus can afford the most expensive weapons and armour. In addition, they have the high morale typical of the nobility, and can be counted on in battle. Their spears make them an excellent weapon against almost any unit on the battlefield.

Scythed Chariots

Like the Egyptians, the Seleucids attached blades to their chariot wheels, allowing these vehicles to cut men down as they drove past them. Pulled by two horses and carrying a heavy infantryman, they tend to be just as excitable as any cavalry unit, and their high morale is balanced by their substantial lack of discipline. Nevertheless, this is a very powerful unit.

Onager

An onager, unlike a ballista, worked similarly to a catapult. These machines could be used to hurl projectiles up to half a mile (with the larger versions). The Roman used them in many different ways: large boulders were flung at walls to help bring them down; many smaller rocks were used against enemy troops as a sort of shrapnel; various burning projectiles were used to try and spread fire; and diseased animal carcasses were flung into the enemy-held city to spread disease.

Elephants

Ah, elephants. Perhaps the most romantic of all Rome: Total War units, and certainly the most exciting to look at. Carrying only one rider (known generally as a mahout), these behemoths can literally fling infantry and cavalry out of their path, and are exceedingly difficult to take down. They are not, however, quite so difficult to scare off. Bear that in mind…

War Elephants

Not a very creative name, but these units don’t need it. Larger and tougher than normal elephants, war elephants are so dangerous that Hannibal armed their mahouts with spikes to drive into their skulls in case the elephant ever tried to run towards Carthaginian lines – the devastation it would cause was simply not worth risking. If you go up against these beasts, you absolutely must have a good counter, or you are doomed. It can carry archers.

Armored Elephants

If you are not yet scared, this should do the trick: armored elephants are probably the largest thing you will ever see on the battlefield; several hundred pounds of angry flesh and bone covered by sheets of metal. These monsters are literally unstoppable, so if you ever decide to fight the Seleucids, you had better pray you don’t run into any armored elephants.

Cataphracts

Perhaps the most powerful cavalry unit in the game, the Cataphracts are very heavy horsemen, who carry not only spears but also maces – the only troops in the game to do so. Cataphracts are capable of breaking through almost anything, even the spear-wielding infantry that can deter most other cavalry. Their only shortcoming is the fact that their excellent armour slows them down and makes them tire faster than others.

General’s Cavalry

A bodyguard was, historically speaking, a functional unit, rather than a type of soldier. In the game, however, they are spear-armed shock cavalry, whose success or failure depends to a large extent on the personal characteristics of the general who they are guarding – his effect on their morale, for example, or on their discipline, will play a large role in determining how they fight. They are in all cases excellent troops.