[Preview] new Pontus

[AqD]

New Pontus

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Core Units

Pontikoi Hetairoi (Pontic Companions)

The general-led cavalry unit. They are similar to Macedonian Companions but more heavily armoured due to persian influences. Armed with iron breastplate, galatian mail, xyston and decorated horse barding.

Pontikoi Agema (Pontic Elite Phalanx)

The unit replaces Sinopic Nobles. It represents the sinopian guards describe by Italicus. There was probably only one unit of them in the entire kingdom, and their role is likely to be ceremonial.

Since the phalangites are not supposed to be offensive units, you wouldn't have any practical reason to have an super-elite pikemen like this one, except for its capability to inspire friendly troops. Anyway, they're the best infantry in Pontus, and could drop the clumsy pikes and act as assault infantry if needed - but don't expect them to take down Hypaspistai or Rhomphaiaphoroi

Pontikoi Chalkaspidai (Brazen Shields)

The backbone of Pontic army in early Mithridatic wars. They're slaves freed, trained, and paid from the king's own treasury to become professional phalangites. They're well equipped and have high morale, though not very experienced despite of the "brazen shield" title that was first given to Alexander's veterans.

Pontikoi Thorakitai (Pontic Heavy Infantry)

Another unit called by Romans as Imitation Legionaries. Most of troops of this type in Pontus were trained from former Chalkaspidai after the second Mithridatic war, but it had already been adopted in other Hellenistic factions, probably due to galatian influences. Their equipments include mail armour, short sword, thureo shield, and javelins - note that they didn't use gladius or pila at all.

Like other Thorakitai units, they could be used independently like roman legionaries, or protect the vulnerable flanks of phalangites and allow them to hold or push forward and rout the enemies.

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Mercenaries and Auxiliaries

Kappadokioi Psiloi (Cappadocian Light Infantry)

Hillmen from cappadocian mountains. They were frequently hired by Successor kingdoms as skirmishers. Despite their lightness, the Cappadocians and neighboring Cilicians were well-known for their ferocity and they often fought in front-line themselves, piercing enemy skulls with their terrifying axes. The ferocity, together with fast movement, make them ideal unit for flanking maneuvers or hacking into breaches in enemy phalanx line.

Misthophoroi Skythioi Toxotai (Mercenary Scythian Archers)

The scythains were a dying people at the beginning of campaign, many of them settled or got assimilated by other steppe people such as Sarmatians. Nevertheless, their archery skill is still highly valued, and their mercenaries, whether on foot or mounted, were very popular in regions around black sea. The foot archers are typically armed with short sword, pick-axe, and good composite bow and excellent archery skill which enable them to outshoot other archers.

Misthophoroi Skythioi Hippeis (Scythian Noble Cavalry)

Mercenary cavalry formed by scythian nobles who can afford good horses and expensive equipments, including composite bows, pick-axe, swords, spears, and linen cuirasses reinforced with scale plates. Through their numbers were being diminished, they remained a terribly effective force, and the reducing numbers only increased their cost!

Kappadokioi Hippeis (Cappadocian Medium Cavalry)

The famous Cappadocian horsemen, armed with xyston and axe. Their horses are known to be small so they cannot be too well armoured like cataphracts or persian satrapal guard, but otherewise they're just as good and can be counted for decisive charge or even melee combat.

The skin is inspired from this miniature:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

(more units will be added soon ....)

Original post:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[fourganger]

Nice. Can't really comment on accuracy though, I know nothing about Pontus.

You have a pic of the general himself?

[AqD]

Nope, I'm still wondering if I should re-make it. The new Pontus won't be any more realistic, just reskinned and expanded, because I can find almost nothing for Pontus before the Mithridatic Wars (which are 200 years later!). My primary reference EB doesn't seem to have better source either - their pontic unit roster is "tiny" (4) compared to that of other factions and all but the early general bodyguards are obviously the types used in their war against romans.

[Quinn Inuit]

I'd recommend making them look more like Persian cavalry. IIRC, the Kingdom wasn't substantially Helenized for a century or so after the game starts.

[AqD]

Yeah I'll add local heavy cavalry in persian style. But basically everything I know come from the Mithridatic Wars - if they shouldn't look like Companions, the phalanx brazen shield and imitation legionaries should also be removed and there would be nothing left for people to recognized it as "pontus"

BTW do you know anyone who has source for pontus in 2-3nd century BC?

[Gen.jamesWolfe]

- Pontic General Cavalry!

Since when did sylvester Stallon join the Pontic Army?

nice unit though+1 rep

[AqD]

Pontic Chalkaspidai (bronze shield):



It's my first work with 3D 'Pteruges' - linen strips protecting the right arm and lower body. I'm fixing the center strips... correct idle/march screen will come soon

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UPDATE:

[Dog Fart]

aqd, these Pontic units are great. If you decide to change the general's guard or not I hope you keep that unit in the game. I do not have any sound resources on the Pontics before the Mithradaic Wars, but I would expect to see Pontus mostly Hellenic rather than Persian. The diodachs had a very strong influence in Anatolia. And no more damn Hillmen!!! Please no more damn Hillmen! I hate eastern spear warbands. They suck.

[AqD]

aqd, these Pontic units are great. If you decide to change the general's guard or not I hope you keep that unit in the game. I do not have any sound resources on the Pontics before the Mithradaic Wars, but I would expect to see Pontus mostly Hellenic rather than Persian. The diodachs had a very strong influence in Anatolia. And no more damn Hillmen!!! Please no more damn Hillmen! I hate eastern spear warbands. They suck.

Hello old friend! There will be no more spear warbands in anatolia - according to various sources their "hillmen" (native mountaineers) prefer axe and javelins, perhaps something like the iranian mountainner I made in eastern AOR section. I'll add the units later

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Here is the new Pontic ''Thorakitai" (Imitation Legionaries)



No new designs, just more details and 3D elements from other new units. Dunno what to create for them... It becomes difficult after making several units of similar class

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A custom battle I just played:


The result is not good, roman's line collapsed after some 30 seconds - before I killed less than 5% of front troops! Perhaps it's the artillery power I gave to archers

[Dog Fart]

Well done! That Thorakitai unit is superb. What I like most about it is it's distinct Hellenic appearance. And they use the Kopis! Very rare in the modding world. I also like how you subtly explain that Thorakitai were the so called "Imitation Legionaries".


BTW, thank you for getting rid of Eastern Spear Warbands! Axes and sorted weapons sound like more fun.

[Uranos]

Love the scale and the shield of Chalkaspidai unit

[tone]

These are by far your best units. Great work.

[Quinn Inuit]

I love the pteruges. Two minor nitpicks, though:
1) I think the kopis is being held backwards. It's a hacking weapon, much like the gurka knife (arguably a direct descendant).
2) I thought line phalangites (as opposed to agema) wore only linothoraxes, not scale.

I didn't know that about the hillmen using axe and javelin. Which sources do you have for that? I may make that change, too.

[AqD]

I love the pteruges. Two minor nitpicks, though:
1) I think the kopis is being held backwards. It's a hacking weapon, much like the gurka knife (arguably a
direct descendant).

Ahhhh. What do you mean "held backwards"?

Not this?



Alexander is the only movie I saw kopis is used It's not an infantry weapon through

2) I thought line phalangites (as opposed to agema) wore only linothoraxes, not scale.

Yeh, but Brazen shield are pontus' elite aren't they? I haven't found any lower-level phalangites from DBAs and their supposed "agema" (royal phalanx) are mentioned with no distinct difference except for "being white" (persian nobles?)

I didn't know that about the hillmen using axe and javelin. Which sources do you have for that? I may make that change, too.

Anatolian axemen, like Cilician pirates. I first found them on EB and some very old sources I don't remember (back to persian & eariler times). I'm not very certain of it, because battles in hellenistic DBA only mentioned anatolian skirmishers, and all mininatures depict them as common dirty skirmishers, nothing like the ones in EB - the cap was probably very outdated by 280BC.

Anyway, I'll just add local-styled skirmishers with axe as sidearm

[Quinn Inuit]

Oh, nevermind. It must've been an optical illusion. Your kopis's (pl. sp?) are being held just fine.

I see. That setup makes sense. I thought you were using it in the RTR sense where it was a slightly better than normal line phalangite, not an elite. An elite phalangite would definitely use scale armour.

That's all I've run into for Anatolian skirmishers, as well (except the Cilicians, of course). Your plan seems reasonable.

[AqD]

Oh, nevermind. It must've been an optical illusion. Your kopis's (pl. sp?) are being held just fine.

Heh it must be the animation of thorakitai. They look weird when thrusting.

I see. That setup makes sense. I thought you were using it in the RTR sense where it was a slightly better than normal line phalangite, not an elite. An elite phalangite would definitely use scale armour.

BTW there are actually two pontic phalanx units in RTR. One of them is the brazen shield. I don't know why they're left unused and the main unit is named "Pezoi". From all the DBAs and books I have seen, there is only one primary phalanx unit in Mithridate war and it's called Chalkaspidai or Chalkaspides.

I don't think they're real elites like Argyraspidai or Asthetairoi though, considering they're less experienced and only formed from freed-slaves; They're elites among pontic units but the battle stats should be similar to that of Pezhetairoi's, or slightly better.

[Quinn Inuit]

I noticed that second one...it's why the Pontics have a recalled veteran phalanx unit in the ExRM, too.

So if they're only relatively elite and have stats similar to those of line phalangites for Macedon, why would they be wearing scale? I'm sorry to belabor the point, but I'm trying to learn more about your Pontic army list so I can improve mine, too.

[AqD]

I noticed that second one...it's why the Pontics have a recalled veteran phalanx unit in the ExRM, too.

So if they're only relatively elite and have stats similar to those of line phalangites for Macedon, why would they be wearing scale? I'm sorry to belabor the point, but I'm trying to learn more about your Pontic army list so I can improve mine, too.

Well I don't have reliable sources or depictions for them. But one thing is certain: unlike the hellenistic factions, macedonian-style phalangites are the best in pontic army - the rest being poor spearmen and skirmishers. So I give them half-elite class armours and cost, but medium attack/defense stats and recruitment time.

I also found myself tend to upgrade the apperance and stats of units I made myself You shouldn't put too much trust on my decisions

[jakobh94]

All these new units are stunning

[Quinn Inuit]

Well I don't have reliable sources or depictions for them. But one thing is certain: unlike the hellenistic factions, macedonian-style phalangites are the best in pontic army - the rest being poor spearmen and skirmishers. So I give them half-elite class armours and cost, but medium attack/defense stats and recruitment time.

I don't understand what you mean by "unlike the hellenistic factions, macedonian-style phalangites are the best in pontic army." Could you elaborate on that a bit?

I also found myself tend to upgrade the apperance and stats of units I made myself You shouldn't put too much trust on my decisions

Heh, can't blame you. They look pretty awesome.