Chapter 2: Units 5
Armies using elephants in battle learned quickly that wounded animals could be as dangerous to
friendly troops as they were to the enemy. One solution to this problem was to cover elephants partially
with light armor that helped protect them from arrows and spears. Unwounded animals were much
easier to control and direct against the enemy. Keeping the elephants under control and bringing them
into contact with the enemy was critical. Only veteran troops would stand and fight against a
determined charge by elephants. All others would rout when the elephants got close.
Camel Rider
Age: Bronze
Train at: Stable
Special: Attack bonus against all cavalry,
horse archers, and chariots.
The Camel Rider is used by desert civilizations to defend against
cavalry attacks. Camel Riders do not receive a cavalry bonus against infantry.
Nobility increases hit points. Toolworking, Metalworking, and
Metallurgy increase attack strength. Leather Armor, Scale Armor,
and Chain Mail increase armor.
The camel was adopted for military use at a very early date, perhaps before the horse
in the Middle East. Camels were particularly useful for moving quickly across the desert
wastes and favored by small raiding parties. They were also used in battle by desert civilizations such
as the Assyrians. Riders fought with spears and swords. Like light cavalry, they could take part in the
pursuit of a beaten army. They were also useful against cavalry because horses were unaccustomed to
the camels’ odor and often refused to come near them.
Fire Galley
Age: Iron
Train at: Dock
Prerequisite: War Galley
Special: Boats are twice as resistant to conversion as other units.
The Fire Galley is a short-range vessel used to defend against other ships. Fire Galleys are superior to
Triremes in one-on-one combat. Fire Galleys take additional damage from Ballistas, Helepolises, Stone
Throwers, Catapults, Heavy Catapults, Catapult Triremes, and Juggernaughts, whose heavy artillery
can shatter the Fire Galley’s burning fire pots and set fire to the ship.
Alchemy increases attack strength.
Note: You cannot build Fire Galleys if you select the Full Tech Tree option before starting a game.
Because ships were built primarily of combustible materials (wood, cloth, hemp, and pitch), fire was a
devastating weapon against them. Ancient mariners devised several ways to set enemy ships on fire.
The simplest was to fire flaming arrows or ballista bolts on an enemy ship. Next most useful were
flaming grenades, something like modern Molotov cocktails, filled with a combustible liquid like oil.
Most intricate were flaming firepots suspended from the bow of a ship by a pole. When the pole was
positioned over the deck of an enemy ship, the pot was dropped, shattering it and spreading burning
liquid over the deck.
