Characteristic | Factions - Athens TW: Rome II Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Athens starts the game as a protectorate of Macedonia. Fortunately at the beginning of the game Athens is not involved in any war, so you have many options. In addition, Athenai, the capital of Hellas, is a port city, so you can send fleet to Rhodes, Crete or Asia.

Units available for Athens are medium quality. You lack strong shock units or elite hoplites - these shortcomings should be caught up with mercenaries such as well armored veteran hoplites or Cretan archers.

Starting bonuses

Athens is one of three Greek countries available in the game, so it has bonuses specific for them:

• Classical Heritage: +2 cultural conversion
• Fierce Independence: +10% melee defense for all units during battles in own or allied territory

In addition Athens has two bonuses and one penalty:

• School of Hellas: +10% research rate
• Naval Prowess: +1 experience rank for Athenian ship recruits
• Military Decline: -10% non-mercenary recruitment costs

The most important available units

Thorax swordsmen

Unusual formation for Greek cities - shock infantry equipped with swords, inflicting high melee damage.

Light hoplites

Basic hoplites available for Athens. This is defensive unit, capable of standing on the battlefield for a longer time, but easy to be defeated without any support.

Thueros hoplites

Well armored, with high melee defense factor. This unit is difficult to destroy and rarely panic, but inflicts small damage.

Thorax hoplites

Very effective in defense, equipped with heavy armors. Unfortunately their disadvantage is low melee attack factor.

Pikemen

Medium armored unit of pikemen. It is good enough in the initial stage of the game, but later on you should replace it with better units.

Peltasts

Skirmishers equipped with javelins and shield. They effectively eliminate poorly armored enemy projectile units.

Hippeus lancers

Shock cavalry with good charge but not able to fight for a longer time. This unit should try to charge at the enemy again and again and avoid long fights.

Citizen cavalry

Medium cavalry useful during trampling enemy skirmishers and flanking light and medium infantry. Thanks to good armor and melee defense they can stand some enemy cavalry units.

Tarantine cavalry

Horse skirmishers equipped with javelins and shields. They inflict much damage but range of their attack is small, so light cavalry is able to easy get them and defeat them.