Unit Information | Game Strategies | History |
In the Extended Edition, this unit/building is affected by a damage bug.
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Athanatoi are the Persian unique Heavy Infantry of the Medieval Age that replaces the standard Pikemen.
Overview[]
Compared to Pikemen, Athanatoi have -5 hit points, -1 attack strength, and costs +10 Food and +10 Metal, but have +1 movement speed and +2 line of sight.
However, Anusiya have the very special advantage of a ranged attack, with a range equal to that of the standard Light Infantry line, and faster projectiles (100 compared to Light Infantry's 80), being the only Heavy Infantry to have this capacity before the Gunpowder Age. Being ranged has a disadvantage, however; unlike Pikemen, Athanatoi lack the 80% damage bonus against Supply Wagons that melee units have.
Their ranged nature, combined with higher speed, make Athanatoi excellent for hit-and-run tactics against enemy Heavy Infantry, and gives them a significant edge in combat against them, as they can inflict plenty of damage before the enemy can close in and engage (if they manage to engage in the first place), more than compensating for their slight disadvantage in damage and toughness; these strengths also make Athanatoi particularly tough raiders and even more deadly to enemy Light Infantry than other Heavy Infantry units. Athanatoi have a higher Metal base cost than their Pikemen counterparts, and this will take a significant toll in a Persian army's reserve of the resource compared to other nations, specially if raising a large force and/or facing many losses.
Trivia[]
- Athanatoi, along with Immortals and Anusiya, are the only Heavy Infantry to have a ranged attack without a gunpowder weapon.
- Athánatoi means "Immortals" in Greek. Interestingly, a prestigious Byzantine bodyguard unit would be known by that name in the Middle Ages, most certainly inspired in the Immortals of old.
- Although the ranged capabilities of the Immortals compared contemporary heavy infantry has an historical basis, in reality this was due to their dual capability as bowmen and spearmen, not as javelineers depicted in-game.
- The "leopard skin" seen on the Athanatoi's dipylon shield is a recurrent theme of Persians' unique Heavy Infantry, although this striking pattern has no historical basis.
See also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Due to a writing error in the game files, the Athanatoi's tooltip shows them as being available in the Classical Age instead of the correct Medieval Age.