Atlantean Warbirds
A proud Atlantean tradition, the art of riding Aetókós - the giant birds of Atlantis, has until now not been utilized in warfare, as history had been kind to the people of Atlantis, but troubled times are ahead. Known for it's magnificent stature and lightning fast speed - the giant herbivorous bird has pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males being 2.4 meters high and 300 kg heavy on average, and females 3.6 meters high and 840 kg heavy on average. Bluish and hair-like feathers cover most of the body plus a small portion of the neck below the head. In relation to its body, the head is small with a pointed, sharp and somewhat curved beak from a predatory ancestor, but the bird's main weapon are it's feet, which are large, powerful and feature enlarged raptorial claws used for slashing when simply kicking doesn't suffice. A prominent feature is a long neck that allows the bird to reach tall vegetation.
To militarize the birds, a breeding program is established so as to create birds specifically grown for combat - trained to be faster, more endurant and more obedient than the average Aetókós by a rider since youth. The prestigious warbirds would then be armored and sent out to perform the role of heavy cavalry - armored to protect them from any arrows they might face. Charging at enemies at high speed, the warbirds would be capable of jumping inside formations, breaking them up from the inside and kicking troops with the full force of a 1 ton bird, without even getting into it's sharp foot-long talon.
This is estimated to be at least an expense level cheaper than the Tromousavra due to being a herbivore, and would give us a faster form of cavalry that we could use in groups instead of solitary units, as well as in conjunction with our other troops as opposed to utilizing them as terror weapons capable of causing grievous friendly deaths.
(Hard)(3+2)-1=4 Below average
Atlantis is home of animals not seen elsewhere in the world (where by world we mean the Mediterranean Sea, obviously), due to its splendid isolation. Foremost of those is the Aetókós, the magnificent flightless bird. Big enough to support the weight of a human, it has long been used to do just that: riding. It was however little more than playing or fancy transportation so far. Now however efforts are made to breed them and bring them to war.
The program succeeds, creating large farms dedicated to growing and training Aetókós birds from eggs stolen borrowed from wild nests. However, it is not orichalcum all that glitters. While you have plenty of animals, their temperament is far from amenable to training. Once in a while, some females (the only ones available to ride) just leave camp trying to make nests, and their role as prey makes them prone to flight rather than fight when danger is close. Carrying capacity is not great, but an Aetókós can comfortably carry a fully equipped soldier on its back and probably some light armouring should it be developed. On the plus side, however, they are fast and when they do decide to fight their talons are formidable weapons, especially against unarmoured targets.
Military exercises go fairly well, with the newly formed cavalry simulating charges, or fast movements while shooting bows. However, you notice a couple of things: your archers seem to stop to fire, and the chargers keep often hold to the neck of the animal for extra stability while attacking. While neither stops cavalry from being useful, soldiers clamour for ways to more easily use their equipment from birdback, in order to fully realize the potential of mounted warfare.
[4 wood] [Expensive]
Oricalchum tipped spear – A pole of hardwood with a strong orichalcum tip , this weapon shines in formation fights and keeps enemies at a distance. It can pierce most things rather easily, and the tip is barbed to produce more grievous wounds. [1 wood, 1 ore, 1 Orichalcum] [Cheap]
Bone composite bow – Made of bone and wood, it can propel arrows at fairly large distance and have good piercing capabilities. However, it takes a long time to manufacture, due to the need to join together layers of different materials [complex][2 wood, 1 ore] [Expensive]
High guard armour – A full set of armour and shield made entirely of orichalcum. It makes the user impervious to most common weapons. It is light and durable, thanks to the extraordinary properties of orichalcum, and it is treated to glow brightly with Atlantean glory. [2 ore 2 Orichalcum] [Expensive]
Protection of the bigger fish a fairly well crafted set of scale armour, it covers torso, legs and arms. While somewhat inferior to high guard armour, it still offers good protection against both slashing and piercing, especially from the front, which uses orichalcum scales. It comes with a wooden shield with a metal rim. [2 Wood 2 Ore 1 Orichalcum] [Cheap]
Penteconter – a slim ship made of thick wood, with an orichalcum plated ram in the front. It can house several warriors on the deck, while below deck the crew mans the oars, allowing short term burst of speed. Main propulsion system is a large square sail. Provides 1 TC [2 wood, 2 ore, 2 Orichalcum][Expensive]
Aetokos - A very large flightless bird, it is the mount of choice of your army. Very fast, if a bit coward and not particularly robust, it allows your soldiers to move on the battlefield at great speeds and perform great charges. It can be deadly in a fight, when it decides to fight. [4 wood] [Expensive]
Mule caravan – many mules, in a line, delivering good carried in their saddle bags. The mule is perfectly adapted to uneven terrain that would make carts less easy to use. And you don’t have to embark a cart on ships. Provides 1 TC [1 wood] [Cheap]
Now begins
revision phase for 3000 B.C.
Author
Topic: Ancient arms race - Academy of Prometheus - 2994 B.C. Revision (Read 13989 times)