Illyrian Tribesmen

Recruitment Cost 180
Upkeep Cost 50
Melee Attack 10
Weapon Damage 25
Bonus vs. Large 20
Charge Bonus 10
Melee Defence 51
Armour 45
Health 40
Base Morale 25
Abilities
Strengths & Weaknesses
  • Average defensive unit
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Weak attack
  • Poor morale
Description

Although called Illyrians by Greeks and Romans, these seafaring people from the Adriatic coast were actually not a single nation or tribe. The Greeks first had dealings with them during the Bronze Age, and the name was then applied to everyone in the area. The Illyrians were actually several petty, and not-so-petty, kingdoms that warred with each other when not fighting Greeks or their Macedonian neighbours. The Illyrians could not be lightly dismissed as barbarians: under powerful warlords such as Bardyllis, king of the Dardanians, they conquered Macedon and installed a puppet ruler in 393BC. It was Phillip II and Alexander the Great who eventually ended Illyrian interference in their affairs. The Illyrians were also pirates, and terrorised the Adriatic for centuries; this was what eventually prompted their subjugation by the Romans.

Faction Availability