These two units are available to the Hellenes in the Iron Age when they choose to join the Peloponnesian League.
The Peloponnesian League is one of the four Greek city-states leagues that the player can choose to join in the Iron Age. As with the other leagues, joining the Peloponnesian League will provide the player with two special units and one unique bonus.
Gameplay[]
Joining the Peloponnesian League will make barracks infantry tougher and increase their attack. This bonus applies to barracks infantry in later ages as well. Additionally the player will receive two units unique to the Peloponnesian League. Firstly there are the Homoioi Spartiates, soldiers trained from childhood in the art of war and have been equipped with fine armour. These professional warriors take a long time to train, but that is more than made up for by their exceptional combat skills. Secondly there are the Skiritai, elite light infantry trained at the barracks. Stronger than normal skirmishers, these men can serve well both on the battlefield and as scouts. They are also well trained, and they are able to avoid detection as long as they are not fighting and have not been spotted by enemy scouts or outposts.
As the Peloponnesian League enhances barracks units, they are a good league to join on all maps, though the Delian League and Sicillian League are better options on maps where naval dominance play a central role. The Peloponnesian unique units are powerful, but in different areas to the units available to the other leagues. The Homoioi Spartiates, perhaps the most famous soldiers of the classical era, are faster and tougher than Epilektoi Athenai and the Hieros Lokhos, the elite hoplites of the Delian League and Boeotian League respectively, but take longer to train. The Skiritai are very useful as well, their stealth capabilities allowing them to sneak up on enemies and attack them where they are most vulnerable. They are fast moving and tough, allowing them to either quickly withdraw once they have dealt enough damage to the enemy, or keep fighting.
History[]
The Peloponnesian League was an alliance of city states led by Sparta that existed between the 6th and 4th centuries BC.