Sabellic Heavy Pilum Swordsmen

Summary
Heavy Pilum Swordsmen are powerful and flexible late-game swordsmen available to the Sicilian and Sabellic faction groups, capable of melee combat as well as hard-hitting short range missile attacks.

"Recruited from the wealthier and more experienced soldiers, these units were well armoured and fought mainly with a short sword and shield. Like their lighter brethren, they relied less on formations than equivalent hoplites and they carried multiple javelins called pila that could be thrown at short range to weaken charging enemies."

- In-game Description

History
Several inland Sabellic tribes, most notably the Samnites, are known to have used flexible heavy infantry optimized for guerilla tactics by at least the 4th Century BC, capable of both melee combat and missile harassment. These Sabellic soldiers likely inspired the sword/javelin equipment combination famously used by the Roman Hastati and Principes, which were previously equipped as spearmen instead.

Tactics
With a group missile damage of 2000, Heavy Pilum Swordsmen have the highest missile damage in the game alongside the equivalent Latin Principes, but only have a very short missile range of 4. They also have the best melee damage and defenses in the Sabellic roster, making them their ultimate late-game infantry unit. They do well in numerous battlefield situations, very capable of fighting in the front lines and also providing missile support at very short range.

Compared to the (otherwise nearly identical) Principes, Heavy Pilum Swordsmen have greater charge block and charge strength stats but are slightly harder to access, requiring a level 2 Barracks to recruit whereas Principes only require the basic version. Late-game heavy swordsmen brigades of other faction groups are to various degrees cheaper and superior in melee combat, but lack a ranged attack.