Amazon: Total War

[Drunk-Monk]

An intersesting idea for a mod, well done on its completion. You should probably post this on the twcenter as well, could you show a screenshot of the new faction loactions? Also which factions did you remove?

[Quirinus]

I'm guessing the Roman houses..

An interesting-looking mod-- I've always wanted to play a Greek faction in the steppes, and women too! Shall install this as soon as I get a clean copy of RTW on my harddrive-- my current game files have been tweaked with quite a bit.

[SubRosa]

If You want You can use my model, but first PM me :)

I will later on today! :)

An intersesting idea for a mod, well done on its completion. You should probably post this on the twcenter as well, could you show a screenshot of the new faction loactions? Also which factions did you remove?

Thank you. I have spent a year and a half working on this. So far it has only been on RTWH, I may get out to TWC later too. But I am a one girl band so it is hard for me to keep up with multiple sites while I continue to slave away on the mod.

I never thought of creating a map of all the faction locations in it. That is an excellent idea. I will get cracking on that. I suppose I could either take map_regions and re-colour the areas, or find a way to condense all of the preview maps in the campaign folder. Map regions would probably be easiest.

I actually started with removing Pontus and replacing it with Amazonia, as Pontus was in exactly the same position I wanted Amazonia to be. Then as I became more ambitious I reduced Rome to a single faction (everyone does), and use the brutii, scipii, and julii slots for the Sarmatians, New Amazonians, and Gorgons respectively. I had not planned on creating the latter three factions to begin with. But the mod just took on a life of its own, and there they are.

An interesting-looking mod-- I've always wanted to play a Greek faction in the steppes, and women too! Shall install this as soon as I get a clean copy of RTW on my harddrive-- my current game files have been tweaked with quite a bit.

You will need that clean copy. ATW has been known to cause CTDs when entering battles if not on a clean copy. Not for everybody, just some people. Putting ATW on a clean install of the game resolves this issue (I am still not exactly sure what is causing it, I just know this fixes it).


I will get that faction map together, and I plan to post a faction previews of the Gorgons and Amazonians, and probably a big one of the Barbarians as they have quite a few changes. Scythia and Sarmatia would be good choices for their own previews as well, same with Thrace. The Greek Cities too, they have many new units and some new cities. *phew*It is a lot of work coming to a new site and trying to show everything.

[Spartan198]

Warrior women...cool. DLing now. I'll install it later and give it a run then. But for now I'm off to bed.

Here's some more Amazons for you to consider if you need more units.
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...ht=Amazon+Pack

Edit: 1,200 posts even. Whoo!

[SubRosa]

I remember seeing that the other night. I was going to offer to help with the unit cards.

Faction Preview - The Gorgons

The Gorgons are the third and final Amazon faction. Very different from Amazonia and New Amazonia, the Gorgons have spent the last thousand years in the desert. This has caused them to shift from the strong hoplite and chariot base that the other Amazons possess, and instead are based on skirmishing, maneuver, and sudden, devastating charges. A desert faction, they incorporate camels and elephants into their ranks, and all of their units receive bonuses when fighting in the sand.

In the RTW version they begin with the settlements of Dimmidi and Theneste, and are poised to sweep north through North Africa. Before them awaits their former home of Triton, now in the hands of their hated Greek enemies. In the BI version they instead begin as a horde, making them the terror of North Africa.

RTW


BI

Thousands of years ago the Amazon tribe of the Tritoni lived upon the sacred island of Hesperides, which lays off the Libyan coast. However, an earthquake destroyed their city and forced them to flee to the mainland. There they encountered another Amazon tribe known as the Gorgons. The two initially clashed, but soon they put aside their differences and united with a third Amazon tribe called the Pallantids, forming a single nation. Even their religions integrated, with their new pantheon of deities including Medusa of the Gorgons, Sipylene of the Tritoni, and Athena of the Pallantids. They settled upon the shores of Lake Tritonis and built the great city of Triton to be their capital.

Under the rulership of the legendary Queen Myrine the Great, the Gorgons expanded eastward along the coast of Africa, up through Phoenicia, and finally conquered Asia Minor. However, far too over-extended to hold this vast tract of land, they were forced to gradually withdraw from most of their new-won territory after the death of Myrine. Only on the Thermodon plain in northern Asia Minor did they retain the colony of Themiskyra, ringed by fortresses to protect it from the encroachments of the nearby Greeks.

It was those Greeks who spelled the doom of the Libyan Amazons. Brought into direct contact by the conquests of Myrine, the Greeks and Amazons were natural enemies. They competed for trade, political influence, and most especially were from totally antithetical cultures. The Greeks supported rebellions in the areas conquered by the Amazons, and after they withdrew enlisted their populations in anti-Amazon alliances.

For centuries the conflict went on, until finally the Gorgons were driven back to their city of Triton. There an allied-Greek army led by the Athenians laid siege. Unable to storm the impregnable walls of the great city, the Greeks settled into a blockade to starve out the Amazons. After long months the end of Triton came suddenly. The exact cause of her demise remains shrouded in mystery to this day. Some say that a priestess of Athena murdered the Amazon Queen and let the Greeks into the city. A theory lent support by the fact that afterward the Athenians brought the worship of Athena back to their city (and indeed renamed it to Athens after her). In any case, the Greeks entered the city and in an orgy of blood lasting for three days they slew every living thing. Not even the livestock were spared.

Yet some of the Amazons managed to escape across Lake Tritonis with their men and children. This rag-tag band took advantage of the Greek preoccupation with the slaughter of Triton and fled south into the desert, hoping that even the blood-mad Greeks would not dare to pursue them into the trackless wastes. Many died in the terrible exodus. Dark rumours still circulate that in order to survive, the living were forced to drink the blood of the dead and eat of their flesh.

In time the remnants of the once proud Libyan Amazons came to a place of refuge in a mountain range far from their former home. Here they found shelter from the sun in the caves, and hidden sources of water deep within the earth. They learned to adapt to their desert surroundings and bided their time, knowing that one day vengeance would be theirs.

That was over a thousand years ago. Now even the Greeks barely remember the details of their destruction of Triton and the mighty Amazon nation there, and even that only as fragments of myth and legend. But the Gorgons have not forgotten. They have spent the years sharpening their arrows and axes, and forging their very bodies into weapons of retribution. When a star fell to earth north of their mountains they knew their time had come. It was Medusa pointing the way back to their ancient home, and their ancient enemy.

So the Gorgons stirred themselves and made the long trek back across the unforgiving desert. They now stand poised at the edge of the wastes, with the fertile Tritonian plain beyond. They have come to reclaim their ancestral home, and to end the world of men...

Temples
Medusa - Snake Goddess - temple_of_law
Athena - Bird Goddess - temple_of_victory
Sipylene - Moon and sea goddess - temple_of_love


;;;;Units;;;;;

Governor Tree:

1st Tier - Peasants, Diplomats


Missile Tree:

1st Tier -
2nd Tier (practice_field) - Desert Skirmishers
3rd Tier (archery_range) - Amazon Archers
4th Tier (catapult_range) - Agema Amazon Archers, Onagers
5th Tier (siege_engineer) - Heavy Onagers


Infantry Tree:

1st Tier (muster_field) - Desert Infantry
2nd Tier (militia_barracks) - Desert Infantry exp1
3rd Tier (city_barracks) - Axewomen
4th Tier (army_barracks) - Agema Axewomen
5th Tier (royal_barracks) - Axewomen exp1, Agema Axewomen exp1


Cavalry Tree:

1st Tier -
2nd Tier (stables) - Militia Cavalry
3rd Tier (cavalry_barracks) - Heavy Cavalry, Elephants, Camel Riders
4th Tier (hippodrome) - Gorgon Cavalry, War Elephants, Camel Archers
5th Tier (circus_maximus) - Companions, Armoured Elephants


Horde Tree:

Horde Spearmen
Horde Axewomen
Horde Archers
Horde Horse Archers
Horde Cavalry

Desert Skirmishers

Desert skirmishers are the youngest and quickest men in the Amazon military. These men are used to break up enemy units with a shower of javelins as the battle lines close on each other, then run away before an enemy can come to grips with them. They cannot be expected to fight well in a melee. They are generally similar to the peltasts of other nations: light infantry who carry javelins, a knife, and small shields (usually fashioned from hardened ostrich hide). Other than a leather cap they wear no armour.

They are mobile enough to stay out of trouble but are, as is so often the case with skirmishers, vulnerable when caught on open ground. They are best used in broken and wooded terrain, where they can hide and ambush enemy formations before the main battle is joined.


Gorgon Archers

These women are foot archers of the Gorgons, the long rage killing power of their armies. They are armed with the powerful composite bow of the Amazon people. Yet being lightly armored they are vulnerable in melee combat, especially to enemy cavalry.

Unlike other civilized cultures, the Amazons prize archers above all other warriours. While most of these women came from the lower classes, many gain higher standing by distinguishing themselves in battle. As young girls they would have spent long hours every day practicing with their bows while watching over their livestock, hoping for the day they might earn their place in the ranks of these proud women.

Where most other nations only use archers to simply soften up an enemy, they are the cornerstone of every Amazon army. In fact, the infantry are often used to merely protect the archers, who are generally the main killing power of the army, and then cavalry sent to mop up the remnants.


Agema Archers

These women are elite foot archers of the Gorgons, the long range killing power of their armies. They are armed with the most powerful composite bows of their people. However, they are also heavily armored and armed with the hoplite sword as a secondary weapon, and so can give a good account of themselves in melee combat if necessary.

Where regular Amazon Archers are drawn from the lower classes, these women are all aristocrats, either from birth or from earning that higher status by distinguishing themselves in battle. The greatest of all Gorgon archers, these women have been known to win battles simply through their arrow-fire alone. They are the most fearsome archers in the world, and strike fear into the hearts of all who face them across the battlefield.


Onagers & Heavy Onagers

The onager is a catapult jokingly named for the tremendous kick it has when fired at the enemy (an "onager" is a wild ass). This war machine is powered by a twisted spring of animal sinew ropes, the most elastic substance available.

The throwing arm is held in tension by the sinews. When pulled back and held by a catch it can fling a boulder with considerable speed and range. This version can be used for reducing stone fortifications, but it can also be used on the battlefield for destroying enemy artillery and harassing troops (although admittedly by killing some of them outright).

The onager can also be used to launch incendiary missiles such as firepots, making it a versatile piece of artillery to any commander.


Desert Infantry

Desert Infantry are males pressed into service in the Gorgon military. Not quick or nimble enough to perform as skirmishers, these men were instead made spearmen because of their strength and stamina. Equipped with spears and large shields of wood and animal hide, they are at their best when formed in a solid block of spearmen to repel cavalry. However, their morale is poor and training even poorer, so they cannot be expected to hold the line for long without support from female units.

These men represent the lowest orders of the Amazon military heirarchy, men who carry weapons and fight. While the idea is generally an anathema in Amazon society, these men are useful and often necessary to the Amazon war machine. As the Amazon saying goes: "Never send a man to do a woman's job, but if a woman is going to get killed doing it, then by all means send a man."


Axewomen

These women wield one of the signature weapons of Amazons, the Sagaris, or single-bladed axe. They carry several of these deadly weapons, and throw them at the enemy before attacking.

A breed apart from their sister infantrywomen who carry the cumbersome hoplite panoply and fight in densely packed formations, Axewomen are armored with lighter scale armour and smaller shields, and fight in looser groups in order to allow for the swing of their axes. While this means they cannot last as long as the hoplites in a long, head-on slugging match, it also makes them far more flexible and quick of foot. They are ideal as quick raiders and shock troops, especially when attacking city walls or springing ambushes.


Agema Axewomen

These women are the elite shock troops of the Gorgons, wielding the most distinctive symbol of Amazon power - the Labrys - or double-bladed axe. They are called "The Brides of Athena" for they have dedicated their lives solely to war and the shedding of blood.

Agema Axewomen are heavily armored but carry no shield, needing both hands to wield their fearsome weapons. They fight in loose groups in order to allow for the swing of their axes, but also have much more flexibility than their rigid hoplite sisters. They are the most powerful assault troops of the Gorgons, whose mere presence can be enough to make weak-willed enemies flee in terror. As such they are ideally used as the first troops up the ladders or out of the siege towers to take a settlement, or otherwise at the very point of the attack.


Militia Cavalry

Militia cavalry are javelin-armed mounted skirmishers who can strike quickly and be gone in the time it takes a more ponderous enemy to react. They do not wear armour, but do carry shields and swords so that they can fight in hand-to-hand combat should the need arise. They are, however, best used to dash in and harass a mass of enemies, such as heavy infantry who cannot hope to catch them.

They are not ideally suited to fighting other skirmishers - many of their javelins will be wasted against targets who can dodge, after all - but they can be very useful in harrying fleeing enemies and driving them from the field.


Heavy Cavalry

Armed with throwing axes, Gorgon heavy cavalry are horsewomen who can also fight hand-to-hand with their swords as well - a potent combination in one force! They wear scale armour under their long robes and carry shields so they are well protected in close quarter fighting. Their primary means of attack, however, remains the throwing axes that they carry, known as the sagaris. They can pepper an enemy with missiles and then have the option of closing to deliver the coup de grace, or they can withdraw and await another opportunity for mischief!

They are not ideally suited to fighting other skirmishers - many of their axes will be wasted against targets who can dodge, after all - but they can be very useful in driving broken enemies from the field.


Elephants

Elephants are a terrifying spectacle to opposing troops, well able to smash battle lines and toss men aside like dogs with rats.

Standing at just over two metres tall at the shoulder, these particular animals are rather tractable and can be trained for warfare relatively easily. They are fast moving, able to trample and gore enemies seemingly at will when being urged on by their riders. They are a living battering ram aimed at the enemy battle line. When pursuing enemies they can be even more deadly.

Each elephant is unarmoured, but many blows simply glance off the tough hide. Only a single rider is carried.


Camel Lancers

These tough desert women are 'camel lancers', exploiting the speed of their mounts and the fear effect that camels cause to horses. The Gorgons are wise indeed to exploit this pool of skilled fighters. These are also a hardy people, and can put up with many privations thanks to their desert upbringing.

They are not the strongest cavalry in the world, but they can surprisingly effective against both infantry and especially other (horse) cavalry. Armed with spears and carrying large shields, they are not at their best in protracted melees, but used as hit-and-run raiders they can be very effective.


Gorgon Cavalry

These Amazon horsewomen are the equestrian elite of the Gorgons. More at home on the back of a mare than on the ground, they are more than a match for their Carthaginian and Numdians when it comes to skill at riding. Their bows are slightly smaller and less powerful than their footborne kinswomen, but they make up for that with their speed and nimbleness, not to mention their power in close-combat.


War Elephants

War elephants are fierce and terrible beasts, able to trample men and horses into the dirt. Over three metres tall at the shoulder, these are large and bad-tempered animals, and they have been known to run wild with fear and anger in battle. When this happens no one - friend or foe - is safe. For this reason the driver always carries a small mallet and a spike so that she can kill the animal if necessary by driving the spike into the base of the skull.

The crew are armed with bows to shoot down into tightly packed enemy formations, but the elephant itself is also a weapon: it can trample and gore men easily, hurling them around like rag dolls.


Camel Archers

These camel-mounted archers are effective skirmishers, especially in deserts.

These women are good archers and untiring fighters thanks to their harsh upbringing. They can move swiftly, staying away from most infantry and other skirmishers. When attacked by cavalry they are at an advantage should a melee ensue. The very smell of camels can upset horses in battle and a cunning commander can use this to her advantage.


Companions

Gorgon Companion Cavalry are a social and military elite, the Royal Bodyguard of the Queen - her Hetaroi - or Companions.

They are expert horsewomen, riding the best mounts and have the finest armour armour available. Each is armed with a good lance and a sword for close combat. As heavy cavalry they can be a decisive arm of battle, and are able to charge down many opponents. They are best used as shock cavalry to break wavering enemy formations, but do need to be careful - as with all cavalry - when attacking spearmen. Bravery is of little use when galloping straight onto a row of gleaming spear points!

Traditionally these women would be given land grants after great victories, giving them a personal stake in the battle's outcome.


Armoured Elephants

War elephants are fierce and terrible beasts, able to trample men and horses into the dirt. Over three metres tall at the shoulder, these are large and bad-tempered animals, and they have been known to run wild with fear and anger in battle. When this happens no one - friend or foe - is safe. For this reason the driver always carries a small mallet and a spike so that she can kill the animal if necessary by driving the spike into the base of the skull.

The crew are armed with bows to shoot down into tightly packed enemy formations, but the elephant itself is also a weapon: it can trample and gore men easily, hurling them around like rag dolls.


Early General's Bodyguard and Captain

This general has a bodyguard of loyal heavily armoured cavalry to accompany her onto the field. Armed with throwing axes and swords, these women are not only very good shock cavalry, able to deliver a devastating and almost unstoppable charge, but they can also stand off and slaughter an enemy with missiles.

Like all general's guards, this unit is best committed to the fight at the point of crisis, when the general's inspirational leadership and the combat power of her women can tip the balance.


Late General's Bodyguard

This general has a bodyguard of loyal heavily armoured cavalry to accompany her onto the field. Armed with composite bows and swords, these women are not only very good shock cavalry, able to deliver a devastating and almost unstoppable charge, but they can also stand off and slaughter an enemy with arrows.

Like all general's guards, this unit is best committed to the fight at the point of crisis, when the general's inspirational leadership and the combat power of her women can tip the balance.


Horde Spearmen

Horde Spearmen are males pressed into service in the Gorgon military. Not quick or nimble enough to perform as skirmishers, these men were instead made spearmen because of their strength and stamina. Equipped with spears and large shields of wood and animal hide, they are at their best when formed in a solid block of spearmen to repel cavalry. However, their morale is poor and training even poorer, so they cannot be expected to hold the line for long without support from female units.


These men represent the lowest orders of the Amazon military heirarchy, men who carry weapons and fight. While the idea is generally an anathema in Amazon society, these men are useful and often necessary to the Amazon war machine. As the Amazon saying goes: "Never send a man to do a woman's job, but if a woman is going to get killed doing it, then by all means send a man."

This unit will disband when the horde settles in a new homeland.


Horde Axewomen

These women are the elite shock troops of the Gorgon Horde, wielding the most distinctive symbol of Amazon power - the Labrys - or double-bladed axe. They are called "The Brides of Athena" for they have dedicated their lives solely to war and the shedding of blood.

Horde Axewomen are heavily armored but carry no shield, needing both hands to wield their fearsome weapons. They fight in loose groups in order to allow for the swing of their axes, but also have much more flexibility than their rigid hoplite sisters. They are the most powerful assault troops of the Gorgons, whose mere presence can be enough to make weak-willed enemies flee in terror. As such they are ideally used as the first troops up the ladders or out of the siege towers to take a settlement, or otherwise at the very point of the attack.

This unit will disband when the horde settles in a new homeland.


Horde Archers

These women are foot archers of the Gorgons, the long rage killing power of their armies. They are armed with the powerful composite bow of the Amazon people. Yet being lightly armored they are vulnerable in melee combat, especially to enemy cavalry.

Unlike other civilized cultures, the Amazons prize archers above all other warriours. While most of these women came from the lower classes, many gain higher standing by distinguishing themselves in battle. As young girls they would have spent long hours every day practicing with their bows while watching over their livestock, hoping for the day they might earn their place in the ranks of these proud women.

Where most other nations only use archers to simply soften up an enemy, they are the cornerstone of every Amazon army. In fact, the infantry are often used to merely protect the archers, who are generally the main killing power of the army, and then cavarly sent to mop up the remnants.

This unit will disband when the horde settles in a new homeland.


Horde Cavalry

Armed with throwing axes, Gorgon horde cavalry are horsewomen who can also fight hand-to-hand with their swords as well - a potent combination in one force! They wear scale armour under their long robes and carry shields so they are well protected in close quarter fighting. Their primary means of attack, however, remains the throwing axes that they carry, known as the sagaris.

They can pepper an enemy with missiles and then have the option of closing to deliver the coup de grace, or they can withdraw and await another opportunity for mischief!

They are not ideally suited to fighting other skirmishers - many of their axes will be wasted against targets who can dodge, after all - but they can be very useful in driving broken enemies from the field.

This unit will disband when the horde settles in a new homeland.


Horde Horse Archers

These Amazon horsewomen are the equestrian elite of the Gorgons. More at home on the back of a mare than on the ground, they are more than a match for their Carthaginian and Numdians when it comes to skill at riding. Their bows are slightly smaller and less powerful than their foot and chariot-borne kinswomen, but they make up for that with their speed and nimbleness, not to mention their power in close-combat.

This unit will disband when the horde settles in a new homeland.

[SubRosa]

Here is a complete map showing every territory, city, and port (click on the thumbnail to see the full version):


Most of it is the same as in vanilla, just with more territories. The major changes are the Gorgons down at the lower left in Saharan Africa, and the Numidians along the western coast of North Africa. The Greek Cities now hold the new city of Triton on the coast of Lake Tritonis to the south of modern Tunisia, and they have Athens as well, but not Thermon anymore. The Romans are the rulers of Italy, as I wanted them to still be a powerhouse. The Parthians no longer start with Campus Sakae way up on the plains, and instead have a third territory in the middle east. The Seleucids have nearly doubled their territories, but are still in the same general location. Amazonia is located roughly where Pontus used to be, and New Amazonia is way off to north in the forests of modern Russia. Scythia has been confined to the north coast of the Black Sea, and the Sarmatians have the steppe between the Don and Volga rivers.

You will notice a great many more territories in North Africa, the Steppe, and the Middle East. I have done this to make those areas more interesting. The normal vanilla game tends to funnel activity in toward the center of the map by leaving only a few territories around the edges. I have tried to reverse this by giving the factions on the map edges more room to play in, and hopefully make their neighborhoods more exciting to play in, rather than being sideshows.

Here is a map showing the starting territories of each faction:

[SubRosa]

Faction Preview: Amazonia

"We are riders; our business is with the bow and the spear, and we know nothing of women's work."
-- Herodotus IV, 114

Founded long before the legendary fall of Troy, Amazonia has stood in the east for over a thousand years. Her capital in Themiskyra, on the banks of the Thermodon river, has stood against fire, flood, and siege and held firm through all. The Amazon race is said to descend from the blood of the god Ares himself, which may account for the zeal they show when partaking in war.

The word Amazon is the Ionian Greek form of the Iranian word ha-mazan, meaning "fighting together." The regular Greek form would be hamazon, but over time it simply became amazon. Also known to the Greeks as Androktones, or "The Killers of Men", and to their Scythian cousins as Oiorpata (which has the same meaning), the Amazons are women who refuse to submit to any man. Indeed, it is said by some that before she may procreate, an Amazon must kill at least one man in battle. While this is likely a tall tale, at least concerning the common women of Amazonia, it is true that among their warriour elite that a woman must face battle before being considered fully one of their own.

In the Iliad, the Amazons were referred to as Antianeira, or "Those Who Fight Like Men". Indeed, they do fight in the same hoplite fashion as their male Greek counterparts. However, they are also practiced in the use of the axe, a weapon favored by many of them for its killing power in hand to hand combat. Yet these are the least of their martial distinctions. For ever have the Amazons been especially gifted horsewomen, having tamed the horse long before the men of Greece learned to ride. Most fearsome however is their legendary skill with the bow, which some say is a sacred gift of the goddess Artemis, who is held in higher regard by the Amazons than even their progenitor Ares.

While most men in Amazonia live in drudgery, some of them may rise to positions of a certain stature. While the Amazons may sometimes be described as warriour-priestesses praying for battle, they also realize the need for trade and diplomacy. In aid of this they often send distinguished men from their courtesan caste out into the world as spies, diplomats, and merchants. Surprisingly, these men show an extraordinary amount of loyalty to their female overlords, refusing to break even under the most attractive enticements or the harshest of tortures.

Although originally a colony of the ancient Gorgon Amazons of Libya, Amazonia has been an independent monarchy for a thousand years. Since the fall of the Libyan Amazons a millennia ago, they have carried on the torch of Amazon civilization. During that time the Amazonians have maintained a conservative policy of alliances, diplomacy, and heavily fortified frontiers to insure their survival, even paying humiliating tributes to super-powers such as the Persian Empire and Alexander the Great in order to survive with their freedom and culture intact.

Long have the warriour women of Amazonia been quiet in the hills and valleys of their homeland. Waiting patiently as the titans of the world did battle with one another outside their doorstep. First the Persians, then Alexander. But the days of the great empires has passed, and their successors squabble with one another like dogs fighting over scraps from their great table. For the women of Amazonia this is an opportunity to carve their own mighty empire, one that might never again come to pass...

The starting territories of Amazonia


Temples-
Artemis temple_of_hunting
Ares temple_of_violence
Kybele - temple_of_justice
Demeter - temple_of_farming

;;;;Units;;;;;

Governor Tree:

1st Tier - Peasants, Diplomats


Missile Tree:

1st Tier -
2nd Tier (practice_field) - Peltasts
3rd Tier (archery_range) - Amazon Archers
4th Tier (catapult_range) - Agema Amazon Archers, Onagers,
5th Tier (siege_engineer) - Heavy Onagers


Infantry Tree:

1st Tier (muster_field) - Militia Hoplites
2nd Tier (militia_barracks) - Hoplites
3rd Tier (city_barracks) - Armored Hoplites & Axewomen
4th Tier (army_barracks) - Agema Axewomen (Brides of Ares)
5th Tier (royal_barracks) - Armored Hoplites (exp 1)


Cavalry Tree:

1st Tier -
2nd Tier (stables) - Militia Cavalry
3rd Tier (cavalry_barracks) - Heavy Cavalry
4th Tier (hippodrome) - Amazon Cavalry
5th Tier (circus_maximus) - Companion Cavalry


Blacksmith:

1st Tier (blacksmith) -
2nd Tier (smiths_workshop) - Amazon Chariots

Peasants

Peasants are reluctant warriors, but numbers are useful in all armies. Forcing peasants to fight is one way of getting lots of women in the field quickly and cheaply. They have little tactical sense, and even less willingness to fight - they would rather be defending their own homes rather than be dragged to a battle they neither care about nor understand. But if nothing else, they are useful when there's digging to be done! They are, however, experts at reading the land and hiding whenever there is cover.


Peltasts

Amazon peltasts are men who advance at speed to pepper an enemy with javelins, and then withdraw in good order before a counter-attack can be organised. They are skirmishers and it is their task to harass and disrupt enemy units before the main battle lines clash.

Peltasts are equipped with a clutch of javelins, a knife, and a light shield. They wear no other armour, and rely on speed as the best form of protection, and this isn't much protection should they be caught by cavalry or at long range by archers.

These men represent the lowest orders of the Amazon military heirarchy, men who carry weapons and fight. While the idea is generally an anathema in Amazon society, these men are useful and often necessary to the Amazon war machine. As the Amazon saying goes: "Never send a man to do a woman's job, but if a woman is going to get killed doing it, then by all means send a man."


Amazon Archers

These women are foot archers of Amazonia, the long range killing power of their armies. They are armed with the powerful composite bow of the Amazon people. Yet being lightly armored they are vulnerable in melee combat, especially to enemy cavalry.

Unlike other civilized cultures, the Amazons prize archers as daughters of Artemis. While most of these women came from the lower classes, many gain higher standing by distinguishing themselves in battle. As young girls they would have spent long hours every day practicing with their bows while watching over their livestock, hoping for the day they might earn their place in the ranks of these proud women.

Where most other nations only use archers to simply soften up an enemy, they are the cornerstone of every Amazon army. In fact, the infantry are often used to merely protect the archers, who are generally the main killing power of the army, and then cavalry sent to mop up the remnants.


Agema Archers

These women are elite foot archers of Amazonia, the deadliest archers in the world. They are armed with the most powerful composite bows of their people. However, they are also heavily armored and armed with the hoplite sword as a secondary weapon, and so can give a good account of themselves in melee combat if necessary.

Where regular Amazon Archers are drawn from the lower classes, these women are all aristocrats, either from birth or from earning that higher status by distinguishing themselves in battle. The greatest of all the archers of Amazonia, these women have been known to win battles simply through their arrow-fire alone. They are the most fearsome archers in the world, and strike fear into the hearts of all who face them across the battlefield.


Onagers

The onager is a catapult jokingly named for the tremendous kick it has when fired at the enemy (an "onager" is a wild ass). This war machine is powered by a twisted spring of animal sinew ropes, the most elastic substance available.

The throwing arm is held in tension by the sinews. When pulled back and held by a catch it can fling a boulder with considerable speed and range. This version can be used for reducing stone fortifications, but it can also be used on the battlefield for destroying enemy artillery and harassing troops (although admittedly by killing some of them outright).

The onager can also be used to launch incendiary missiles such as firepots, making it a versatile piece of artillery to any commander.


Heavy Onagers

The heavy onager is an enormous catapult built using the same basic design as its sibling and capable of smashing down stone fortifications. It is powered by a twisted bundle of animal sinew ropes, and is slow to wind back and reload. Its missiles are devastating, and it can also fire incendiary firepots.

Range is no more than the smaller onager and this makes the heavy onager susceptible to counter fire. Often, it is best employed alongside smaller artillery to deal with enemy fire.


Militia Hoplites

Amazon Militia Hoplites are males pressed into service in the Amazon military. Not quick or nimble enough to perform as skirmishers, these men were instead made hoplites because of their strength and stamina.

Militia Hoplites fight best as spearmen, and are armed with long spears and each carries the large round hoplon shield which gives them their name. They are at their best when used as a solid block of spearmen and can form a phalanx to attack the enemy. However, their morale is poor and training even poorer, so they cannot be expected to hold the line for long without support from female units.

These men represent the lowest orders of the Amazon military heirarchy, men who carry weapons and fight. While the idea is generally an anathema in Amazon society, these men are useful and often necessary to the Amazon war machine. As the Amazon saying goes: "Never send a man to do a woman's job, but if a woman is going to get killed doing it, then by all means send a man."


Hoplites

The basis of nearly all military power in the Hellenic world once revolved around the hoplite. Operating in phalanxes, or tightly grouped blocks, these women are a powerful force against infantry or cavalry.

Hoplite tactics are simple: formations generally approach the opposing army in normal order, and then close ranks into the phalanx so that each soldier is protected by overlapping shields. Then it is simply a matter of closing with the enemy as quickly as possible to decide the battle. Well trained, these troops have great stamina, and are some of the most effective soldiers in the known world.

Hoplites generally supply their own equipment, so are not drawn from the poorer sections of society. They wear good scale armour, and carry both a round shield (the hoplon) and a thrusting spear. This spear has a bronze butt-spike to plant in the ground (bronze is not prone to rusting like iron), which doubles as a weapon if the pike shaft breaks.


Axewomen

These women wield one of the signature weapons of Amazons, the Sagaris, or single-bladed axe. They carry several of these deadly weapons, and throw them at the enemy before attacking.

A breed apart from their sister infantrywomen who carry the cumbersome hoplite panoply and fight in densely packed formations, Axewomen are armored with lighter scale armour and smaller shields, and fight in looser groups in order to allow for the swing of their axes. While this means they cannot last as long as the hoplites in a long, head-on slugging match, it also makes them far more flexible and quick of foot. They are ideal as quick raiders and shock troops, especially when attacking city walls or springing ambushes deep in a forest.


Armoured Hoplites

Armoured hoplites are an elite among Amazon soldiery, carefully selected and given the best training to make them superior spearwomen. Each of them is equipped with good body armour, greaves and a helmet and carries a large round shield, the hoplon that gives this kind of soldier the name of hoplite. Each woman is also armed with a formidable thrusting spear called the xyston and an infantry sword. They are usually employed as solid, close-packed groups of women, presenting a wall of spear points to the enemy. In phalanx formation, they use weight of numbers to batter into enemy formations.

They are vulnerable to flank and rear attacks, and ideally need some sort of light supporting troops such as Axewomen to screen them as they approach the enemy.


Agema Axewomen

These women are the elite shock troops of Amazonia, wielding the most distinctive symbol of Amazon power - the Labrys - or double-bladed axe. They are called "The Brides of Ares" for they have dedicated their lives solely to war and the shedding of blood. It is said that many collect the heads of their victims and display them proudly. A custom adopted from the Celts of nearby Galatia.

Agema Axewomen are heavily armored, even carrying a shield strapped across their backs, needing both hands to wield their fearsome weapons. They fight in loose groups in order to allow for the swing of their axes, but also have much more flexibility than their rigid hoplite sisters. They are among the most powerful assault troops of Amazonia, whose mere presence can be enough to make weak-willed enemies flee in terror. As such they are ideally used as the first troops up the ladders or out of the siege towers to take a settlement, or otherwise at the very point of the attack.


Militia Cavalry

Militia cavalry are javelin-armed mounted skirmishers who can strike quickly and be gone in the time it takes a more ponderous enemy to react. They do not wear armour, but do carry shields and swords so that they can fight in hand-to-hand combat should the need arise. They are, however, best used to dash in and harass a mass of enemies, such as heavy infantry who cannot hope to catch them.

They are not ideally suited to fighting other skirmishers - many of their javelins will be wasted against targets who can dodge, after all - but they can be very useful in harrying fleeing enemies and driving them from the field.


Heavy Cavalry

Amazon heavy cavalry are javelin-armed horsewomen who can also fight hand-to-hand - a potent combination in one force! They wear scale armour and carry shields and swords so that they can close with opponents and fight when the situation requires. Their primary means of attack, however, remains the javelins that they carry. They can pepper an enemy with missiles and then have the option of closing to deliver the coup de grace, or they can withdraw and await another opportunity for mischief!

They are not ideally suited to fighting other skirmishers - many of their javelins will be wasted against targets who can dodge, after all - but they can be very useful in driving broken enemies from the field.


Amazon Cavalry

These horsewomen are the elite horse archers of Amazonia. Members of the warriour-aristocracy, these women have spent their entire lives on horseback. More at home on the back of a mare than on the ground, they are a match for their steppe cousins when it comes to skill at riding. Equally important is their skill with a bow, which they have likewise mastered through a lifetime of use.

They are armed with composite bows that are slightly smaller and less powerful than their foot and chariot-borne kinswomen. However, they make up for that with their speed and nimbleness, not to mention their power in close-combat. For unlike most horse archers they carry swords and are armoured in good scale cuirasses, this makes them more than able to hold their own in any melee. This allows them to perform both the skirmishing role of light cavalry, and to charge into hand-to-hand as heavy cavalry.


Companion Cavalry

Amazon Companion Cavalry are picked from the social and military elite of Amazonia. All are either born from aristocratic families or have earned that position through distinguished service. When not on campaign they live in the Royal Household and serve as an tended bodyguard and coterie of the Queen - her Hetaroi - or Companions. As such they form a personal bond with her that goes far beyond the loyalty of other troops. Often these women go on to serve as officers and generals, some might even be adopted into the Royal Family itself.

The Companions are expert horsewomen, riding the best mounts and have the finest armour available. Each is armed with a good lance and a longsword for close combat. As heavy cavalry they can be a decisive arm of battle, and are able to deliver a devastating charge that can smash all but the strongest enemy formations. However, they do need to be careful - as with all cavalry - when attacking spearmen. Bravery is of little use when galloping straight onto a row of gleaming spear points!


Amazon Chariots

Amazon Chariots are the elite terror-units of Amazonia, the thundering sound of their chariots is often enough to unnerve even the strongest enemies. Riding chariots into battle may have become somewhat anarchronistic, but properly used they can still deliver a powerful blow to an unprepared enemy. Even if just to their morale.

Always moving, Amazon Chariots slice through an enemy line and continue on at a gallop, never stopping to engage in prolonged melee combat. Instead they use the speed and power of their charge (not to mention the large scythes on their chariot axles) to disrupt enemy formations and then move on. Then supporting horseborne cavalry or infantrywomen quickly come up to engage the still-reeling opponent for a one-two punch.


Amazon Captain and Early Bodyguard

This general has a bodyguard of loyal heavily armoured cavalry to accompany her onto the field. Armed with javelins and swords, these women are not only very good shock cavalry, able to deliver a devastating and almost unstoppable charge, but they can also stand off and slaughter an enemy with missiles.

Like all general's guards, this unit is best committed to the fight at the point of crisis, when the general's inspirational leadership and the combat power of her women can tip the balance.


Late General's Bodyguard

This general has a bodyguard of loyal heavily armoured cavalry to accompany her onto the field. Armed with composite bows and swords, these women are not only very good shock cavalry, able to deliver a devastating and almost unstoppable charge, but they can also stand off and slaughter an enemy with arrows.

Like all general's guards, this unit is best committed to the fight at the point of crisis, when the general's inspirational leadership and the combat power of her women can tip the balance.

[Spartan198]

Well, first impression is definitely good. I like all your added skins (the Macedonian hypaspists and Greek Sacred Band in particular), the descriptions of the Amazon factions are extremely detailed, I definitely like all the added settlements, which will make the more barren areas of the vanilla map more interesting (and maybe the poor Seleucid Empire will stand a chance now...), and I like the use of Senate colors for the Romans (red is way overused). I also like the Amazon FM portraits.

A couple things I noticed:
1. The Amazon unit cards say they use compound bows, which is incorrect. They would have composite bows (the bows used by western factions, I believe, were called "self" bows, just for mentioning sake).
Compound bows are a modern invention.
2. The Amazon hoplites' beoetian shield (the figure-8 shaped one) appears fully circular when viewed from behind.
3. Cheats don't work with Neo Themiskyra. I discovered that when I was cheating city levels up to check out recruitment levels. I didn't push all added cities to max yet, but that's the only one that it's happened with so far.

Suggestions:
I think giving Amazonia and New Amazonia some units unique to them would do well to set them apart from eachother. Ideas as follows:

Amazonia ~ Since they're right in the middle of the sphere of Macedonian influence, I suggest making Companion Cavalry unique to them, giving also them an intermediate phalangite unit, and maybe a light hypaspist unit.

New Amazonia ~ With the geography in their regions being mountainous and forested, I suggest converting their armored hoplites into a legionary-style sword unit, and giving them an elite skirmisher unit, as well.