Manuballistas/Gastraphetes

[Callimachus]

Is it possible that we may see these weapons as part of Romani/Hellene factions? I know that the earliest finds Manuballistas fall out of the EB II historical range (they were apparently an invention of Hero of Alexandria circa 100 CE) but the Gastraphetes falls well within that range being invented in 450 BCE. I think they'd provide a good ranged intermediary in between archers and siege equipment. Maybe add a "terror" element to the weapon.

For those that don't know quite what I'm talking about:

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/war/CatapultTypes.htm

http://www.romanhideout.com/news/2005/20050224.asp

and a video of a test firing of a replica of a Manuballista!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGzYumLxYSI

[abou]

We don't have any references to it being used in our time frame and so that doesn't speak in its favor. And the gastraphetes is far too cumbersome to be used in the field -- a siege yes, but even then it's limited and efficacy dubious. As it stands, we have a lot of units that we want to see in EB2 and giving up a slot to such a limited-use piece of equipment just isn't practical.

[Iain.]

You've opened up a real can of worms here, brah.

That question gets asked a lot round these parts.

Abou has already said why, so I won't bother repeating the answer.

[MisterFred]

It really is rather uncanny. When I actually started paying attention to EB forums, I'm like 'why are these people jumping all over this guy for asking about a Gastraphetes?' And then the posts kept coming. Almost one a week, like clockwork.

[Hax]

To expand on what abou said, I believe that the use of the gastraphates was limited to mostly the city-state of Syrakousai. It wasn't that widespread.

[Cute Wolf]

To expand on what abou said, I believe that the use of the gastraphates was limited to mostly the city-state of Syrakousai. It wasn't that widespread.

unless Syrakousai was a playable faction, we won't have gastraphates wielding unit