C&D’s Pergamon and Sardes roster expansions

== Updated for Desert patch ==

Warning: I haven’t played R2 for years, can’t check full functionality in campaign.
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Tired of playing hellenic factions? Bored by your thorax swordsmen that wipe everything un-greek because f*** you? Annoyed that your awesome lance cavalry can’t hear you over how incredibly cool they are? Also, pikes?
Yes, I thought so. And you will do and see all that again. Because Greeks. You can’t say no to Greeks.

Now *business-like cough* this is about expanding the rosters and playability of Pergamon and Sardes with one stroke.
– For subscribers of my stand-alone Pergamon mod, you MUST deactivate that one in order to play this pack to avoid issues. I am putting them together here because of shared units modifications –
– Also included in the GREEKS megapack. Disabling is not required but why not. Note that the megapack includes content which benefits and has impact on these factions as well.
– Don’t forget to check out the optional reforms brought by Pergamon’s add-on.

Neither of these factions have been an empire, so this is all about what-ifs , and an especially big one with Sardes.
Pergamon was a nice poleis, became a ionian hegemony while kicking thracian and galatian butts, then evolved into an important greek kingdom, then almost seamlessly a roman province. We are assuming that with Your enlighntened lead Pergamon can become a hybridized hellenic superpower.
You can read the whole fluff blarney HERE if you want, it’d be awfully space consuming to repeat everything.

Sardes, on the other hand, ceased being an important entity when the kingdom of the legendary King Croesus became a satrapy of the Achaemenid Persians – you know, the ones that got shouted at by Spartans (and which then proceeded to use them like puppets during the Peloponnesian Wars COUGH COUGH COUGH).
Fact is, Sardes was once a rich poleis, twice a satrapy, of the Persians and of the Seleucids. There’s not much room to move into, so we are assuming that, even with the chance to become powerful again, Sardes would have to start very slowly, trying not to anger anyone too much (like Big Boss Antiochus), developing good hellenic soldiery and anatolian auxiliaries. Eventually this would lead to a highly hybridized hellenic power, with a mixed force strenghtened by greek and anatolian-persian traditions, the new, the old and the very old we might say.

Please note that game-wise being minor factions and VERY minor at that, you might have a hard time starting your empire.

Pergamon starts out with a lonely minor town, Sardes is a satrapy and the first mistep could be your last because Big Boss Antiochus is easily angered and is not entirely to be trifled with with the latest patches.

PERGAMON’S NEW* AND ADDED VANILLA UNITS:
– Attalid Agema*, Royal Peltasts (admiral only);
– Roman Legionary Vexillatio (loaned Principes with limited access)
– Militia Hoplites Dieres, Thureos Tetreres and Archers Hepteres;
– Thracians: Skirmishers and Skirm Cavalry;
– Attalid Cataphracts*, Sarissa Cav and Thessalians;
– Cappadocian Cavalry (limited);
– Hellenic Swordsmen*

SARDES’ NEW* AND ADDED VANILLA UNITS:
– Karian Axemen (yay.)
– Eastern Javelinmen, Archers and Slingers;
– Cappadocian Cavalry (limited);
– Persian Cavalry;
– White Shield Pikemen*, White Shield Hoplites*
– White Shield Cavalry*. Nah, just kidding.
– Vanguard Cavalry*
– Anatolian Heavy Skirmishers*

Synopsis: Pergamon will focus on a combined modern army with lots of swords, mobile spearmen, shock cavalry and thracian/galatian auxiliaries, with access to basic hoplites and pikes (upon which will have to rely at the beginning). Romanized infantry, peltasts AND cataphracts will be your weapons of mass destruction.
On the other hand, Sardes will have the stronger eastern missile infantry, better pikes, smart hoplites, a particular skirmishing cavalry, and still an excellent shock cavalry in the Persians and the Companions. In other words, the good stuff of old hellenic and eastern armies.

What else…
Compatibility: can’t guarantee perfect functionality with the common overhauls.

Again special thanks to Sebidee for his Template and Tutorial, and Roma Surre ctum* II crew for letting me become a Pergamon fanboy in the first place.
*damn filter.

FACTION UNLOCK:
An unlock is necessary to play Sardes. I personally use this or this one but you may browse for more as you see fit. (note that the custom trait for Sardes is +3XP for cavalry units which is HUGELY HUGE, you might want to use a more innocuous version)

P.S.: No, I’m not giving any of them corinthian helmets.

Also check out Ermanarich’s Better Names mod!

Also also also, feel free to join our What-If historical discussion group if you like that sort of thing!

OFF-Steam downloads.[drive.google.com]