Sakan Axeman

Sakan Axeman
Unit information
Introduced in	Chronicles: Battle for Greece
Type	Infantry unit
Internal name	Takabara
Training
Trained at	Fort
Food	70
Gold	30
Training time	7 seconds
Build limit	24
Statistics
Hit points	80
Melee attack	9
Attack bonus	+4 vs Standard Building
Reload time	2
Melee armor	1
Pierce armor	3
Armor class	Infantry Unique unit Hero
Speed	1.05
Line of Sight	3
Ability	Charges its attack by +6 over 30 seconds Reduces melee and pierce armor armor of units by 1 each with every attack

“	All-purpose unique infantry unit. Strong vs. buildings and infantry.	”
—In-game description

The Sakan Axeman is an untrainable infantry unit in Chronicles: Battle for Greece. It is available in the Scenario Editor and present in the Battle for Greece campaign, where it is one of the bodyguard units that can be chosen in the first act when playing as the Achaemenids. It is the equivalent of the Ekdromos in the second and third acts, although its statistics are slightly different.

Ability

• Charge attack: It has +6 charged attack which it recharges over 30 seconds.
• Armor damaging ability: With every attack it reduces the melee and pierce armor of enemy units by one each. The armor cannot be damaged below zero. It is identical to the Obuch's ability.

Campaign appearances

Chronicles: Battle for Greece

• Prologue: Gates of the Gods: Sakan Axemen are available as a bodyguard unit to Artaphernes and will follow him and Datis on their campaigns if chosen (being available in Greeks Bearing Gifts, The Ionian Revolt, A City Ablaze, Chasing Smoke, Death to Traitors and Earth and Water).
• The Battle of Marathon: The Persian army under Datis has several contingents of Sakan Axemen. The Medizers also field some Sakan Axemen.
• The Hot Gates: Persian land forces at Thermopylae employ Sakan Axemen.
• Across the Wine-Dark Sea: The Persian Army in Cyprus fields Sakan Axemen.
• Wrath of the Regent: Sakan Axemen defend the city of Byzantium.
• Speeches and Spears: The Mercenary Axemen fielded by Torone are renamed Sakan Axemen. They are trained by Torone at the Barracks.
• Blood and Gold: Three Sakan Axemen run a small mercenary camp to the south, where Lysander can replenish his forces.

Further statistics

As Sakan Axemen are only available to the Achaemenids in the campaign, only technologies that are available to them are shown in the following table:

Strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs.	Infantry, buildings
Weak vs.	Archers

Technologies
Hit points	Karda (+15%)
Attack	Forging (+1) Iron Casting (+1) Blast Furnace (+2) Arson (+2 vs standard buildings)
Armor	Scale Mail Armor (+1/+1) Chain Mail Armor (+1/+1)
Conversion resistance	Exorcism (+4 min, +4 max)
Movement speed	Baggage Carriers (+10%)
Creation speed	Conscription (+33%)

Aura enhancements
Armor	Spearman (0/+1, requires Sparabaras)
Attack speed	Defensive Town Center (+15%)
Creation speed	Military Town Center (+50%)

Trivia

• The insignia of the Achaemenids, the Shahbaz bird, is emblazoned on the Sakan Axeman's crescent-shaped shield.
• Unlike the other bodyguard units, they have the hero armor class in addition to the unique unit armor class, the latter shared only with the Cretan Archer in the second and third acts of the campaign.
• Its internal name 'Takabara', refers to a unit in the Persian army which was referenced in relation to the Greco-Persian wars. While little is known about them, they are believed to have been a type of Peltast, rather than the anti-infantry melee specialists presented in-game.

Gallery

Many views of the Sakan Axeman