Ekdromos image - 0 A.D. Empires Ascendant

Ekdromos (literally: out runner) was a development of the hoplite. Development of the hoplite took many twists and turns based on the changing dynamics on the field of battle. Once armies began using Peltasts imported from Thrace something had to be done to counter this barrage of javelins thrown into the midst of a phalanx. The Thebans began to increase the armor of their hoplites, but the Athenians took a completely different approach and lightened the load for their infantry. The Ekdromoi would dash out from the phalanx, close with the enemy ranged units at speed, and cut them down at will. This approach also worked to harass more heavily armed troops as well, the enemy carrying too much weight to catch the vexatious Ekdromoi. By the time Ekdromoi became a popular infantry option many helmet designs had come into wide use. In addition to the venerable and popular Corinthian Helmet (and all its sub-styles), the Chalcidian and Pilos helmets came into fashion. This Ekdromos is wearing an early Thracian style helmet made of bronze. Thracians were popular due to the greater visibility over more traditional helmets afforded to the wearer. Our Ekromos' main weapon of choice is the 8-10 foot hoplite spear, but he also carries the kopis (curved sword) as a back up weapon for close combat. His shield is that of a standard hoplite and affords him great protection from spear thrusts and arrows. Lastly, one may notice that unlike other hoplites, this infantryman wears literally no body armor. The traditional linen cuirrass or muscled bronze linothorax and bronze greaves (leg armor) are discarded to give the warrior much more maneuverability and speed than his more heavily armored contemporaries. Ekdromoi were used en masse by the Hellenic Poleis (city-states) until their defeat at the hands of the Macedonian King Philip's heavily armored pezhetairoi infantry and hetairoi shock cavalry at the battle of Chaeronea. Thereafter, the Greek city-states would adopt the Macedonian sty