Hannibal

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Abilities

Ability	Ability's picture	Description	Statictics of the stock ability	Statistics at tier 10
Forced March		Increase speed at the cost of morale and awareness. Available at tier 1	Cooldown: 12s Duration: Toggles Movement Speed: +15% Accelertation: +10% Morale: -20 Melee Denfence: -30% Missile Block Chance: -30 Charge Deflect: -20%	Cooldown: 6s Duration: Toggles Movement Speed: +15% Accelertation: +30% Turn Speed: +20% View Range: +16% Morale: -10 Melee Denfence: -30% Missile Block Chance: -30 Charge Deflect: -10%
Determination		Fight harder and traverse difficult terrian. Available at tier 3	Cooldown: 60s Duration: 15s Melee Defence: +14% Melee Attack: +15% Negative Ground Effect Modifier: -50% Unbreakable	Cooldown: 50s Duration: 24s Melee Defence: +18% Melee Attack: +40% Melee Weapon Damage: +10% Negative Ground Effect Modifier: -80% Charge Deflect: +10% Missile Block Chance: +10 Unbreakable
Ad Portas		Increased damage until the unit becomes uncontrollable. Available at tier 5	Cooldown: 140s Duration: 60s Melee Weapon Damage: +50% Melee Attack: +30% Melee Defence: +30% Morale: +105 Moevment Speed: -25%	Cooldown: 100s Duration: 60s Melee Weapon Damage: +100% Melee Attack: +30% Melee Defence: +60%<b r/> Morale: +105<b r/> Missile Block Chance: +16 Moevment Speed: -10%

With which units can he be played?

The units best fitted for Hannibal is war elephants and sword infantry but he can work with spear infantry almost just as well.

What is his playstyle?/How to play him?

Hannibal is often used to break the enemies rank with war elephants followed by infantry.

Tips and tricks

Using 1 elephant unit and 2 sword units as support for the elephant unit. You can do massive damage on the fields of battle. Though do keep in mind that swords switch their ability with each tier. Thus changing you gamestyle with each tier shift.

Disable Forced March when entering melee or when you are about to get charged. It will otherwise penalize you.

Historical context

Hannibal Barca, born in 247 BC, was the famous Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps with elephants in order to outmanoeuvre the Roman Republic in the Second Punic War. At the age of nine, his father Hamilcar made him swear an oath to always be an enemy of Rome and after that was taught to out-think his enemies. After his father and brother-in-law, drowned and was murdered, Hannibal was giving the leadership of Carthage foreign policies where he favoured a more aggressive style.

At twenty-six, he captured territory in Iberia to use its sliver to pay tribute to Rome. Rome who was wary of Hannibal's gain made a pro-Roman coup in the border city Saguntum, which became a Roman protectorate in 219 BC. Hannibal who was aware of the ongoings attacked the city and took it, angered Rome who demanded Hannibal being handed over but the Carthaginian government refused. Hannibal crossed the border, conquered the rest of Iberia and made his brother Hasdrubal commander of the new province and kicked off the Second Punic War.

Rome who was sure Carthage would invade from Sicily bolstered their numbers and waited but Hannibal gathered 59.000 infantry and cavalry alongside 40 elephants sat off to cross the Alps. Through the tough journey, his forces dropped to 26.000 while having to fight the weather, terrain and the hostile tribes of the Alps. After 17 long days Hannibal finally managed to do what was thought to be impossible, he had crossed the Alps and the road towards Rome laid open.

Rome quickly sent Scipio(the father of Scipio Africanus) to deal with Hannibal, Hannibal and Scipio clashed at the Battle of the Ticinus 218 BC. Hannibal managed to utterly defeat Scipio, who only survived as his son Scipio Africanus saved him. Hannibal who marched around in Italy and won battle after battle was unable to besiege Rome as he had been forced to leave his siege equipment before the crossing of the Alps.
In 216 BC Hannibal marched on a supply depot in Cannae hope to cut off Roman supplies. Rome raised the largest army it had ever fielded so far to end Hannibal once and for all. Though being outnumbered by around 30.000 men Hannibal pulled off a victory so great that the Battle of Cannae became a slaughter.
In 203 BC Hannibal was recalled to Africa.
In 202 BC the decisive Battle of Zama took place. Hannibal tried to use the tactic he had used at Cannae but failed as Scipio Africanus had studied Hannibal's tactics and learnt to counter them. At the end of the battle, Hannibal had lost 20.000 of his 45.000 men while Rome had only lost a mere 2.500 of their 50.000. The Second Punic War had ended.

Hannibal, who escaped, became an official in Carthage where he tried to promote democracy, stimulate the economy while looking toward the Seleucid Empire as a possible ally. When Rome found out of this they grew worried of the chance of a third war, which would eventually happen in 149 BC, sent an inquiry to Carthage forcing Hannibal to flee to Antioch. In 192 BC Hannibal asked to once again to invade Italy as a commander for Antiochus as part of the Syrian War but was given command of a small navy. Then Rome defeated the Seleucid Empire, Hannibal was once again forced to flee but in the end, he was given up to the Romans. In 183 BC he committed suicide with the poison he always carried inside a ring, so as not to fall into the hands of his enemies.