The peltast was a type of infantryman, common in Greece during the Classical period. Originating in Thrace, the peltast soon became a feature of most Greek city-state armies, usually as mercenaries. The peltast wore no armour except for a light shield, and were armed with javelins, which could be thrown more than twenty-five metres by a well-trained soldier, or more if bolstered by a device such as the ankyle. While typically outclassed by a hoplite phalanx in combat, the peltast had numerous advantages due to their ranged attack and greater mobility: they could easily evade or outrun the heavily-armoured soldiers and effectively retaliate if formation was broken. There were multiple examples of peltasts defeating hoplites, usually thanks to uneven terrain or unorganised troops. However, the best equipped armies of that period used a mixture of both hoplite and peltast, as well as other troops such as archers. Overall, while less armoured or powerful than the typical infantry, the mobility and range of the peltast troops proved to be a valuable asset on the battlefields of Classical Greece.