Doryphoroi Pontikoi

[orwell]

Is this unit basically a Pontic version of the Thureophoroi from greece? Playing as Makedon according to the recruitment chart I can only recruit them as a type 3/4, and I've already built 2's where you can and don't want to destroy it just to find out.

[Angadil]

Nope, they are just plain spearmen with a biggish oval shape shield, they don't throw javelins and should be less armoured than thureophoroi. And they are not "Pontic" as in "of Pontos faction", but as in "from the Black Sea (Pontos Euxinos) area" They represent a basic troop type (spearmen with relatively big, thureos-like, oval shields) common to a variety of peoples in the regions around the Black Sea. I don't think you'd want to destroy your type2 govts. just to have them.

[edyzmedieval]

IMHO, the Doryphoroi Pontikoi are cheap and useful mercenaries. They are light infantry, with a biiig shield and a spear. Useful when you need a bit of support for your army. Useful also for garrison.

[Musopticon?]

I don't actually get the huge upkeep, I mean they are not actually that useful.

[edyzmedieval]

Yeah, their upkeep is a bit too high. I hope the upkeeps have been reconsidered.

[Angadil]

By now you should know that EB doesn't go into that sort of "balancing"...

Comparatively expensive and not that useful troops happened historically so you should expect them in EB. Actually, if you are playing EB, you should almost *demand* them to happen. If you find yourself relying on DP for infantry that probably means you have access to cavalry with a good cost/usefulness ratio. Play with them and use the DP as little as you can.

[Musopticon?]

So, they are like, just there for variety? I mean, you do have pandotapoi which a eminently more useful and cheaper and their phalanx variant, which is super-useful.

[edyzmedieval]

I use the Pontikoi much more than the Pantodapoi. Mainly because I want to change the colours of the battlefield.

The Dyrophoroi Pontikoi are almost the same as Pantodapoi.

[Angadil]

So, they are like, just there for variety? I mean, you do have pandotapoi which a eminently more useful and cheaper and their phalanx variant, which is super-useful.First, I'll say it again: history dictates unit rosters in EB, first and foremost. The sort of reasoning you keep bringing up is very, very secondary.

Second; There are factions that do not get Pantodapoi, much less Pantodapoi Phalangitai. Things like the DP are about the best infantry they can hope for, at least in significant numbers. As happened historically.

Finally, even "phalanx factions" can get the DP in a few provinces were no Pantodapoi are present. If you conquer Skythia or Maeotis as Seleukids or Makedon DP will be about the only infantry you'll be able to recruit there. Conceivably, they can be an emergency solution in some situations even for factions with better things in their roster.

So, I don't really see the issue. There are factions for which the DP aren't generally useful and you happen to be playing one of them? So what? It's not compulsory to build them, you know...