Units Of Rome Total War: Romans Part 2

Part 2 to the Roman Units in RTW

Auxilia
Attachment 1700
Auxilia are highly disciplined and tough spearmen who provide support to Roman legionaries in battle. They are defensive infantry, expected to protect the flanks of the heavier legionaries from cavalry and similar threats; their training is at least as harsh as that of the legionaries and produces men with a similar level of discipline and hardiness. These troops need to keep up with other Roman forces, and so cannot be allowed to tire easily. They are recruited from among non-Romans within the Empire, and this is easy because Roman citizenship is far from being universal.
Historically, Roman commanders made sure that auxilia were always stationed far away from home so that there was no temptation to acts of rebellion. The changes introduced by Gaius Marius meant that professional auxiliaries were recruited to serve alongside the now-professional legionaries; a wholesale shake-up of the Roman military machine saw the whole army being put on a full time, service-for-life footing, with auxiliaries being rewarded with Roman citizenship at the end of their military careers.

Early Legionary Cohort
Attachment 1701
Roman legionaries are tough, professional troops with good armour and superb weapons. Their hallmarks are discipline, obedience and tactical flexibility. When approaching enemy fortifications, for example, they can use the turtle formation, or testudo, overlapping their shields for protection.
Every legionary’s chainmail armour, the lorica hamata, is of very good quality, as is the rest of his gear: a metal helmet and a large curved shield. They fight with two throwing spears (the pilum, plural pila) and a short stabbing sword, the gladius. Each pilum has a soft iron shaft behind the piercing head that is designed to bend as soon as it hits a target, making it impossible to pull out and throw back. Embedded in a shield a pilum hampers an enemy. Embedded in a man, it usually kills. Once the pila have been thrown, legionaries close and continue fighting with the stabbing gladius.
Historically, these legionaries only came to be after the army reforms of Gaius Marius. He abandoned property and age requirements for the legions, and made the Roman army into a professional force. No longer would a man have to provide his own war gear; he would be paid, serve a term of 25 years and then retire with enough land to give him a pension for the remainder of his days.

Legionary Cohort
Attachment 1702
Roman legionaries are tough, professional troops with good armour and superb weapons. Their hallmarks are discipline, obedience and tactical flexibility. When approaching enemy fortifications, for example, they can use the turtle formation, or testudo, overlapping their shields for protection.
Every legionary’s flexible banded armour, the lorica segmenta, is of very good quality, as is the rest of his gear: a metal helmet and a large curved shield. They fight with two throwing spears (the pilum, plural pila) and a short stabbing sword, the gladius. Each pilum has a soft iron shaft behind the piercing head that is designed to bend as soon as it hits a target, making it impossible to pull out and throw back. Embedded in a shield a pilum hampers an enemy. Embedded in a man, it usually kills. Once the pila have been thrown, legionaries close and continue fighting with the stabbing gladius.
The lorica segmenta armour was adopted because it was cheaper to make and offered more protection as the earlier chainmail.
Praetorian Cohort
Attachment 1703
A Praetorian cohort is made up of elite Legionaries, recruited because of their superb soldiering skills and political loyalties. A general can rely on this unit. Praetorian training is, as might be expected, both demanding and incredibly thorough. These men are some of the best, toughest, most unflinching soldiers in Rome, and they know it!
Their equipment is much the same as other legionaries, but better made. Every praetorian wears banded armour, the lorica segmenta, a metal helmet and carries a large curved shield. They fight with two heavy throwing spears (the pilum, plural pila) and a short stabbing sword, the gladius. Each pilum has a soft iron shaft behind the piercing head that is designed to bend as soon as it hits a target, making it impossible to pull out and throw back. Once the pila have been thrown, praetorians close and continue fighting with the stabbing gladius. They can also use the testudo, or tortoise, to protect themselves from missiles.
Historically, the original praetorians were the 'bravest of the brave' chosen to guard the praetorium - the tent of the legate of the legion when in the field. These men came to act as bodyguards for all important generals, before being made into specific formations that were considered useful in politics as well as war. It was Augustus who established the Praetorian Guard as both a bodyguard and for useful intimidation in Rome. It was under the later Emperors that the Praetorians developed a taste for conspiracy and murder.

Urban Cohort
Attachment 1704
An urban cohort is made up of elite legionaries, recruited because of their superb soldiering skills and loyalty. These are heavy infantry who, when not performing garrison duties in the vital cities of the empire, fight as heavy infantry - the men who do the real work in a Roman army!
Training for any man in an urban cohort is demanding and produces incredibly tough men. The results are the best, toughest, most unflinching soldiers in the Roman world, men who will stop at little to achieve their goals. The urban cohorts are equipped with the same gear as legionaries - it is the men inside the uniform that make them effective - and wear banded armour, the lorica segmenta, metal helmets and carry large shields. They fight with two pila (singular, pilum), throwing spears with soft iron shafts that are designed to bend as soon as they hit making them impossible to fling back. They also carry short stabbing swords for close work.
Historically, the urban cohorts were a police force for Rome established by Augustus, and were commanded to keep order. Although outnumbered, they were a counterbalance of sorts to the power of the Praetorian Guards within the city. Life in the urban cohorts was better than in the 'line' legions, as pay and service conditions were better. Other urban cohorts were established in the larger cities of the Empire in later years, and the prefect in charge of the cohorts often became an important political figure.

Good,but may I recomend taht we make urbans and praetorians availeble only in Rome?

i dont think we should keep urbans at all.. and praetorians were more of a political group

rest of units next

Ealry Legionary First Cohort
Attachment 1705
The Roman first cohort consist of well-armed and armoured infantrymen, who go into combat carrying the symbol of Roman power, a Legionary Eagle. This is inspirational for other Roman troops. Legionaries are tough, professional troops with good armour and superb weapons. Their hallmarks are discipline, obedience and tactical flexibility. When approaching enemy fortifications, for example, they can use the turtle formation, or testudo, overlapping their shields for protection.
Every legionary’s chainmail armour, the lorica hamata, is of very good quality, as is the rest of his gear: a metal helmet and a large curved shield. They fight with two throwing spears (the pilum, plural pila) and a short stabbing sword, the gladius. Each pilum has a soft iron shaft behind the piercing head that is designed to bend as soon as it hits a target, making it impossible to pull out and throw back. Embedded in a shield a pilum hampers an enemy. Embedded in a man, it usually kills. Once the pila have been thrown, the first cohort close and continue fighting with the stabbing gladius.
Historically, these cohorts came to be after the army reforms of Gaius Marius. He made the Roman army into a professional force. Men served a term of 25 years and then retired with enough land to give them pensions for the remainder of their days. The best legionaries in each legion would naturally gravitate through seniority into the first cohort.

Legionary First Cohort
Attachment 1706
The Roman first cohort consists of well-armed and armoured infantrymen, who go into combat carrying the symbol of Roman power, a Legionary Eagle. This is inspirational for other Roman troops. Legionaries are tough, professional troops with good armour and superb weapons. Their hallmarks are discipline, obedience and tactical flexibility. When approaching enemy fortifications, for example, they can use the turtle formation, or testudo, overlapping their shields for protection.
Every legionary’s banded metal armour, the lorica segmenta, is of very good quality, as is the rest of his gear: a metal helmet and a large curved shield. They fight with two throwing spears (the pilum, plural pila) and a short stabbing sword, the gladius. Each pilum has a soft iron shaft behind the piercing head that is designed to bend as soon as it hits a target, making it impossible to pull out and throw back. Embedded in a shield a pilum hampers an enemy. Embedded in a man, it usually kills. Once the pila have been thrown, the first cohort close and continue fighting with the stabbing gladius.
Historically, the lorica segmenta was slightly easier and cheaper to manufacture than chainmail, an important consideration when Rome had so many troops in the field.

Light Auxilia
Attachment 1707
Light auxilia are skirmishers who act as a screening force for heavier troops. They also break up enemy formations with showers of javelins which have a longer range than the iron-shafted heavy pila carried by Roman legionaries. These auxilia do not wear armour and so cannot be expected to last long in hand-to-hand combat but they can fight if they must. Their training is very nearly as vigorous as that of the legionaries so they do not tire easily, and discipline in auxilia units is certainly as harsh and uncompromising

Archer Auxilia
Attachment 1708
Archer auxilia are supporting troops for the heavier legionary infantry, an important secondary role in Roman warfare. They are not expected to fight in hand-to-hand combat and are not given the war gear to do so for long; their job is to provide supporting fire and let the legionaries fight the main battle. Because the Roman army is standardised around its heavy infantry legionaries other types of troops are recruited as auxiliaries. Their training is very nearly as vigorous as that of the legionaries and discipline in auxilia units is certainly as harsh and uncompromising.
Historically, with the changes introduced by Gaius Marius professional auxiliaries were recruited to serve alongside the now-professional legionaries; a wholesale shake-up of the Roman military machine saw the whole army being put on a full time, service-for-life footing, with auxiliaries being rewarded with Roman citizenship at the end of their military careers.

Roman Cavalry
Attachment 1709
Roman cavalry are auxiliary spear-armed cavalry who have a screening role in a Roman army. They should be used against the flanks or rear of units, or to keep missile troops and skirmishers away from the main Roman heavy infantry (who are the real killers of a Roman army).
They wear little armour and only carry spears and shields. As a result, they can charge enemies, but may be cut to pieces by a prepared defensive line of spearmen if these were attacked head on.
Historically, Roman cavalry only came into existence after the army reforms of Gaius Marius as a replacement force for the equites. The property qualifications for fighting as cavalry in the army were abandoned and the army made professional. They were organised into 'wings' called alae rather than cohorts.

Legionary Cavalry
Attachment 1710
Legionary cavalry are a heavy force of spear-armed cavalry who charge home using shock and mass to achieve victory. They are tough, disciplined riders - a notable advantage compared to many cavalry units who are composed of headstrong and impetuous 'nobility'. They are probably wasted when used to ride down skirmishers and missile troops, but they have the power to be able to smash heavier infantry formations apart, and severely disrupt other cavalry. They must, however, take care when attacking prepared spearmen, and should certainly avoid a frontal charge in this case whenever possible.
They wear good armour and carry shields; their weapons are the spear (lancea) and long sword (spatha), both of which are deadly in the hands of an expert.
Historically, Rome's best cavalry forces were organised into wings (or alae, singular ala) rather than cohorts, and recruited from among horse-culture minorities within Rome's borders. Generally, this meant that cavalry were predominantly non-Italian, the opposite of the legionaries' composition. Romans had developed the art of fighting as infantry, and relied on others to provide what they considered to be the supporting arms such as cavalry.

Praetorian Cavalry
Attachment 1711
Praetorian cavalry are an elite within the elite: dedicated bodyguards who serve as heavy cavalry. Praetorian training is, as might be expected, demanding and thorough. These men are some of the best, toughest, most unflinching soldiers in Rome - and good cavalrymen to boot! As heavy cavalry, it is their task to smash enemy formations and drive them from the field, fighting with their cavalry-pattern swords (longer than the original legionary gladius) once close combat is joined.
Historically, the original praetorians were men chosen to guard the tent (the praetorium) of the legion's legate. These men came to act as bodyguards for all important generals, and then became an elite quite separate from the originating legions. It was under the Emperors that the Praetorians developed a taste for conspiracy and murder, eventually even auctioning the Empire to the highest bidder!

Roman Armoured General
Attachment 1712
This general has a bodyguard of loyal spear-armed and armoured cavalry to accompany him onto the field. Armed with spears, these men are shock cavalry, able to deliver a devastating charge attack; they are then well trained enough to fight effectively in continued hand-to-hand combat.
Like all general's guards, this unit is best committed to the fight at the point of crisis, when the general's inspirational leadership and the combat power of his men can tip the balance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ahowl11

i dont think we should keep urbans at all.. and praetorians were more of a political group

rest of units next

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Urbans = upgraded Town Watch recruitable only in Rome (historically)

so they still would not be very powerful right?

They would not be the super uber unit that is in the original vanilla... something like (example) added 3 attack an def to Town watch....

sounds good to me.. we'll have to see what other people say

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ahowl11

and praetorians were more of a political group

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That's a bit of an exaggeration. Praetorians were used by Germanicus the Younger in his campaign against Arminius, so at least during the early empire they were a field unit. Later on, they would become a political force that never left the emperor, but they still were a well-trained, well-equipped fighting formation (and I can't imagine that a fighting emperor like Trajan would not have used them during his campaigns).

Ahowl,
Please, be carefull with the amount of threads you make. These Threads (units of Rome Total War) seem a big waste to me. A general discussion would be far better.
And this takes a lot of room for the more important threads like discussions and FAQ. Please, don't post Units of Rome Total war anymore.

to be honest.. here in the U.S. from 1:00 P.M. to about midnight everybody else on the team is offline.. its just me:( so i get very bored as i cannot think of anything to do with the mod (im waiting for some work to be finished) so i decided to do the units of RTW but im beginning to realize that its spawned from my boredom.. so will quit.. also i'll try to get rid of the threads cuz it will get messy