Roma Surrectum: Official Preview #3

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ROMA SURRECTUM: OFFICIAL PREVIEW

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Hey guys and girls, as you may or may not, know, Try has unfortunately quit the team, and I have taken over the title of “Head of Publicity” in his stead. As such, I am honored to bring to you this third preview in our running series. This one will include the re-skinning of Carthage and Iberia.

So here we go!

CARTHAGE:
Carthage begins the game in a unique position, with control of northern Africa and the western Mediterranean, as well as footholds in Iberia and Sicily. Carthage's options are numerous, as well as its opportunities for mistakes. As an Empire that occupies so much territory, its troop selection is one of the most varied of all the game's factions.

Numidian Auxiliaries:
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Recruited from the interior of Africa, these men are simply armed, with spears and a cloth tunic. But do not let their simple dress fool you! They are true warriors, bred for combat and always ready for battle.

Liby-Phonecian Early Infantry:
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These men will be the foundation of your Carthaginian army, should you choose to follow in the footsteps of Alexander and use his “hammer-and-anvil” tactics. They are well-trained, and can be relied on to hold a line in battle. But if they are leaned on too heavily, they will break, so watch you flanks!

Liby-phoenician Late Infantry:
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Wearing chainmail tunics pillaged from the bodies of their dead Roman foes, these phalanx units are better equipped and better trained than their earlier compatriots. They can be relied upon as steady and efficient workhorses.

Poeni Infantry:
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These men are the backbone of the late Carthaginian Empire, and a definite upgrade from the Early Infantry. They are well-trained and equipped, but are mainly used as a defensive weapon, holding the line while the vaunted Carthaginian cavalry outflanks the enemy.

Carthaginian Caetrati (Light Infantry):
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The Caetrati are fast-moving, versatile infantry. They are not heavily armored, but rather equipped only with a small shield. Their weapons include both javelins and a short sword. While they are trained for hand-to-hand combat, they should not be relied on to hold a battle line, as they will break easily. However, they wield the falcata, a deadly blade, able to cut through even Legionary armor.

Carthaginian Scutarii:
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These are troops trained in the style of fighting of the Iberians, one of Carthage's many enemies. They are equipped with a large shield, as well as a sword that is better for stabbing than for swinging, so they can stay in formation and still be deadly. Like Roman legionnaires, they throw javelins before charging into combat.

Celtiberian Spearmen:
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These men are Celtic natives of Iberia who have been recruited to the Carthaginian cause. They carry extremely long spears that are sharpened to a razor’s edge, and are deadly from any angle. They also are heavily armored, and will take many tries to kill, if you can get to them through their wall of spears!

Elite African Infantry:
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These men are highly disciplined, and trained in the Roman style. They are deadly efficient, and can tear through a barbarian horde almost by themselves. They do not tire easily, and their armor is strong, yet flexible. Truly the cream of the crop for any Carthaginian army.

Carthaginian Thureophoroi / Late Libyan Skirmishers:
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These skirmishers are very special for the Carthaginians. Not only can they rain javelins down on their enemies, but they can also hold their own against cavalry charges, due to their spears. They are truly a unit to be respected on the battlefield.

Sacred Band of Ba’al:
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Carthaginian shock infantry, these soldiers are raised from birth to be killing machines, and do not hesitate when their moment has come. Historically, they were only used in and around Carthage, but it's up to you how you use these amazing fighters.

Carthaginian Balearic Slingers:
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The famed slingers of the Balearic Islands will be very useful to you in all of the theatres you fight in. In Iberia, their stones will rip through the weak Iberian armor. In Sicily, your slingers will harass the enemy’s phalanxes, and break them up for your own phalanxes to destroy. And in Africa, they will rip to shreds the Numidian missile cavalry you will inevitably face.

Phonecian Archers:
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Well equipped and trained, these archers will also speak well for themselves in a melee situation by virtue of the chainmail tunics and swords. These will be a reliable missile unit for your late Carthaginian army.

Numidian Auxiliary Cavalry:
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Speaking of missile cavalry, these are the enemy you will face when you take the cities in the African interior. But fear not! You can also hire them as mercenaries, and ship them overseas to harass your enemies, just as Hannibal himself did!

Iberian Lancers:
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The elite of the Iberian tribes -- these are heavily armored cavalry, riding armored horses and wearing scale mail. Although slightly slower, less maneuverable and more likely to tire than their less heavily armored opponents, they will deliver a heavy shock when charging and are less susceptible to missile fire. Use them carefully -- a carefully timed charge with these lancers could turn the outcome of a battle

Poeni Cavalry:
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Carthaginian citizen cavalry, these are a potent cavalry unit and should prove their worth many times over in the Iberian theatre, running down barbarian scum.

Iberian Medium Cavalry:
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Well-trained, agile Iberian horsemen, they are faster but less armored the Iberian Lancers.

Numidian Camel Spearmen:
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These camel warriors are truly ferocious. They come from the Sahara desert, and are dressed from head to toe in a black, and carry a large woven shield. The camels are cute from afar, but scare the horses of their enemies, allowing the camels’ riders to kill the enemy more easily.

Sacred Band of Astarte:
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What the Sacred Band Infantry are to infantry, so are the Sacred Band Cavalry to their cavalry counterparts. They are Carthage's elite cavalry force, and can take on any other type of cavalry with confidence.

Carthaginian Early General's Bodyguard:
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The Early General for the Carthaginians is accompanied by his loyal following of spear-armed guards. He inspires nearby units, and can turn the tide of the battle, but should be used carefully, lest you lose your general!

Carthaginian Late General's Bodyguard:
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Once the Empire reaches its later phases, these new-and-improved bodyguards are introduced. In addition to being better-trained than their predecessors, they are better-armored, and have better stamina. They also carry their spears overhand.



IBERIA:
The Iberians are faced with many challenges right off the bat. They can expand east and south, but risk stumbling into the path of mighty Carthage. Alternatively, they can expand north across the Pyrenees, and enter the territory of the powerful Gallic tribes. In any event, an alliance with one of these two powers is highly recommended for the Iberians -- who wants to fight a two-front war against two of the world's most powerful factions?

Iberian Caetrati (Light Infantry):
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As the Iberians have no access to heavy phalanx units, their armies often fight with “hit-and-run” tactics. The versatile Iberian Caetrati light infantry are an important unit for the faction, as they are equipped with javelins to pelt the enemy from a distance, and also have a short sword for close combat. They can hold a line, but should not be left unattended for long.

Iberian Scutarii:
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Just as the Caetrati are the Iberian light infantry, the Scutarii are the faction's heavy infantry. They are heavily armored, with large shields, and wield deadly swords. These will be the mainstay of any Iberian army, and historically were so potent that the Romans copied their tactics and weapons.

Celtiberian Swordsmen:
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These swordsmen are drawn from the tribes inhabiting northern Iberia, and have a heavy Celtic influence on their fighting style. They are also very nicely armored, and, instead of the falcate used by their Iberian counterparts, they carry a Celtic longsword.

Celtiberian Spearmen:
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These spearmen are also from the northern parts of Iberia, and carry a long, heavy spear. An interesting fact about this heavy spear is that it has two bumps on the metal where it is held, so that the warriors' hands don’t slip when the spear is covered with the blood of their enemies!

Neito Guard:
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The Neito Guard are the elite heavy infantry of the Iberians. They are very heavily armored and carry a strong shield to block attacks. They also have shin guards, symbols of their high status in Iberian society.

Ambakaro (Lusotannan Elite Shock Infantry):
https://img370.imageshack.us/img370/...5035wn7.th.jpg https://img410.imageshack.us/img410/...3355dm0.th.jpg
Elite infantry of the Iberians and the personal foot guard of Lusitanian chieftains. Armed with the "gesso", a long range light javelin, and falcata they fight with a ferocity and elan not often matched by the enemy, protecting themselves with the caetra used by other Iberian warriors and their trademark bonze helmets and facemasks.

Balearic Slingers:
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The famed slingers of the Balearic Isles provide a long distance punch for Iberian armies. They have very long range and are especially deadly to unarmored units. If used carefully, they can do immense damage to an enemy force.

Cantabrian Jinetes:
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These lightly armored missile cavalry are mounted on swift Iberian horses and can literally run circles around enemy formations. They are top-notch skirmishing cavalry, able to hide in forests and spring ambushes upon Iberia's foes.

Bela Cavalry (Medium Cavalry):
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Iberia's Bela medium cavalry are also mounted on the famed Iberian horses, swift and sure-footed and able to handle rough terrain. They are perfectly suited to chasing down fleeing enemy or charging into masses of enemy skirmishers or missile troops.

Iberian Lancers:
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These are the elite heavy cavalry of the Iberians, some of the best horsemen in the western Mediterranean world. Well armored and armed, their charge can be devastating, particularly if they strike the flanks or rear of enemy formations.

Iberian Early General’s Bodyguard (Iberian Nobles):
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Reliable and strong, these Iberian nobles form the early general's bodyguard.

Iberian Late General's Bodyguard (Iberian Nobles):
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These are the heaviest cavalry available to the Iberians, and also the strongest. They inspire all the units near them, and can take on almost any other mounted unit.



Many thanks to the following for allowing us permission to use and adapt their models and skins:

Spirit of Rob: Carthaginian units
Laca: Numidians
Monkwarrior (Iberia Total War): Caetrati, Scutarii, Bela cavalry, Neito guards, Celtiberian spearmen, Cantabrian jinetes. Special thanks to Monkwarrior for his extremely helpful modeling tutorials
Lt1956: Two handed phalanx model from SPQR
Aymar de Bois Mauri: Ambakaro (Lusotannan Elite Shock Infantry) unit from Europa Barbarorum
Sleighr: New Phalanx model

Looking very nice, keep up the good work.

RM3

factions preview looks extremely promising

I like the way Sacred bands are divided into infantry and cavalry and probably two temples, it makes the choice of the right temple in the right place critical.

Roma Surrectum is already a long-time bookmark of mine, keep up the good work.

no, you don't have to choose a specific temple, we just like making the names a bit more accurate if we can. It also serves to diferentiate them when we talk about "Sacred Band".

And thanks for the support!