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I could put about 15-20 mercenaries maximum. Basically, I will choose the most popular ones in this thread. Then I will see if one can make a poll where one can select three choices. Because it is rather difficult for quite a bit of people here, I am certain, to tell which mercenary they prefer the most, as there are plenty of good ones, and it is difficult to choose between favourite missile units, favourite melee infantry units and favourite cavalry.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zett
And you have my favorite mercs there.Quote:
Originally Posted by athanaric
They have been mentioned before, I believe, but:
Misthophoroi Hoplitai
https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b...itai_merc_.jpg
I love these guys.
And there is some sort of sweet historic irony in using these in my Hayasdan campaign against the diadochoi, but that's just me.
And don't forget the Massaliotai Hoplitai (Massilian Medium Hoplites)
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...i_hoplitai.gif
I love them, they are perfect for roleplay issues too.
Ceterum censeo Romam esse delendam
Most of my favourites have already been posted, but these three have always been indispensable in nearly all of my campaigns:
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u..._kluddolon.gif
Useful as fodder, and can also come in handy as flankers too
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...aithrakioi.gif
For me, one of the best skirmisher/flanker combinations available - can pack enough punch to cause damage to most heavies via a charge to the flanks or rear, and then have the speed to run away again :yes:
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...ezhetairoi.gif
Very, very useful for any faction that doesn't have ready access to phalanx troops - served me quite well guarding bridges and forts :smash:
Are they not a bit too expensive for "fodder"? They are mercenaries after all. How much do they cost? Whatever it is, it is probably twice or three times more expensive than your faction's elites. And even in the role of flankers they are relatively rotten when compared to anything else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Elcmar
I will have to agree with you on the Peltastai and Phalangitai. Those are indespensable in my campaign as well, especially the phalangitai. To the point where all of my armies fighting AS have at least five full phalanxes. I am fighting the Diadochi with their own weapons and fighting styles :P. My Marian legionaries are also great, but they are slaughtered when attacking the AS pike phalanxes, even though the function of the legionaries charging at the front of a phalanx is to simply hold it down for a cavalry charge in the back.
Aye, just realised that even though they're available as mercs, i was using the factional ones recruitable from thrace and galatia, hence the using them as sling magnets :oops:Quote:
Originally Posted by Aemilius Paulus
edit: I've always found the galatians to be much better than i'd previously thought of for flanking, though that could have just been the opposition i've been facing for a while....
Heh yeah - there is something great about using a faction's fighting style and equipment against them :laugh4: Thats what i love about the merc phalanxes - they save the sword-toting infantry in your army from getting cut to shreds!Quote:
Originally Posted by Aemilius Paulus
That's why I always use Samnite and Bruttian mercenaries against Romans!!! :laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by Elcmar
Yup - i've had many an epirote army with these fellas giving me a hand :smash:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibn-Khaldun
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...uttian_inf.gif
Samnitici Milites are one of my favourite non-Greek mercenaries. As KH you sometimes need something better than Thorakitai Hoplitai for assault missions, Samnitici are the best choice for that work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibn-Khaldun
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u..._swordsmen.gif
Ceterum censeo Romam esse delendam
Another very useful unit for any faction that doesnt have access to phalanxes - and it has an axe too! :smash:
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...a_gaedotos.gif
Nah, that is not so bad. You do know you can recruit Camillian Hastati in Roma as any faction? Now THAT is irony.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibn-Khaldun
Heh always fun fighting the romani with romani :laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by Aemilius Paulus
how bout those georgian swordmans... can't beat hayasdan early game without them!
Waydog brings up a good point. Georgian Swordsmen are the Curepos of the East. Not that great in absolute terms, but absolutely excellent given their niche and regional competition.
My favourite mercenarys:
Misthophoroi Hoplitai
Misthophoroi Toxatai Kretikoi
Rhatian axemen
Pezoi Bruttioi
Massaliotai Hoplitai
Celto-hellenic hoplites
Mercanary Persian Archer-Spearmen
Misthophoroi peltastai
Misthophoroi Iphikratous hoplitai
Misthophoroi Thureophoroi
Aichmetai Leukanoi
Unfortunately they have no longer the Phalanx ability in EB 1.2. But they are still good spearmens. And AP axes...slowly cutting through Roman armor:beam:.Quote:
Originally Posted by Elcmar
Ceterum censeo Romam esse delendam
Yes, that's true. But first you got to take Rome in order to get them. But I rarely do that because Romans are not Romans anymore if they don't have Rome!Quote:
Originally Posted by Aemilius Paulus
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aemilius Paulus
You can recruit camillan hastati in Latium, Umbria and Etruria with any faction and a regional MIC2.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibn-Khaldun
In my current KH campaign, I have "moved" Epeiros to southern Italia by beating them out of Hellas while they managed to hold on to Kalabria. Allied them, then bashed the Roman army that was laying siege to Tarentum, thus giving Epeiros some time to make use of the huge money bonus an AI faction gets when it is down to one city.
Epeiros took Brettia, Latium and Sicilia in a rush and has been holding it's own against the "Romani" while I have taken Umbria and managed (between sieges every turn:wall:) to get a regional MIC2 installed. Ever since, the garrison of 4xHastati and 2xRorarii plus one italic general has been able to fend off the waves of principes and illyrioi parakletoi (sp?) every turn. And since the chalkeon got installed, I am even winning heroic victories. This is severely slowing the campaign down however - an additional battle every turn. So maybe you are, in the end, right after all Ibn-Khaldun; vanquishing the Romani faction entirely before accessing Hastati might be more fun to do than to use them against the Romani. Hoplitai, supported by some hippeis xystophoroi, are far more efficient against them anyway.
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...an_archers.gif
Deffinately.
Maion
Don't underestimate these guys:
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...y_infantry.gif
They are excellent line infantry for my Hayasdan armies. Usually have 2-3 units of them in an army. They can withstand most infantry they meet in the region, have spears to counter cavalry and AP maces to crush the armor with ease. They can be used in so many different roles that they are just awesome! I usually put them in front of my army to finish off whatever infatry that manages to reach my lines. I also use them on guard mode to withstand the cavalry, while my own cavalry swings around then disable guard mode and charge that poor cavalry with maces and my own cavalry from the back = annihilation.
I'd agree with you there, I always try to have a few of them in any army in the area, usually mod them in as recruitable for Makedon and KH in Babylon tooQuote:
Originally Posted by Silence Hunter
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...hellenikoi.gif
Hoplitai Keltohellikoi
Widely available across europe, and fairly versatile too!
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...ioihippeis.gif
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...ui_curepos.gif
Illyrioi Hippeis and Curepos
Both incredibly useful to me - can work wonders you wouldn't usually expect of light cavalry
best for playing with Pahlava :yes:
Verkhana Kofyaren (Hyrkanian Hillmen) best unit even can be recruited by pahlava for AP mission to cut phalanx armies. best use let them engage the phalanx while your HAs killing them at back.
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...a_kofyaren.gif
best archers but do I need any more archer units?:
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...an_archers.gif
Misthophoroi Phalangitai (Mercenary Pikemen-Pezhetairoi) I wish I had a chance to recruit pezos but at least I can hire mercenary pezos. They are vital for pahlava to survive but not for defending pandadapoi phalangites are more suitable for defending thanks to their axes.
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/i/u...ezhetairoi.gif
gallatians are awesome but they suck for their price I can recruit nearly two grivpandar units. plus I like facing them how they make me laugh dying while they are trying to catch my HAs :laugh4:
always and only longsword infantry to crush those ridiculous pike infantry, better if is celtic:smash::smash::smash:
Hmmm...
So is this about the right time to post that poll on favourite mercenaries? Some empirical data would be splendid, as it is much easier to tell what is the sot popular mercenary when you have clear numbers, and numerous people voting, and not just the ones who are posting.
The mercenary units posted are getting pretty redundant, so I do suppose it is the right time for the poll. What do you think guys?
Don't know if anyone said this yet but I quite like the Kamboja
https://i385.photobucket.com/albums/...00/Kamboja.jpg
They are fast, have decent armour, ap and good charge.
Good idea but which mercanaries would be chosen to be in the poll? I don't think we can all of them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aemilius Paulus
Well a few choices have been repeated by several players - wouldn't be a bad place to start!Quote:
Originally Posted by lenin96
Alright then. I will create a poll. I just hope I can make one that allows a user to choose more than one response. Because really, it is hard to choose the absolute favourite merc. Choosing top 3 is much easier and better.