Favorite troop type

[Kromulan]

Another thread extolls the virtues of the Pedites Extra(somethingsomething), so I thought this would be a cool time to dust off one of those old threads where everybody puts in their plug for the baddest, bestest, coolest. . .

My personal favorite is the Drapanai. Yes, they're vulnerable to missiles, have no shield, but there's nothing in the game they can't kill and they're cheap to build and maintain.
My favorite elite is the Rhom... Thracian Elite falxmen dudes. Just as prolific on offense as the Draps, but with armor. BOOYA!

Fire away, folks!

[Siruso]

I've gotta be the first to say it: Nizagan-i Eranshahr (Persian Archer-Spearmen)

A very flexible unit, especially for garrison duty and life-savers in many early campaigns.

I love using them against HA armies because I can kill many with arrows, and if they charge I'm semi-protected with spears.

[Hax]

Hetairoi. Nothing like seeing the elite array of 600 men strong cutting through those damned Pahlav steppe barbarians.

No offense, Persian Cataphract! =D

[Korlon]

Cataphract horse archers. The best equivalent to a tank in the ancient world, complete with missiles and ability to run down infantry of all types.

No missiles short of siege weapons can harm this unit. Infantry do only mediocre against these. In a charge, these things can destroy everything they touch.

Also, they tend to be very nice looking!

[Hax]

Korlon.

Guess what?

...

Argyraspidai! Yeah!

[Korlon]

Yes, but against the computer, that hardly matters. Just smash them in the back of one unit with all your might. Repeat for every other unit in the stack.

[Hax]

Mwah yes, though I would like to see them pitted out in an online match. Argyraspides, Hellenikoi Kataphraktoi, Hetairoi etc vs the elite of the Parthian armies.

[Korlon]

I'm just hoping the other player doesn't set up the Phalanx Box.

[woad&fangs]

Persian Archer-Spearmen are the best pound for pound fighters in EB.

I also have a soft spot in my heart for Massilian Hoplites. They can be used as either veteran hoplites or as shock infantry and they excel at both.

The Saka Raukan bodyguards also deserve a mention. Besides being the EB equivalent of a Panzer they look like some bizarre combination of pirate/ hell's angel/ 80s Rock star/ mongol.

[Fish-got-a-Sniper]

For me, I'd have to say the KH generals hoplite units (not the Spartan ones). I've used these guys with great success and they can take down almost any foe 1v1. I've taken entire towns with just one or two of them and they are cheap to because you get them for free and they regenerate as long as the general doesn't die.

[Kromulan]

Yes, the KH general bodyguards are tough, but I've beaten them 1v1 with Drapanai. Sure, the Drapanai had numbers (80 vs 55? (45?)), but this is my bulk infantry vs FM bodyguards. Bodyguards should mop the floor with a bunch of unarmored (non-chemically altered) dudes, no matter how crazy they are.

This was in campaign, vs AI, so that may go a long way to explaining their poor performance. . .
Battle on M, so nobody got any crazy bonuses.

[Dhampir]

I hate to say it...but...Spartan Hoplites.

[Irishmafia2020]

Sabyn family body guard, Baktrian Hippies, Cretan archers.... I just wish I could put them all into the same army....

[Romano-Dacis]

Theoretically I like the Drapanai, but practically, I love the Ktistai, allow me to explain: the Drapanai are cool, and it's quite fun to slaughter just about anything armored with them (those decadent fools), but in my campaigns the Drapanai get slowly worn down to half-strength units, while my Ktistai always seem to build up in 5 or 6 battles to silver or gold-chevron units without losing a single man. As such, they become an invaluable force to me, and allow me to win a battle before it is even fought.

Basically, I love the Drapanai when smacking around polis-dwellers, but nothing is more fun than gunning down Germano-Celtic simpletons with my Ktistai. Due to the fact that they have no armor, I can take down 5 or 10 units per volley (on medium size).

[Olaf The Great]

Heavy Cavalry-Saka Cataphracts, they have 44 charge, can be recruited anywhere, have 30+armor, armor piercing mining picks, my favorite eastern unit
Light InfantryTHoplitai Haploi, they seem to have this "charm" they really makes me use them more than I should, plus for a levy 14 attack and 18 defence for a 40 man unit for 202 minai.
Shock infantry
While the elite falxmen and Indian guildmen are indeed great, I have have the best expierence with Casse Swordmasters, on normal size I got 150 kills to 10 casualties, for one unit of them.
Medium Infantry Teceitos, as they're the only half decent line unit for the casse until conquering gaul and getting keltohellenes.. And of course Persian hoplites, these guys are awesome for similar reasons to Haploi, except better and they have faced shields and a longsword.
Heavy Infantry Dubatoscarello, Dosidataskelli and Agemata Basilikon, a mix between a hoplite, a celtic footman, and a cataphract, nuff said.
Light CavalryThis is a hard one as there are alot of goodies...I'd have to say Leuce Epos, as they're readily available and the AOR skin is awesome.

[PershsNhpios]

Ranged: Bosporan Archers.. My most treasured ally unit when I was the Getai, well protected against ranged units themselves, they have good equipment and are also competent flankers.
Perfect for being placed behind the Getic phalanxes.

Light Infantry: Hastati. The only Roman foot I have ever recruited, due to my constant barbarian status.
But they are perhaps the heaviest light infantry in the Western world, and certainly can match many foreigners in a level fight.

Heavy Infantry: Solduros. Following my very recent conquest of Italy as the Arverni - I have great respect for these units.
When the campaign began, I had 404 Solduros and approximately 3000 Bataroas.
Though they killed over 10000 Romans, there were a couple a battles where the army was assaulted on two sides - especially in the fight for Capua, and although the Solduros were always in the thick of the battles, against Extraordinarii - yet at the end of the war there were 1300 Bataroas and 401 Solduros. Amazing.

Skirmisher: Peltastai, of course, they can be worth far more than Hoplites or any Heavy Infantry - and always appear as mercenaries in my depleted campaigning armies.

Light Cavalry: Gallic Light Horse. In general, Leuce Epos, and their cousins - they are my most valued horse in all campaigns, serving as brilliant flankers - and surviving large engagements well enough to slaughter all enemies in the pursuit.

Heavy Cavalry: Keep in mind, these are only units I have experience in using - I won't name Kinsmen cavalry because I have never used them - although they are devastating.
My favoured heavy cavalry are, when I can afford them, most often Prodromoi - available as mercenaries - and very flexable.
They can charge brilliantly, and also very often win out in cavalry skirmishes, especially over Thessalian cavalry.

[Ibrahim]

if there is one unit I like, it would have to be the most unlikely: the Hastati.
cheap, not very powerful, why would anyone like them? well, they make good front liners actually, and can wear the heck out of the enemy. if it weren't for them, I wouldn't win battles in the romani campaign.
I also love anything with a 2 handed lance

[fenix3279]

Neitos work wonders for me. I never field an army without buying several of these guys first. Not too expensive, reliable, effective, and just plain cool looking. Milnaht work well too.

[QuintusSertorius]

Ranged: Balearic Slingers
Skirmisher: Thrakian Peltastai
Light Infantry: Hastati
Heavy Infantry: pedites extraordinarii
Missile Cavalry: Campanian equites

[Cambyses]

Well, including value for money I would go with.

Ranged: persian archer spearmen
skirmishers: Thracian peltasts
light infantry: lusotannan light spearmen guys. So cheap, plus 6 javs and good stats mean they can take on everything in their class (and in woods virtually everything in the game) and have a good chance of winning.
heavy infantry offense: pedtes ex
heavy infantry defence: silver shields
Heavy infantry, money no object: those freaky Basque monsters
missile cav: dahae riders (value for money)
light cav: numidians
medium cav: Bactrian med cav
heavy cav: none of these are good value for money
artillery: elephants...
ships: covered liburnes or rhodian triremes.

[Romano-Dacis]

Ranged: Bosporan Archers.. My most treasured ally unit when I was the Getai, well protected against ranged units themselves, they have good equipment and are also competent flankers.
Perfect for being placed behind the Getic phalanxes.

Could not agree more with this. Their ranged attack is also really powerful.

[Hax]

Nobody mentioned the Toxotai Syriakoi yet? I love them.

[Midnj]

I really like the recruitable Bruttian infantry. It gives non-Roman factions access to dependable line infantry at the same very low maintenance cost as the Polybian Roman legionaries. Whenever possible they fill my ranks as my main line infantry.

Plus they look pretty cool too.

[Mecha Pope]

First post!

Heavy Cavalry- Parthian Late Elite Cataphracts. In my recently completed Palhalv campain, no unit has pulled through for me so reliably. On large unit sizes, I've seen a single unit of these guys finish the battle with 150+ kills. When I was ambushed by a supierior Selucid force, my two units of Grivpanvar are virtualy all that kept my force together and earned me that Heroic victory; my precious gold chevroned horse archers were useless.

Light Cavalry- Another vote for the gallic light horsemen.

Light infantry- Eastern Axemen and their many varients. Combined with catas, elephants, and horse archers, they allowed me to decimate the selucid elite phalanxes that came my way.

Heavy Infantry- African Elite Pikemen, cheap to maintain and effective, I've taken whole (rebel) towns with just one unit of these and four units of numidian archers for support

archers- parthian horse archers

shock- elephants

[The Celtic Viking]

Light infantry: Galatikoi Kluddolon/Bagaudas. It's more their style I'm in love with than any particular skill. I get these guys whenever I can.

Heavy infantry: Solduros/Arjos. See Glenn's post.

Light Cavalry: Leuce Epos.

Heavy Cavalry: I don't have too much experience with horses at all, but even less with heavy cav - but FWIW I say Brihentin.

Ranged: "Carlsberg don't do slingers, but if they did, it would probably be the Iaosatae".

Skirmishers: Arabian Light Infantry. Fell in love with them in my Sab'yn campaign.

What? Me, biased? Never!

[Ayce]

Ranged: "Carlsberg don't do slingers, but if they did, it would probably be the Iaosatae".

[Torvus]

Heavy Infantry - Spartan Hoplites
Heavy Cavalry - Kataphraktoi Hetairoi
Line Infantry - Reformed Pezhetairoi
Ranged - any form of horse archer. though i play almost exclusively Hellenistic factions, i love HA's and include them in all my stacks.

[Parallel Pain]

The cheapest horse archer with a lance. You can conquer the world with nothing but these (though you can't keep the world, that's the job of skirmishers).

[penguinking]

Slingers. You can't go wrong with hordes of slingers pelting the enemy.

[fenix3279]

Light infantry: Galatikoi Kluddolon/Bagaudas. It's more their style I'm in love with than any particular skill. I get these guys whenever I can.

Heavy infantry: Solduros/Arjos. See Glenn's post.

Light Cavalry: Leuce Epos.

Heavy Cavalry: I don't have too much experience with horses at all, but even less with heavy cav - but FWIW I say Brihentin.

Ranged: "Carlsberg don't do slingers, but if they did, it would probably be the Iaosatae".

Skirmishers: Arabian Light Infantry. Fell in love with them in my Sab'yn campaign.

What? Me, biased? Never!

Sweet! Another celt lover