Surprisingly good units

[Hax]

I have used Illyrian cavalry a lot in my special Galatian army.

[QuintusSertorius]

I have used Illyrian cavalry a lot in my special Galatian army.

Not Curepos? They're almost as effective, given they've got the same lances, though no axes. Better armour, though.

[Satyros]

Skuda Tabari : they're cheap , have axes , and look grim which is always a cool thing.

Well the same goes for half the Sweboz roster , or is it the forest that makes me feel so ?

Grim frostbitten kingdoms . Ah....

Satyros

[Tollheit]

I had a go with vanilla RTW yesterday, just to see how it did. I gave up when my Mercenary Peltasts Threew over 15 Javs, and still had more to throw.

Now, that's not fair to vanilla.
Vanilla peltasts have 6 Javelins each, exactly the same amount as EB 1.1 peltasts!
You probably had most of the peltasts out of range, or the enemy moved out of range => animation triggered, but few or no javelins were thrown with some animations.
Same with big buildings between ranged attackers and target.

[VladiNemir]

Peltastai !!!Killers,10/10,they're a nightmare when you're attacking walls and through out the fight on the walls,they have awesome stamina and wear out even the most elite units as hypaspistai or basilikon agema while staying winded and even fresh ..i couldn't believe my eyes(of course i choped them to pieces,but they took down 25-30 of mine and it lasted like for eons-amazing really).Playing with Hellenistic civ., they're simply a must have.

[Theodotos I]

Maure Infantry: Much like Peltastai, but with a long sword. They will chop through every other skirmisher out there, including everything Lusotannan has to offer. Very neat stuff.

[Roka]

The rorarii might be discarded as crappy garrison units, but think again! The huge stack of javelins gives these guy an advantage to similar units, and because of the close formation, they can actually hold down enemies while you send in the flankers. Before the polybian reforms, the rorarii is great!

i agree completely, i used them at first as a reserve in the battle for Taras in my current Romani campaign and they won the day

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

Illyrioi Hippeis



I've used them as Auxiliaries while in my Iberian Campaign, and they are excellent Light Cavalry. A very useful auxiliary addition.

[strategos roma]

Cretan archers, they're probably the best archers in the game. Dahae riders,they cost a great deal of damage when I was playing as AS. Oh, and indo-iranian light horse. Way better than anything else in their region. Also loved the iberian light infantry, solid, reliable and cheap. Once used an army of them to crush a roman legion.

[Dumbass]

Those armoured bosphorian archers are pretty damned good. Very long range and can also act as light infantry. If you want dirt cheap brilliant archers, then those skuda guys in the steppes with red coats are the best.

[Tollheit]

Cretan archers, they're probably the best archers in the game.

Seriously, these guys outrange every other archer (except for Saka foot archers, who have lower ammo), and excel in every other discipline, to boot.
Given Xenophon's account, I would have expected a somewhat more mediocre range.

Another great archer is the Baltic Medininkas. While no match for true elite archers, he is miles above his Germanic and Celtic neighbours.

[machinor]

I like the Eastern Axemen a lot; use them quite frequently in my current Baktrian Campaign. Quite cheap and superb flankers with high stamina, javelins and axes!! And on top of that they look awsomely fierce. :D

[Rodrico Stak]

I think some of these have been mentioned before, but there's no harm in mentioning them again:


Hoplitai Haploi (Greek Levy Hoplites): These guys are great. I couldn't have done nearly so well in my Romani campaign without having them to garrison my Greek conquests (since Romans cannot be recruited there until the Marian reforms). Its especially good that they're solid fighters too, and with the phalanx mod they're even better.


Toxotai Kretikoi (Cretan Archers): 3 units of the mercenary version of these guys killed off all of the Epirote light units in a large battle I had with them as the Romani. I originally hired them thinking that they'd be just a bit better than the Toxotai I was fielding before, but their usefulness surprised me.


Milnaht (Belgae Swordsmen): Once I got access to them as the Casse I used them as regular heavy infantry. However when they defeated an entire unit of Lugoae without taking a single casualty I realized just how good they were. (Ironically they then took 1 casualty when my archers fired at the routing Lugoae )

[Dutchhoplite]

These guys were the backbone of the Seleucid armies that finally crushed the Pahlava
Not very special seperate but quite strong when put together ;)

[Thermal]

ive not played a great deal of factions on it yet, but the levy-phangolists (or however you spell it!)
are tough, they can take a lot of punishment 4 levies and are cheap, longs there flanks covered of course, talking about tough them mad naked fanatics are near invincible, also i find the samnite spearmen are handy to, again tough units, easily able to deplete any beginner units, and there also cheap

[gamegeek2]

Yeah, all the greek units that cost around 1300 are excellent. I have to agree with the Keltohellenikoi Hoplitai pick for #1.

Also, I couldn't get an image, but the Cordinau Orca. Even though they're expensive, they're a great deal, and barely ever lose ANY fight with infantry or non-charging cavalry.

- Are a double-duty weapon against the Parthians and their nomadic buddies. Kill the horse archers both in melee and at range. Like their standard Persian Archer counterparts, great with levy phalanx.

- The Cretans' armoured Eastern counterpart. Just great all-around guys in your army, and, if moved to the east to fight the nomads, are simply AMAZING.

- Cost-efficient Greek dudes who can take javelins and throw them right back. They beat most everything that costs the same (except hoplites) and are just great utility guys to have around, even when you have Thorakitai.

- Just as cost-efficient as its lighter counterpart, it takes on most things its cost and wins handily. Also virtually impervious to most missiles from the front.

- Yeah. Available as an excellent mercenary and as cheap but highly effective multi-purpose cavalry around the Pontic steppe north of the Black sea and to the west in Skythia Minor.

[Ravenfeeder]

Ok so no precursor missile and lousy defence, but they are cheap and there's lots of them. Once pinned to the front by the Chalk Spiders these guys absolutely mince KH bodyguards and Spartans - that armour piercing axe is great!

[machinor]

Yeah, gotta love Eastern infantry. Die like flies but are cheap and come in nice big formations and with a handy armor-pierching axe. Eastern Axemen are even better because of their javelins.

[Codyos Vladimiros]

Yeah, gotta love Eastern infantry. Die like flies but are cheap and come in nice big formations and with a handy armor-pierching axe. Eastern Axemen are even better because of their javelins.

They really remind me of the Ghazi infantry of MTW1. I use them the same way, mostly as flankers. They're like antimatter-they annihilate both themselves and the enemy forces.

[machinor]

Hahaha! Great comparison! :D Yeah it's true, now that you mention it, they really are similar to Ghazi infantry.

[strategos roma]

Thessalian heavy horse are good if you can't get heavy calvary yourself.

Southern gallic swordsman are cost-efficient and are quite steady.

Curepos are great foe chasing down routers but don't use them for melee.

Caucasian spearman are cheap but steady. Crushed Pontos with these.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Thessalian heavy horse are good if you can't get heavy calvary yourself.

Thessalians are superb.

[NickTheGreek]

Yeah I'll third the Thessalians they are excellent. Even when i could recruit Hetairoi i still used Thessalians in abundance

[teh1337tim]

haa same, usually i use them on my left with thraiken light calv /prodimo and my hetairoi/lonchrophia at the right flank with my FM or general.
left attack there flank or calv while my hetairoi and loncho will strike at there calv/fm then roll up the lin and smash theM!!!

hetairoi to break formation and kill then loncho right after to break again and kill but also go in melee (they have an aspis and kopis!!!) and rest my hetaroi then rinse and repeat up the line !!=insta win

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

haa same, usually i use them on my left with thraiken light calv /prodimo and my hetairoi/lonchrophia at the right flank with my FM or general.
left attack there flank or calv while my hetairoi and loncho will strike at there calv/fm then roll up the lin and smash theM!!!

hetairoi to break formation and kill then loncho right after to break again and kill but also go in melee (they have an aspis and kopis!!!) and rest my hetaroi then rinse and repeat up the line !!=insta win

Hetairoi, Thessalians and Lonchophoroi all have an AP-Kopis as secondary weapon, as opposed to Prodromoi.

[teh1337tim]

i know that :P hence i said aspis and kopis!! shield n sword = insta melee calv!!! xD

[Celtic_Punk]

Cladaca (Goidilic Light Infantry)-
When I did my Casse Migration to Northern Ireland (my place of birth WOO!) These were pretty much my vanguard. They'll hold their own against pretty much anything the isles can throw at you. I didn't get to fight much of other cultures before the savefile was corrupted but i was very impressed. They are good skirmishers like most celt units and with their swords they are more than capable in close combat.


Ordmalica (Goidilic Shock Infantry)-
When Mark Hamil said to Jason Mewes in Jay n Silent Bob Strike back "don't fuck with the jedi master, son" I'm pretty sure he meant these guys. They will mess you up. Two handed axes are not something you wanna screw around with, they will chew a hole through the enemy's battleline like a hungry wolf in a room full of chickens.


Balroae (Caledonian Skirmishers)-
There's nothing a vicious Scotsman hyped up on amphetamines and hammered like your uncle can't do. Even though their primarily skirmishers, dont let that discourage you from letting them at the Romans legions. There was a reason Rome never went to Scotland. They scared them so much they built a wall and we're more than content at letting us Gaels kill ourselves then to be eaten alive by drunken naked Irishmen.


Peltastai (Hellenic Heavy Skirmishers)-
If your phalanx (classical or Makedonian) is failing, you need to plug a hole, or you just want to utterly crush the enemy with a decisive flanking manoeuvre, these guys are the men for the job. Making critical flanks are in their job description.(literally) they however are not supposed to hold the line. but they can! I have been well aquainted with fighting in cities, and when im forcing my way to the square, there are two units i cannot do without- Classical Hoplites and Peltastai. While i cycle my Hoplites out of the fight to rest, someone needs to take up the fight, and these guys can hold the line long enough for my men to rest up and cycle back in. dependable and cheap unit!


Somatophylakes Strategou (Baktrian Early Bodyguard)-
Yes yes yes, this is a SURPRISINGLY good units thread, but I've never been so impressed by a bodyguard unit. Even the Spartan bodyguards can falter. But these guys have never failed me. and if they do break, at least the enemy regrets engaging them. I have no problem racking up 350+ kills without losing more than 20! They suck up Persian arrows like a fatkid on cake, and come back out the otherside with the heads of them to prove it! If there's one thing I know... It's a bad day to be a Persian!

Thats the best of the cheap that have surprised me.
The best units I've encountered come from the Isles. and haven't even used their entire roster! the Goillic Cavalry is also a force to be reckoned with.

[Che Roriniho]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Cladaca (Goidilic Light Infantry)-
When I did my Casse Migration to Northern Ireland (my place of birth WOO!) These were pretty much my vanguard. They'll hold their own against pretty much anything the isles can throw at you. I didn't get to fight much of other cultures before the savefile was corrupted but i was very impressed. They are good skirmishers like most celt units and with their swords they are more than capable in close combat.


Ordmalica (Goidilic Shock Infantry)-
When Mark Hamil said to Jason Mewes in Jay n Silent Bob Strike back "don't fuck with the jedi master, son" I'm pretty sure he meant these guys. They will mess you up. Two handed axes are not something you wanna screw around with, they will chew a hole through the enemy's battleline like a hungry wolf in a room full of chickens.


Balroae (Caledonian Skirmishers)-
There's nothing a vicious Scotsman hyped up on amphetamines and hammered like your uncle can't do. Even though their primarily skirmishers, dont let that discourage you from letting them at the Romans legions. There was a reason Rome never went to Scotland. They scared them so much they built a wall and we're more than content at letting us Gaels kill ourselves then to be eaten alive by drunken naked Irishmen.


Peltastai (Hellenic Heavy Skirmishers)-
If your phalanx (classical or Makedonian) is failing, you need to plug a hole, or you just want to utterly crush the enemy with a decisive flanking manoeuvre, these guys are the men for the job. Making critical flanks are in their job description.(literally) they however are not supposed to hold the line. but they can! I have been well aquainted with fighting in cities, and when im forcing my way to the square, there are two units i cannot do without- Classical Hoplites and Peltastai. While i cycle my Hoplites out of the fight to rest, someone needs to take up the fight, and these guys can hold the line long enough for my men to rest up and cycle back in. dependable and cheap unit!


Somatophylakes Strategou (Baktrian Early Bodyguard)-
Yes yes yes, this is a SURPRISINGLY good units thread, but I've never been so impressed by a bodyguard unit. Even the Spartan bodyguards can falter. But these guys have never failed me. and if they do break, at least the enemy regrets engaging them. I have no problem racking up 350+ kills without losing more than 20! They suck up Persian arrows like a fatkid on cake, and come back out the otherside with the heads of them to prove it! If there's one thing I know... It's a bad day to be a Persian!

Thats the best of the cheap that have surprised me.
The best units I've encountered come from the Isles. and haven't even used their entire roster! the Goillic Cavalry is also a force to be reckoned with.

Jesus. Goes to show how much I need to play as Casse at some point, and possibly how much a Goidilic faction in EBII (hint, hint)

[Celtic_Punk]

throw em in the Roman checkerboard formation and your unstoppable! lmao

[SwissBarbar]

Machimoi (Native Egyptian Infantry)






These Units did really surprise me. I play with Carthage and try to conquer the Ptolemies. The Machimois are besides the Toxotai, Akontistai and the Native Hellenic Spearmen the only units i can build there at the moment.

I really am surprised how they can stand their ground defending a city when supported by city-towers, even against heavy enemy forces and when outnumberd.