why did this happen?

[ludwag]

how did they get gold ranks? I can not be their temple, becouse I had just sacked that city and destroyed all the buildings. Thats how they spawned

[Foot]

when rebel units spawn they are given upgrades automatically. Thats how that happened.

Foot

[ludwag]

when rebel units spawn they are given upgrades automatically. Thats how that happened.

Foot

I have seen rebels spawn many times. But why did these get gold chevrons?

[Foot]

I have seen rebels spawn many times. But why did these get gold chevrons?

Its random.

Foot

[Aemilius Paulus]

I have seen rebels spawn many times. But why did these get gold chevrons?

Because it is 1: random scripting and/or 2: look at the governor's building and the regional MIC. They all give experience bonus to Apeleutheroi. That was made to encourage the AI to build regional MICs even when it does not enable any new units.

EDIT: Wait, is it really all random as Foot says? I though the city size and MIC level had some influence.

[duncan.gill]

I have fought an army of similar composition in Arabia - they are absolutely devastating. I would strongly suggest NOT sending heavy infantry against them as you will be chopped to bits in melee. Using missle units or phalanxes is the only way to go as they stop them from being able to get in close.

[Aemilius Paulus]

I have fought an army of similar composition in Arabia - they are absolutely devastating. I would strongly suggest NOT sending heavy infantry against them as you will be chopped to bits in melee. Using missle units or phalanxes is the only way to go as they stop them from being able to get in close.

Thanks! That's just what I wanted to know!

[bovi]

I have fought an army of similar composition in Arabia - they are absolutely devastating. I would strongly suggest NOT sending heavy infantry against them as you will be chopped to bits in melee. Using missle units or phalanxes is the only way to go as they stop them from being able to get in close.

Perhaps you fought them in 1.0 before their nerfing. They were given a 0.9 lethality by mistake, probably intended value was 0.09 (an increase from their initial 0.04).

Yeah, but have you fought the two gold-chevron Apeleutheroi? There is a big difference, or at least in my opinion. Although their melee lethality is low, think of those AP rocks they throw. With two gold chevrons, those rocks can have an AP attack of as high as 9 (with two gold chevrons), and with a high ammo (for a missile thrown before charge) of 8. That AP attack, btw is going to take off 50% of your unit's armour. Think sligers and then about three/four times worse.

Actually my testing of slingers show that unit experience does not make any significant difference to missiles. By giving them 3 levels of weapon upgrades they became utterly devastating (about 60% more kills), but 9 levels of experience didn't make any perceivable difference to a non-experienced unit, at best it was a 4% increase in kills.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Holy Crap! Have fun destroying that force!!!

EDIT: Who are you playing as?

[bovi]

It's easy. They've got lousy lethality.

[Aemilius Paulus]

It's easy. They've got lousy lethality.

I don't know. If the freed Slaves truly have two gold chevrons, as it seems to me, than they are going to be some pain, especially with those AP rocks that they throw. The base attack may be low, but with the upgrades... I've heard people saying that one gold chevron Apeleutheroi are pretty devastating, but the worst I've fought were one silver chevron slaves, which I easily slaughtered with unupgraded Akontistai & Pantodapoi. Who knows? However you're right in some degree as 0.06 lethality is pretty bad.

[Cbvani]

I don't know. If the freed Slaves truly have two gold chevrons, as it seems to me, than they are going to be some pain, especially with those AP rocks that they throw. The base attack may be low, but with the upgrades... I've heard people saying that one gold chevron Apeleutheroi are pretty devastating, but the worst I've fought were one silver chevron slaves, which I easily slaughtered with unupgraded Akontistai & Pantodapoi. Who knows? However you're right in some degree as 0.06 lethality is pretty bad.

Their lethality is laughable. Just about any dedicated infantry can do it, and they are extremely weak against arrows. I like fighting slaves because they are easy experience.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Their lethality is laughable. Just about any dedicated infantry can do it, and they are extremely weak against arrows. I like fighting slaves because they are easy experience.

Is it? All right, I'll take your word for it. However, have you ever fought 2 gold chevron Apeleutheroi? I myself never did but I remember reading in some AAR that fighting 2 gold chevron Freed Slaves was pretty difficult. But who knows, maybe that person was wrong.

[IrishHitman]

I don't know. If the freed Slaves truly have two gold chevrons, as it seems to me, than they are going to be some pain, especially with those AP rocks that they throw. The base attack may be low, but with the upgrades... I've heard people saying that one gold chevron Apeleutheroi are pretty devastating, but the worst I've fought were one silver chevron slaves, which I easily slaughtered with unupgraded Akontistai & Pantodapoi. Who knows? However you're right in some degree as 0.06 lethality is pretty bad.

Roll them with Cav....

[The_Brittunculi]

Freed slaves are the #1 funnest unit to kill in the game IMO. They rout so easily and can't hurt a fly - a unit of some chariots could rout and destroy a unit of gold chevron freed slaves in VH difficulty, at least in my experience.

Have fun killing them all.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Freed slaves are the #1 funnest unit to kill in the game IMO. They rout so easily and can't hurt a fly

Yeah, but have you fought the two gold-chevron Apeleutheroi? There is a big difference, or at least in my opinion. Although their melee lethality is low, think of those AP rocks they throw. With two gold chevrons, those rocks can have an AP attack of as high as 9 (with two gold chevrons), and with a high ammo (for a missile thrown before charge) of 8. That AP attack, btw is going to take off 50% of your unit's armour. Think sligers and then about three/four times worse.

[^RaGe^]

...

I've fought quite a few apaleutheroi with gold chevrons and they fall like flies. Even light cavarly can beat them.

[Celtic_Punk]

You guys are forgetting unit sizes play a huge role in all this. cavalry can be butchered by skirmish units on huge unitsizes because they get bogged down and totally outnumbered. this is the slaves' only advantage... 200 men vs 100 cavalry? 2-1 = ouch time.

think of agincourt only instead of mud, slaves.

[IrishHitman]

You guys are forgetting unit sizes play a huge role in all this. cavalry can be butchered by skirmish units on huge unitsizes because they get bogged down and totally outnumbered. this is the slaves' only advantage... 200 men vs 100 cavalry? 2-1 = ouch time.

think of agincourt only instead of mud, slaves.

Use Norman battle pulses and wide formations.
Charge, small melee, retreat, repeat.

You'll have the poor bastards running in no time from casualties and morale.