Putting together a Sweboz army?

[zooeyglass]

the sweboz were one of my earliest campaigns, and i found a method that i felt really worked. it's simple, but effective:

spearmen + archers, ratio of about 2:1. the spearmen can really hold their own in most fights, especially if they are paired units. and i mean the toughie spearmen - not the levies. Dugunthiz i believe they are called. and the archers, Skutjanz, just seem to cut through most opposition in the early game.

If you need an added punch, the FMs' bodyguards can really hand it out. So spearmen+archers+FM equals killing maching. Not the most adventurous selection, but it worked very well for me.

[Tollheit]

and the archers, Skutjanz, just seem to cut through most opposition in the early game.

That's because most of the early opposition were Germanic units and therefore had less armour than a naked man. Skutjanz won't perform as well against Neitos etc.
If you must use archers, use some decent Baltic Medjinikos. They have more men, much better range and nearly twice as much ammo, better armour and better morale to boot. I'd still prefer some Iaosatae, though.

Helpful are IMHO (in ascending order of usefulness, pre reform units):

- some kind of Dugundiz, proven spearmen (can hold a line in melee, decent anti-cav unit, versatile)
- Woithiz Watha, Silengian grime fans (fear effect, good morale)
- Korodrougos, Oksywie swordsmen (high lethality, good number of men)
- Xerunoudozez, Germanic swordsmen (high lethality, at least some inkling of armour)
- Sloxonez, clubmen (ap)
- Kirwinikos, Baltic axemen (ap, above average lethality)
- Jugundiz Xathjiska, Chatti youth (ap, cheap as chips)
- Worgozez, those mercenary dudes with wolf pelts and axes (ap, above average lethality, fear effect)
- your FM's bodyguard
- Druxtiz Basterniska, Bastarnae warband (ap, excellent lethality)
- Marslugoi Lugjiskoi, Lugian swordsmen (ap, superb lethality, boosts morale of friendly units)

[Phalanx300]

I like to form a army based on the Sweboz army in the Historical Battle, just remember with the Sweboz that they will die like flies gainst missles.

[Zim]

Well, Rome attacked me after a few turns, despite our alliance. Then ended their war with the Aedui. And, of course, they proceeded to ally against me. I wish I could say it took me by surprise.

I played a defensive game while the Aedui did their version of the Mongol Shuffle from MTW2 (to the Celts" credit, they eventually came after me with some powerful stacks rather than getting stuck on permashuffle). Meanwhile I upgraded my MICs and replaced many of my levies with Dugundiz, the clubmen, and finally some regionals.

Once I became used to the fact that I'd take casualties even with better armies things went pretty well. It was very touch and go for a while with the Romans, watching my armies slowly dwindle from attrition while theirs never seemed to end. However, I managed to get a raiding party into Italy one step ahead of an elite stack of theirs, sacking the entire western coast. I was hoping that raiding party would manage to make it home, but that elite stack has them cornered in Sicily and they're pretty weak now...

Managed to take and hold Patavium long enough for it to rebel to the Aedui. As soon as I take one more Roman settlement north of the Alps they won't have a route to attack me any more and I can focus on the Celts, which I should be able to beat.

Units that proved to be staples:
-Dugundiz and their sword wielding counterparts.
-Belgae spearmen, largely for being available from a level 2 regional MIC.
-Clubmen
-Baltic regionals, especially the axemen.
-Not so much a staple but used a couple times to great effect: Those Celtic spearmen that are basically weaker Gaesaetae.
-A single unit of those fellows that wear the wolf pelts, that slowly dwindled but refused to die.

Thanks for all the help. When I get an army or two retrained I'll try to post them.

[Olaf Blackeyes]

Clubmen are useful cuz they beat the **** outta the heavily armored Roman late units.