Pool: The best "cheap infantrymen" for staple...

[Cute Wolf]

I mean, what's the best of the "crappy class" infantry that you find the best to put in use as massive staple of your Imperial army?

Giving their wide acess, and cost-upkeep comparison... with their performance...

Need the EB-ers opinion....

Cute Wolf

(nb: Please wait for the pools to be shown)

[NickTheGreek]

Hastati - cheap as you like and don't break easily. I suppose they fall under shortswordsmen so I'll go with that. Although Hoplitai provide a good rock around which to base things...

[Skullheadhq]

Haploi, I destroyed Makedonia and Epeiros with just Haploi and Akontistai

[mountaingoat]

drap ftw , though why you do you not have daoi on there?

[tls5669]

Some of those cheap axemen are great staple troops.

[Ibrahim]

the najraanis*-they count as crazy levy, along with the drapanai.

*"red sea" axmen.

[Phalanx300]

Of that list the Phalangitai Deuteroi are probably the best unit classified as levies.

It would depend on your faction, as the Koinen Hellenon the Hoplitai Haploi are a live saver for their quality and money. The Phalangitai Deuteroi as Makedonia are very strong units but then again also have a much higher cost. These units probably followed by the Germanic Levies, they seem to be a somewhat good levy unit as well seeing that had to be worthy of their freedom and were in war since childhood.

[Cute Wolf]

Although personally still thinks the archer -spearmen class is the best in term of numbers compared to the cost and effectiveness (Persian archer spearmen is terribly damn cheap but still good so they do worth their lives as bulk of my lines to absorb (and reply) any prolonged missile battle that I do when mowing down Seleukid and Pahlavans. ), I was surprised that no one mention Pantodapoi... I remember someone says them as surprisingly good unit... but at least, no one loves meatshielding much I guess...

And about what I told about "crazy levies" yes... that was "levy class" troops that best deployed against much better units.. because they have terribly effective attack... ultra high morale.... or (OMFG what did they do to my Hypaspistai?!?) such as drapanai and Red sea axemen (they pwnd one of my Saka FM!)...

[Andy1984]

I agree with you on the pantodapoi. They're quite cost effective when playing in the early seleucid campaign. But I particularly dislike the persian archer spearmen, preferring the persian archer instead. At least they have fast moving + good stamina, which seems more important to me than actual combat stats. (I mean, I don't like to trust persian archer spearmen not go get routed by even the lowest and most depleted of all enemy cavalry-units.)

kind regards,

Andy

[Cute Wolf]

I agree with you on the pantodapoi. They're quite cost effective when playing in the early seleucid campaign. But I particularly dislike the persian archer spearmen, preferring the persian archer instead. At least they have fast moving + good stamina, which seems more important to me than actual combat stats. (I mean, I don't like to trust persian archer spearmen not go get routed by even the lowest and most depleted of all enemy cavalry-units.)

kind regards,

Andy

Well, you should try Baktrian campaign, and see, what the Saka and Pahlavans sent to you.... a full stack of HA's..... at least when I was the saka myself, I was able to charge Thanvare Payahdag with my worst HA's head on easily, and that safe my ammo greatly... but Nizagan-i Eranshar will give a headache because their spears will ensure my HA's to be poked to the death. Against those grey death infantrymen, they also still had a chance, actually a big chance to stab the depleted survivors of pantodapoi, try to reach them... but Those thanvare payahdag can't hold better. They also had 25 mnai more on upkeep... something that you'll think about when you goes nuts and keep 14 units of them in one army (the rest is cav...)

[DaciaJC]

I mean, what's the best of the "crappy class" infantry that you find the best to put in use as massive staple of your Imperial army?

Giving their wide acess, and cost-upkeep comparison... with their performance...

Need the EB-ers opinion....

Drapanai are definitely not "crappy". Their cost/upkeep may give the impression of a mere levy unit, but I count them as among the highest-tier units in the Getic roster (and in the whole game, even).

[athanaric]

Drapanai are definitely not "crappy". Their cost/upkeep may give the impression of a mere levy unit, but I count them as among the highest-tier units in the Getic roster (and in the whole game, even).

Quite true. They have twice the morale of most levy units, plus they are surely not meant to be as numerous as the Komatai skirmishers (whom I wouldn't place in the same category as Akontistai btw.).

[Cute Wolf]

so that's why i had "crazy levy" type.... levies that supposed to surpass elite units

[Allhopeforhumanity]

Recently I started a campaign with the casse, and I have to say that their cheap Shortswordsmen are amazing for how little they cost. Sure they get tore up by any sort of concentrated missile fire, but the sheer number of them you can field more than makes up for their vulnerabilities. And if you happen to get a few squads behind their line, their javelins are just plain devastating.

[satalexton]

peltastai, multi-roled. also serve as decent settlement stormers/manspam.

[Xurr]

Drapanai all the way. These guys can stand toe to toe with just about anything and not break. Heck I've had them fight until there was only 2 guys left in the unit and still not break. They also tend to cause more casualties than they take. Their only real weakness is from missile troops, to which they die in droves.

[DaciaJC]

Drapanai all the way. These guys can stand toe to toe with just about anything and not break. Heck I've had them fight until there was only 2 guys left in the unit and still not break. They also tend to cause more casualties than they take. Their only real weakness is from missile troops, to which they die in droves.

Yup. If managed correctly, Drapanai can easily kill 4 or 5 enemies for every one of their losses, on average. The opposite would be true if they face missile troops, though.

[antisocialmunky]

They are one of hte few troops that Toxotai work against... Which is kinda sad if you think about it.