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

[A Very Super Market]

Heh, don't legionaires count?

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Voted for Archer Spearmen. Great all around unit for taking down HA's as well as melee cavalry. Two of these will take down the Pahlav or Saka early bodyguard if they charge.

I have not played yet as Getai though I'm sure Drapani are awesome.

Hoplitai Haploi are up there as well. Solid line unit, especially for their price. Save your behind early on as both Makedon and Koinon Hellenon.

Heres one no one has talked about though. Iberi Milites. Is it just me or do I find these guys to be among some of the best troops you can buy in the West? They have a strong javilin attack, great stamina, are very fast, and fight really well in melee. I think I'm just partial towards Iberian units.

[Rahwana]

Voted for skirmisher, their numbers alone can mob up your enemy and hold them in place for surprisingly long time...

[satalexton]

the peltastai or the plain ol' akonkistai?

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

Phalangitai Deuteroi are not even "cheap", let alone militia quality infantry. I would say they are line troops, for their cost, number and strenght.

Hoplitai Haploi are decent militia, but they come in too low numbers. Low quality troops necessarily need to absorb a lot of casualties since I leave them for dangerous duties, like soaking arrows, pulling rams or being part of the front line to absorb enemy attacks, and as such the more the better.

Iberi Milites are bar none probably the best militia in the game - flexible, resilient and cheap. They win over Haploi for a small margin.

[Zim]

Fixed.

Phalangites are anvils, not hammers

[godsakes]

Value wise, the casse shortswordsmen are tough to beat

Only cheapo slingers/archers seem to have a lower upkeep - they make cheap garrison troops and decent battle fodder which punch above their weight. Since they're so cheap and easy to replace/retrain you can spam them to overwhelm most of Europe

[A Terribly Harmful Name]

I should add, right now in my Sweboz campaign Jugundiz and Gaezosfulxom Fryod are the best fodder I could ever have.

[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.

[Prussian to the Iron]

archer-spearmen FTW!!!

basically, instead of sitting around when they're in your reserves or deserted flanks, they can provide real archer support, then charge in when needed. they should not be relied on to hold the line against phalanx or elite units, but they can usually hold their own versus most early game units.

[Hooahguy]

i voted for Drapanai. this unit is awesome for low price.
but even such, i didnt recruit them much when i played EB. id rather spend more on better units, since the drapanai rout easily under missile fire.

[Xurr]

i voted for Drapanai. this unit is awesome for low price.
but even such, i didnt recruit them much when i played EB. id rather spend more on better units, since the drapanai rout easily under missile fire.

Yeah, that's why I never use them as line troops. I use Getikoi Stratiotai or Komatai Thorakitai Stratiotai
or lately Boii Cingetos as line troops and Drapanai as cheap assault shock troops. I throw them at phalangitai and watch them rip the unit to pieces.

[Cute Wolf]

I wonder, why there wasn't any men mentioning pantodapoi? No one loves zergling in EB?

[Maion Maroneios]

Pantodapoi are crap Good just for suicidal missions or garrison units.

Maion

[Cute Wolf]

That's why,I ask for anyone that fond of zerging tactics in EB...

[Maion Maroneios]

Indeed

Maion

[Mikhail Mengsk]

You create only one per turn, zergling were produced in couples so they were better than Pantadopoi XD

[Cute Wolf]

Hope EB II comes with multiple slots and near instant - replenishments for the low rank units.... so the zerging tactics become appropriate...

[antisocialmunky]

They were pretty ridiculous once you got 'ling speed and 'ling attack speed and they turned into cracklings. Then they just killed everything and you could combo it with darkswarm to pwn those siege tanks and marine blobs.

[Phalanx300]

I'm getting too young for this.

[Watchman]

Since when are javelineers or archers categorized as infantrymen?

Whenever they weren't sitting on a horse. Duh.

One relatively good one is the Caucasian levy spearmen - they're pretty much just Pantodapoi with different skin and better morale, but dirt cheap and early on in a Hayasdan campaign one is wont to learn how to use them effectively (in tandem with diverse missile troops and FamiCav) to maul those pike stacks the Seleukids keep sending through the passes. Not that I for one didn't replace them with the rather tougher Hai sparabara as soon as the budget allowed, mind you, but scavenger economy is scavenger economy and teaches you to get a good mileage out of the most meager resources.

One option the poll also needs is those el cheapo axemen found from Asia Minor to the Hindu Kush in various versions. Another cheap bunch that sees a lot of use shredding phalanxes.

[Cute Wolf]

Ironic, how ironic...

In EB, we are forced to use "quality over quantity".... so no one loves Zerglings....
If Hoplitai Haploi numbers are raised to 120, maybe the Zerg was KH!

[Phalanx300]

I've noticed that the Germanic levy are 240 units on huge as the Phalangites, perhaps they are the Zerg of the tales of old?

[DaciaJC]

In EB, we are forced to use "quality over quantity"....

Often enough, I find that quantity will beat quality, particularly in the case of cavalry.

[J.R.M]

So germans the ancient zergs, mmmmmm so... Who would be Kerrigan!?
Any Idea?

BTW. Hoplitai Haploi Just 4 more votes to be Number 1!!

[Watchman]

I've noticed that the Germanic levy are 240 units on huge as the Phalangites, perhaps they are the Zerg of the tales of old?

Standard for barb levy spears - compare eg. Lugoae and the Thracian spear militia.

[Mikhail Mengsk]

More important, who's the Ultralisk? And WHERE THE HELL IS MY GRANDFATHER ARCTURUS? XD

[Prussian to the Iron]

am i the only one here who always plays on huge unit settings????