The Sweboz

[athanaric]

One other thing...the Jugunthiz are really underated...how many spears do they throw? Is it three or four?

Six.

The Woithiz Watha (the Germanic Naked Fanatics) have four javelins, by the way. A little bit unexpected, but it makes them even better as flankers. The cheaper (and weaker, but more practical) Celtic variant has three javelins.

The truly amazingly good low-tier skirmishers in EB are Komatai and Bnei Shevet 'Arabim (Arabian Light Infantry), both of which have 11 morale.

Yes, but the Komatai don't have spears. They should be very good against enemy skirmishers, however (what with sword and decent shield - and some rudimentay armour). The Jugundiz and Komatai both have better shields (3) than the Arabians or most other skirmishers.

[WinsingtonIII]

Yes, but the Komatai don't have spears. They should be very good against enemy skirmishers, however (what with sword and decent shield - and some rudimentay armour). The Jugundiz and Komatai both have better shields (3) than the Arabians or most other skirmishers.

Both valid points, but I think it's undeniable that both are better than Jungundiz. The only caveat being that Komatai aren't as good against cavalry because they don't carry spears. Jungundiz are certainly a surprisingly good unit, but I would not rank them as worthy of being deemed one of the best skirmishers in EB (like Komatai or Arabians), that's all I'm saying.

[athanaric]

That certainly seems reasonable, moreso if availability for other factions is considered (everyone can recruit the Arab guys at tier 1).
In fact, the Jugundiz are almost identical to Immanae (who are sort of generic Barbarian skirmishers), with the only difference being a better shield and IIRC a somewhat less clumsy spacing. The Balroae might fit into this category as well, having better morale but a small shield - and they are only available on the dark side of the moon.

In fact, we could probably group the "hidden badass" skirmishers into a top group - Komatai, Bedouin skirmishers, and Baktrian Hillmen - and a second, slightly weaker group, which includes the Jugundiz. Balroae could be with either, dependig on your taste.

[WinsingtonIII]

I certainly agree with that grouping. Maure Infantry should also probably go in the top category, with those .225 lethality swords they have. I forgot about Balroe; stat wise they are top-tier (best morale out of the bunch actually), but that AOR sadly makes them almost useless from a campaign perspective. Good call on the Bakrians too, sometimes I forget that they are really skirmishers and actually have 6 javelins and good range; I keep thinking of them as light axemen primarily.

But anyways, I'm getting off-topic here.

On a more Sweboz related note, I think that in general they start the game with potentially the greatest access to units that have a great "bang-for-your-buck." Dugundiz, Sloxonez, and Jugundiz are all pretty cheap considering what they are capable of when used correctly. But an army composed of them is going to run into a lot of trouble with missiles....

[satalexton]

Hide them in woods and tall grass, they are deadly in an ambushcade....

[Cute Wolf]

don't forget to field your own Reidonez, because light horsemen is essential as arrow fodder (who can distract the arrows to anywhere else), and give time for your spearmen and clubmen (sloxonez in particular are bane to those Sauro bodyguards in melee)... to charge them on foot....

I've always doing that when I decide to smash up sauro to pulp with Sweboz (but when reaching about Bosophoran area, I started to train my own Steppe Riders)

[satalexton]

I thought you only field your wolf-catanks, Lykos.