Where is the roman cavalry ??

[Torres84]

Hi mates.

The year is 172BC, playing EB 1.2 and keeping the script running and applied all of the temporary fixes, I had already received the marian reforms but I had to destroy all of the "old" training buildings because they suddenly ran 100% damaged and I was forced every turn to repair them without any success. (they kept being damaged every turn for no reason and a new type of troop training building came).

So I kept building all the new training areas to a decent level to get my new legionaries and equites but I see no cavalry available to recruit, even if the building says something like "foot trops training and horse stables"

What happened?? I know roman empire was not famous for his cavalry but I think my game is bugged because I was expecting at least some light and non-specialized cavalry like the polybian equites so I dont have to rely on mercenary cavalry.

thanks in advance ;)

[vartan]

Which reform are you at now? If you have damaged barracks that are 100 percent damaged I'd recommend you destroy and rebuild your factional (assuming we're talking in Italy). Rome always has some factional cav at all stages or reforms.

[XSamatan]

If you are at the Marian stage the Romans will have only access to cavalry outside Italy, you should check the Recruitment Viewer for details. You will have to build the third level of your barracks to get the troops.

XSamatan

[Torres84]

I am at the Marian stage and I have no factional cavalry in the whole italian peninsula, I have noticed that I can recruit some mercerany cavalry via "local" recruitment (greek hippeis, tessalian cavalry etc).

I have also destroyed old recruit centers and built new ones, I can even train the "cohors evocata" in Italy... but none of the cavalry, quite weird :-/

[Rahl]

You should be able to recruit auxiliary cavalry outside of Italy in your factional MICs. You should really check the recruitment viewer.

[Torres84]

Done, you were right. I can train some auxiliar cavalry but OUTSIDE Italy and they are trained as germanic, thracian etc.

What about archers?? do I have to rely on the low cost gree toxotai?

thx

[XSamatan]

Romans just began to use own archers in the imperial period, before that you will have to rely on allied troops in this area, but they are in most times better than factional units.

XSamatan

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

Done, you were right. I can train some auxiliar cavalry but OUTSIDE Italy and they are trained as germanic, thracian etc.

What about archers?? do I have to rely on the low cost gree toxotai?

thx

Never rely on Toxotai for anything lol. They are awful. I don't know what your expansion looks like but better options include Celtic Slingers, Numidian Archers/Slingers, Iberian Slingers, Balearic Slingers, or Cretan Archers. Those are probably the options available to Rome early/mid game. Even the Celtic archers are a better option than Toxotai simply because they have a spear and can be useful melee combatants.

[Torres84]

thanks

[MisterFred]

Toxotai are good for the cost! They're probably one of the more common "cheapo" units I see in MP battles.

[vartan]

Toxotai are good for the cost! They're probably one of the more common "cheapo" units I see in MP battles.

I hate to admit this, but they are pretty good units if you know your opponent is a complete noob. Gotta love the fire at will feature. Pro-friendly, enemy of the noobs.

[antisocialmunky]

Sphendontai win the most cost effective unit contest.

[athanaric]

Sphendontai win the most cost effective unit contest.

Nope - Eastern Slingers are identical stat-wise, yet are available at a MIC level 1 instead of level 2. Also they have a similarly big AoR.

[Torres84]

yes, slingers are cheaper and easier to train... and wierdly effective against troops !

[vartan]

yes, slingers are cheaper and easier to train... and wierdly effective against troops !

Not so weird once you drop dead after a super-concussive blow, innit?

[antisocialmunky]

Nope - Eastern Slingers are identical stat-wise, yet are available at a MIC level 1 instead of level 2. Also they have a similarly big AoR.

They don't have a hat.

[Torres84]

Not so weird once you drop dead after a super-concussive blow, innit?

what I mean is that most slinger are at least 2 times more effective than archers... slingers fire quick, accurate, got lots of ammo and the deliver a strong blow almost the same distance as a long bow. IMO that's quite overpowered. I remember a battle (me with Rome vs Aedui) and my 4 slingers groups were positioned on the top of a hill, not a mountain or a big wall... a simple hill, and they HARASSED the barbarians be4 they could charge :P and there were many.

In the other hand, archers are better close combat stats, better armor and can use flaming arrows (that are one of the best things of the unit)

[Mulceber]

I have also destroyed old recruit centers and built new ones, I can even train the "cohors evocata" in Italy... but none of the cavalry, quite weird :-/

Not weird at all actually - you're right, the Romans continued to have cavalry right through to the end of the Empire, but by the time of the reforms of Marius, they had basically stopped training their own cavalry and had instead started using auxiliary cavalry from nations that had more talent for producing cavalry. Since none of those nations occupied Italy, cavalry can no longer be recruited in Italy. The exception that proves the rule is Praetorian Cavalry, which will become available when you reach the Augustan era, but even then can only be recruited in Latium. -M

[vartan]

what I mean is that most slinger are at least 2 times more effective than archers... slingers fire quick, accurate, got lots of ammo and the deliver a strong blow almost the same distance as a long bow. IMO that's quite overpowered. I remember a battle (me with Rome vs Aedui) and my 4 slingers groups were positioned on the top of a hill, not a mountain or a big wall... a simple hill, and they HARASSED the barbarians be4 they could charge :P and there were many.

In the other hand, archers are better close combat stats, better armor and can use flaming arrows (that are one of the best things of the unit)

Yes, slingers are great units. No, most of our players don't like flaming magical arrows. They won't complain to you either. Not too hard to get the horse to eat its food (ASM is going to attack my metaphor).

[LordHugu]

I am at 208 BC and I still haven't got a reform of Romani, I don't understand, all baracks are at their maximun upgrades? And I have Patavium and the city between Segesta and Patavium, in wich I am not able to build baracks?

Help

[anubis88]

Did you activate the script?

[vartan]

Did you activate the script?

Haha, this is a very good point. To LordHugu whose first post in these forums is post #20 in this thread, please read the EB FAQ, accessible from a sticky on the EB sub-forum. Actually, for convenience, click HERE to go to the FAQ.

Cheers.

[Basileus_ton_Basileon]

I actually like toxotai a lot, they are a cheap garrison unit for places with walls.... :)

[anubis88]

I actually like toxotai a lot, they are a cheap garrison unit for places with walls.... :)

Hey! That's my avatar!!!! I'll report you sir for trying to steal my identity!!!!

[Cute Wolf]

Hey! That's my avatar!!!! I'll report you sir for trying to steal my identity!!!!

umm....
who gave you copyright to that avatar?

[anubis88]

umm....
who gave you copyright to that avatar?

Chuck Norris hahaha

[Burebista]

On the toxodai issue , actually the most cost-effective archers are sotaroas. not bad spear-archers for only 392 or so mnai. toxodai are 411 but they can't melee. Sotaroas can , with their 11 spear attack and 9 armour. Sphendonetai are 569 i think , way too expensive for cannon meat.

[WinsingtonIII]

Sphendonetai are 569 i think , way too expensive for cannon meat.

It depends which faction you're facing, though. Toxotai are going to fair poorly against a faction with lots of armored units, whereas Sphendonetai will actually do some damage, and let's be honest, the cost difference is pretty marginal. If you're playing against the Sweboz, though, Toxotai will perform better.

Agreed on Sotaroas. Both they and Skudjonez are surprisinly versatile, and Sotaroas are the more cost-effective of the pair. One thing I didn't realize is that there is a special version of Sotaroas for the Casse, Aedui, and Arverni that has 1 more armor and costs less. The ones the other factions get are slightly weaker and slightly more expensive. At least that's what it says on the online unit guide.

[vartan]

On the toxodai issue , actually the most cost-effective archers are sotaroas. not bad spear-archers for only 392 or so mnai. toxodai are 411 but they can't melee. Sotaroas can , with their 11 spear attack and 9 armour. Sphendonetai are 569 i think , way too expensive for cannon meat.

Armour is lacking actually. You are thinking of the 7 defence skill value that comes in handy in a fight. It's all easy lemon-squeezy until you get a lethal opponent, then the lack of armour really shows. Great to poke horses with, though, those spears.

One thing I didn't realize is that there is a special version of Sotaroas for the Casse, Aedui, and Arverni that has 1 more armor and costs less. The ones the other factions get are slightly weaker and slightly more expensive. At least that's what it says on the online unit guide.

This is a common occurrence in EB and I expect EB II to be similar. Mercenaries are always their own unit, separate from the proper unit. But no matter if mercenary or not, if one unit has any differential in any stat value, such as the one-point higher value in armour, such changes are always reflected in the cost of the unit. Case in point: the 19 extra mnai for a factional Celtic Archer as opposed to the mercenary version.

[SlickNicaG69]

The Roman Cavalry of the age is represented by the Consular Bodyguards. The only real Roman cavalry of the time were those of the high officers, tribunes, and commanding officers. The cavalry arm was merely a screen for the army, the infantry. What you should be asking is... where is the Post-Marian Infantry Auxilia?! I mean, it's even in Vanilla...