Favorite Spam

[Lanceari]

If you were going to spam an EB unit, which unit would you spam?

...I do not mean to say anyone should spam. All experienced players will tell you spamming is a bad idea, and, they will tell you you have to combine different unit types. But...

But, if you were going to spam on EB unit... If you thought there was one EB unit that can out-muscle all other units in the game, which unit would you spam?

[lionhard]

weird question because you may want to spam a unit for different situations .... but if you mean the best unit to spam in general to buff an army nicely id say id go for elite phalanxs. They are good for holding a line and are more than a match for the silly AI......

[NikosMaximilian]

Is there an economic limit? If not, a 20 Sauromatae FMs stack, trained in a city with a blacksmith. When they start to stack-up experience chevrons they are almost unstoppable.

[Olaf The Great]

For armies in general, Jugunthiz.

Other than that, probably Baktrian Bodyguards.

[Tanit]

I've been very impressed with regular classical hoplites.

[Randal]

Because somebody had to say it: Cohorts. I don't think they can actually out-muscle everything, but I do think they make a more viable army all by themselves than some of the others mentioned here. They're numerous, have some armour-piercing missile capacity and are good on offence and defence. Unlike bodyguard cav they can defend and storm cities. And fighting battles with them would be a lot less frustrating and boring than stacks of elite phalanxes slowly poking the enemy to death. (Besides, in my game I nerfed phalanxes a bit.)

For added power I'd probably pick first cohorts, but if economy and recruitment are concerns the regular ones have that amazing AoR that would make this actually a viable army composition.

Of course, there's plenty of cohort-like troops you could use.

Alternately, if I were bored and wanted to have a bit of fun... I'd spam a full stack of silver-chevron Dacian Drapanai with weapon upgrades. (You can with the right temples etc.) And then charge them at an enemy infantry army, get out the popcorn, and wait until the chopping stops.

I'd be very afraid of horse-archer armies, though.

[Ca Putt]

Parthian Noble medium cavalry. to be frank I do spam them to some extent: give every new FM a unit of them on the way, use them instead of normal HAs, as multi purpose cavalry. I even think I have no army without at least one of these guys(save retraining armies as they can be trained quite close to the front :) )

classical hoplites are nice aswell.

well or just Pedexes^^

[stratigos vasilios]

I spammed four full stacks of levy hopilites in my KH file to fight the general around Eburonum. Wanted to see if weight of numbers was better than silver chevrons...and they were.

[Lanceari]

Because somebody had to say it: Cohorts. I don't think they can actually out-muscle everything, but I do think they make a more viable army all by themselves than some of the others mentioned here. They're numerous, have some armour-piercing missile capacity and are good on offence and defence. Unlike bodyguard cav they can defend and storm cities. And fighting battles with them would be a lot less frustrating and boring than stacks of elite phalanxes slowly poking the enemy to death. (Besides, in my game I nerfed phalanxes a bit.)

Why did you nerfed phalanxes? What changes did you make?

If you had not "nerfed phalanxes", and if you were not "bored by elite phalanxes slowly poking the enemy to death", can I safely asume you would spam elite phalanxes?

One last question, do you consider triarii an elite unit?

[Randal]

Nerfed: Reduced shield value from 5 (more than Hoplites!) to 2 (That's what others with a shield that size have) because phalanxes in their current incarnation are virtually immune to missiles and far too good even when their formation is broken up. Neither ability is historical. They get +1 defence skill to still make it hard to kill them from the front in mêlée.

And no, I still wouldn't spam elite phalanxes because while they're virtually indestructible it's still a unit that really benefits from combined arms. If I disregarded all that and just wanted the most killing power they would be a contender, but heavily-armoured nomad horse-archers would be an even better choice because they're just as powerful and a lot more manoeuvrable and actually capable of killing skirmishers and the like.

Triarii: Camillan, yes. Polybian, no.

[Lazy O]

BA TA ROAS

BA TA ROAS

BA TA ROAS

[The_Blacksmith]

Pandotapoi Phalangitai... dirt cheap and effective...

[Tyrfingr]

1) Dahae Riders - Cheap HAs with nice charge, doesn't get much better than that.

2) Marian/Imperial Cohorts - Auto-calculate this!

3) Slingers!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brennus]

Belgic Minhalt! RABO!

[Mr. Stuka]

Indian archers. Can't beat 'em.

[gamegeek2]

Infantry: Bataroas
Cavalry: Aorsi/Scythian Riders

[Randal]

The Indian longbowmen? I haven't used them yet, but according to the unit-viewer they have a very small quiver and only moderate range and attack. 16 arrows instead of 35 for Kretans... doesn't sound very useful to me. Even those nasty swords they have can't make up for that, can it?

[DaciaJC]

Thraikioi Rhomphaiaphoroi. As long as I didn't run into any substantial HA army, I wouldn't have a care in the world as far as EB is concerned.

[Ca Putt]

Even those nasty swords they have can't make up for that, can it?

oh yes they can, everytime the enemy goes for them and is all like "BWAHAHA I HAS GOT UR ARCHERZ IN MEEELII!!!!111" they get out their ... uhm... swords and kill off the unsuspicious foe :D

I once had an army 50/50 Tracian Elite infantry and Tracian Prodromoi. did not prove too efficient an army but at least was a lot of fun running them into the back of the Seleucid Host.

[Brennus]

Cavalry: Aorsi/Scythian Riders

No Leuce Epos?

[Captain Jazzy]

Full stack of Indian Elephants, what could go wrong?

[moonburn]

Full stack of Indian Elephants, what could go wrong?

panic running amok realising you just spent enough gold to feed 100 armies just to see them halved in numbers in the 1st batle against an army based on akontistai and thats just from the top of my head

[Fluvius Camillus]

No Leuce Epos?

Why would he? The horse archer has much better range and also quite the same underhand short spear to charge with, and a shield!

If economy isn't a problem I would go with this:


Not even HA spam can beat that...

If money would be the issue:


Or an equivalent.

~Fluvius

[Blxz]

Horse Archer spam is of course great and for some factions almost realistic. But my favourite early on spam when I need reliability is the Jews. Sending ~3000 angry Jews charging at an enemy will solve many problems. Also for the Hay, Pontus, AS and Ptolomey's the Jewish spearmen recruitment zone is right in the middle of some big fighting regions.

Well worth the cost.

[Cute Wolf]

*insert any catass armoured horse archers-lancers* -> PWN EVERYTHING

[Populus Romanus]

Horse Archer spam is of course great and for some factions almost realistic. But my favourite early on spam when I need reliability is the Jews. Sending ~3000 angry Jews charging at an enemy will solve many problems. Also for the Hay, Pontus, AS and Ptolomey's the Jewish spearmen recruitment zone is right in the middle of some big fighting regions.

Well worth the cost.

KILL THE JEWZ!!!

[Ludens]

KILL THE JEWZ!!!

Don't go there. Just don't.

[Cute Wolf]

KILL THE JEWZ!!!

Don't go there. Just don't.

yupz, the Jews are still decent in numbers, have much better statistics than germanic counterparts, and they have some real armour to shrug most small stratches off easily. As long as you keep some decent cavalry and missile supports, the Jews are unstoppable. Sweboz troops stands no chance against them.

[Lvcretivs]

yupz, the Jews are still decent in numbers, have much better statistics than germanic counterparts, and they have some real armour to shrug most small stratches off easily. As long as you keep some decent cavalry and missile supports, the Jews are unstoppable. Sweboz troops stands no chance against them.

Back on the rails...

Thureophoroi - yes, they are rather mediocre, but with formation micromanagement and careful positioning (interlocking 'firefields', height advantage,...) they alone are more than a match for most opponents - except perhaps HAs...

[Loofa]

hoplitai haploi... best cheapest unit lol, always a solid cheap backup.