Compilation of demo unit descriptions, a primitive unit guide

[afrit]

I used the modrome tool to load up all units in the demo and then copied the descriptions given in the pre-battle screen. THe unit size is the default one as far as I can tell.
I grouped units by type, and then sorted by stats (sum of attack + defence). If anyone has more stats extracted from the game when modding, please post them.

THis may give an idea on how the game will be balanced in the final release.
Template of guide:
Unit name, (number of men), A(ttack) M(issile) D(efense) HP(hitpoints) Abilites. My own comments in Italics


Archers:

Roman archers (60): A3 M5 D2 Combat bonus in woods, can use flaming missiles, vulnerable to missiles, fast moving, can sap
Archer Warband (60): A3 M5 D5. Expert at hiding in woods, Combat bonus in woods or snow, can use flaming missiles, fast moving
Cretan archers (60): A 6 M10 D8 Combat bonus in woods, long range missiles, flaming missiles, good morale, good stamina, fast moving, can sap
Experiments at the .com show that cretan archers have 1.5X the range of roman archers. By stats, Cretan archers are definitely superior to vanilla kinds. Would probably grab any available in campaign map.

Skirmishers:

[Carthaginian] Skirmishers (60): A 3 M6 D3 Can hide in long grass, bonus in woods, vulnerable to missiles, fast moving, can sap
Skirmisher warband (60): A6 M9 D2 Can hide in long grass, bonus in wood or snow, vulnerable to missiles, fast moving
Velites (60): A 5 M7 D6 Can hide in long grass, bonus in woods, fast moving, can sap

Infantry:

I don't have enough info yet to differentiate anti-cav spears vs anti-spear swords etc...

Iberian Infatry (60): A 7 D 7 Bonus in woods, can sap . Armed with falcate.
Warband (61): A: 7 D: 10 Expert hiding in woods, bonus wood or snow, impetuous
Barbarian mercenaries (60): same as Warband, but available as mercenaries to other factions.
[Gaul]Swordsmen (61): A: 10 D: 12 Expert at hiding in woods, bonus woods or snow, impetuous, good morale
Triarii (62): A7 D 17 Bonus in woods, good morale, well armored, good stamina, can sap. Statistically, the Triarii appear weaker than Hastati and Principes. But historically they were the more reliable troops. Only game experience will determine their relative value.
Hastati (60): A 11 D 14 Javelins thrown before charge, bonus woods, good stamina, can sap
Poeni Infantry (61): A 9 D 18 Form Phalanx, Bonus vs Cav, Bonus in woods, Good morale, Well armored, can sap.
Principes (61): A 11 D 16 Javelins before charge, bonus in woods, well armored, good stamina, can sap.
Sacred Band (61): A 12 D 23 Form Phalanx, bonus vs cavalry, bonus in woods, good morale, very well armored, powerful charge, good stamina, can sap

Light Cavalry:

[Carthaginian] Round shield cavalry (40): A7 D7 Can form wedge
Numidian cavalry (40): A 6 M 9 D8 Form cantabrian circle, good morale, good stamina, fast moving
Equites (40): A 7 D 12 Wedge
Barbarian cavalry (40): A 9 D 10 Bonus in snow, form wedge, impetuous, powerful charge
Barbarian Mercenary Cavalry (40): same as Barbarian Cavalry, but available to other factions as mercenaries

Shock Cavalry:
Roman Cavalry (40): A 7 D 15 Can form wedge Stats put them closer to the shock cavalry, although description assigns screening role to them.
[Carthaginian] Long shield cavalry (40): A9 D13 Can form wedge, good morale, powerful charge
Barbarian Noble cavalry (40): A: 10 D: 15 Combat bonus in snow, can form wedge, may charge without orders, good morale, powerful charge
Legionary Cavalry (40): A 9 D 22 Form wedge, good morale, powerful charge, good stamina
Sacred Band Cavalry (40): A12 D22 Form wedge, very well armored, powerful charge. With good valor bonuses, such as the historical battle of Trebbia, SBC appear invincible.

Bodyguards:

Roman General (18): A12 D14 HP2 Wedge, good morale, powerful charge, can’t hide, good stamina
Barbarian Warlord (18): A13 D13 HP2 Combat bonus in snow, excellent morale, can form wedge, powerful charge, can’t hide, good stamina
General’s bodyguard (18): A12 D22 HP2 Form wedge, good morale, very well armored, powerful charge, can’t hide, good stamina

Elephants:

War elephants (27 men): A7 M 8 D16 HP 15 Special attack, bonus vs cavalry, frighten nearby enemy, good morale, may run amok, can’t hide, good stamina
Armored elephants (27 men): A7 M8 D19 HP 15. Special attack, bonus vs cav, frighten nearby enemy, good morale, animals may run amok, can’t hide, good stamina.

[Papewaio]

Useful and a quick look explains why the demo is so quick... better troops in a superior position in a superior formation... glad to see elephants have 'can't hide'

It would be quite funny to hear about Ninja Elephants in MP ambushing though... Marketing that is a joke.

[Tamur]

Excellent, thanks afrit! After messing with MODROME I was hoping to compile such a list, nice to have it already done here.

[ShadesPanther]

Useful and a quick look explains why the demo is so quick... better troops in a superior position in a superior formation... glad to see elephants have 'can't hide'

It would be quite funny to hear about Ninja Elephants in MP ambushing though... Marketing that is a joke.

maybe the elephant could pull branches over it to make it look like a tree. The elephant never forgets ~:p

Nice collection to give a basic idea of the strenghs of the units.

[Sjakihata]

what does 'can sap' mean?

[CBR]

That they can handle siege equipment: ladders, towers, tunnels or battering rams.


CBR

[Shahed]

Negative ! it means sap your time and make you play RTW forever !

Good work on the list !

[JeromeGrasdyke]

'can sap' means the unit can use sapping points / tunnels. Most infantry can handle other siege equipment, but not all of them can sap (the pikemen would look a bit silly, for one).

Also, I hope people have discovered the right-click on a unit card to bring up the unit info panel? And the (possibly a bit obvious) F1 to bring up the hotkey list, as well.

[CBR]

Ah ok tunnels only. Was looking through the units and saw lots of barbarians couldnt sap heh.

You mean rightclick on unit icons in army selection/overview screen before a battle? Just need a to wait a split second for info to come up..


CBR

[Shahed]

Thanks very much for that info Jerome

I hope you don't mind if I take the liberty of asking you another question/s:

Does sapping ability mean that the troops move through the tunnel or that they move in the tunnel to collapse the wall above and then retreat out of the tunnel ? or both ? or something else ?

Basically how does sapping work ?

Thanks in anticipation for your reply.

[JeromeGrasdyke]

You mean rightclick on unit icons in army selection/overview screen before a battle? Just need a to wait a split second for info to come up...

Ah, not quite. During the battle itself, if you right-click on a unit card in the main HUD at the bottom you should get a rather spiffy unit info screen (which can also be accessed on the campaign map). It's quite a bit more detailed than the tooltips you get in the menu's before you enter battle.

Sapping works like this: you get sapping points that you can place on the battlefield during deployment. Once placed it can't be moved, and represents a complete sapping tunnel ready for firing, targeted at one particular wall. Then during the battle you send a unit of sappers inside to fire it, and the wall comes crashing down when they finish. The comes back out of the sapping point, ready to be sent back into combat.

[CBR]

Hm I have tried that but got no info. Maybe not enabled in demo?


CBR

[Shahed]

Thanks a lot for the clarification

[son of spam]

Ah, not quite. During the battle itself, if you right-click on a unit card in the main HUD at the bottom you should get a rather spiffy unit info screen (which can also be accessed on the campaign map). It's quite a bit more detailed than the tooltips you get in the menu's before you enter battle.

Sapping works like this: you get sapping points that you can place on the battlefield during deployment. Once placed it can't be moved, and represents a complete sapping tunnel ready for firing, targeted at one particular wall. Then during the battle you send a unit of sappers inside to fire it, and the wall comes crashing down when they finish. The comes back out of the sapping point, ready to be sent back into combat.

sounds cool

[Leet Eriksson]

Wow i'm pleased at how sapping works, is there a way to counter sapping? if not this makes other seige weapons less useful since you'll only need a sapping unit to break through the walls and pour in units into the town or fort.

[JeromeGrasdyke]

Wow i'm pleased at how sapping works, is there a way to counter sapping? if not this makes other seige weapons less useful since you'll only need a sapping unit to break through the walls and pour in units into the town or fort.

Like other siege equipment, the entrances to sapping tunnels can be destroyed. You can target them with siege artillery or by melee attacks from a sallying unit, and if they destroy the entrance, the unit inside dies... so there is a bit of risk associated with using sapping.

[andrewt]

So that's how to do it. I tried F1 but it gave the help screen instead of the old unit stats screen. I tried F2-F12 but none of them did it. I don't think it's enabled in the demo yet, though.