Difference between Hastati and Princeps?

[Ulstan]

Hastati count as light infantry if you move the mouse over them.

Princeps I think are heavy.

I think Hastati are hardier than princeps (go longer w/out getting fatigued).

Given that princeps are more expensive and have maybe one more armor point or something like that, I'm just buildling the hastati :)

"(oh and war dogs which are expensive - I haven't bothered)"

They are expensive, but they seem to 'retrain' for free.

I've had a couple battles where all the dogs died, but the handlers lived, and they somehow procured all new dogs for me and I had a full complement again.

[Cennyan]

and you won't be able to train principes till at least 30 to 40 turns into the game, at least the way I played

I took the island off the west coast of Italy (Would be crete, can't think of the game now now though) near the begining of the game and was attacked a couple times by the Carthagians. As retribution, I sent an army into Carthage around turn 15 and the city just south of it in Turn 17. Both cities where teched enough to be able to build Principes and some other nice troops. I've held both cities for the past 40 turns or so without expanding the empire further into africa and haven't be counter-attacked once.

[Thoros of Myr]

The Roman army is designed for you to send in Hastati on the front lines and then smash everyone in with the Princpes that do the real meatgrinding, at that point, against a tough foe, the hastati might have routed or you might move them on to the next target while the princeps clean up. When you have Triarii they form the 3rd rank behind the princepes to make sure nothing gets through and keep horses from hitting your backside. It's best to use them in tandem rather then one or the other against worthy foes.

[Quietus]

on Large Units setting:

Velites upkeep is 170 denari. Too expensive for what they do.

Wardog upkeep is only 50. Two turns to build.

Town Watch cost only 150 denari and 100 upkeep. So they are a great fodder supplement to the Hastati/Principes backbone. Nobody uses them?

Principes last a little longer than Hastati especially against the tough Cavalry like the Numidian Cavalry the Carthaginians hire.

[camulos]

I've had a couple battles where all the dogs died, but the handlers lived, and they somehow procured all new dogs for me and I had a full complement again.

I've had this happen too. The trick is to keep the handlers in a safe place. Once you let the dogs go they aint comin back anyways.

[Arakasi]

I mentioned this in another thread, but since the handlers are on their own after the dogs go and seem to be the center of the area for the unit, would killing the handlers do something to the dogs that are already out? I'll have to test that.