Take you fav Merc..

**Oleander Ardens** · 10-05-2004, 18:13

With the great improvement of the utility of the mercenary system I found myself using a good deal of mercs. Especially early in the game you heavily lack certain unit-types while great specialists are available in various areas.

The utility of the various guys is of course closly related to your faction and the strategical and tactical enviroment but there are some guys out their which are IMHO a sure bid for most factions.

My vote goes to the Balearic Slinger - as Gaul you severly lack very initially like all western faction in this department and a single unit of long-range missiles is a big advantage. One of this guys does drammatically increase your tactical alternative, beside being a incredible good ranged unit

As experience does now also increase the missile skill this guys are getting better an better, and that for an upkeep of 200 IIRC. A incredible killer against advancing infantry and for static cavalry behind palisades...

Told you mine, so what is yours right now for your game?

OA

**ShadesPanther** · 10-05-2004, 18:54

Spanish Mercenaries. Basically Iberian infantry with Pilum and Larger shield. Very nice as carthage

**Red Harvest** · 10-05-2004, 19:03

Balearic slingers get my vote as well. They are killing machines. Honorable mention goes to Numidian cav. As Carthage I depend on both units and buy everyone I see. The Balearics help with the ranged unit deficiency, while the Numidian cav are the light horse needed for desert warfare and chasing other light cav down.

**metatron** · 10-05-2004, 19:06

I'm a bit partial to Merc Hopolites. As the Scipiones, you need pikemen to keep cavalry at bay sometimes.

**Barkhorn1x** · 10-05-2004, 19:19

Originally Posted by metatron

I'm a bit partial to Merc Hopolites. As the Scipiones, you need pikemen to keep cavalry at bay sometimes.

Agreed - the Romans can really use a couple of Hoplite units to anchor the center of a line.

I like Samnite mercenaries too - they do not seem to route.

Barkhorn.

**Krosword** · 10-05-2004, 19:20

kreeeashian archers. :)

**Oleander Ardens** · 10-05-2004, 19:43

Hehe Numidians are incredibly useful for the Carthies and for the Gaul and Spanish too - but I have yet to get them with my Gauls...

OA

**crazyviking03** · 10-05-2004, 19:51

I buy up cretan archers and rhodian slingers. If you get enough of them, your main army never has to engage the enemy. I once had on unit of archers and one of slingers totaly destroy a greek army of 5 hopilite units.

**Doug-Thompson** · 10-05-2004, 20:18

There's a unit of cavalry from Asia Minor that was a nice unit. Can't recall the name.

======

Merc story: I'm supposed to take the last city of the Seleucid Empire. I've been fighting wars with Pontus, not the Seleucids. I have no troops.

Aren't those surprise Senate missions fun?

I hire every mercenary I can get my hands on and bribe tiny remnants of former Pontus family members. I have a lot of leaders but few troops. The Seleucids have a tough remnant of hardened veterans. Fortunately, they have to stay in their city; to preserve order, I presume.

My best general in the vicinity is a one-star. The Seleucid king has seven stars and better troops.

I'm going to die.

I know that mercs are assigned to regions. I know I've hired every merc in Palmyra and Babylonia. I have leaders make side trips just over the borders to Assyria and Arabia on the way to hire a few more mercs.

I take my rag-tag army of Middle-eastern infantry and camel archers toward what appears to be certain death, when I hit upon a happy thought.

1. I march past the capital, to the border near Media, and build a fort.
2. Next turn, I send one leader just across the border into Parthian-controlled Media on a mercenary hiring-expedition. Sure enough, he hires another camel archers and 240 Middle-eastern infantry. I might not die after all. They march back to my side of the border.
3. The Parthians, who were apparently not happy with my little visit, send an army. I bribe it. Get another family member.
4. My whole army besiges Seleucia. They wait it out. No way I'm going after a seven-star lion in his own den, not with this army.

After all this, the city falls on the same turn that I get a "Mission Failure" message from the Senate, but who cares?

The Hanging Gardens wonder increases all agriculture revenue by 20 percent. I'm insanely rich. I also loot the city for $10K.

**Oleander Ardens** · 10-07-2004, 17:40

Nice story Dough

Anyway I found that those Illyrian Thureophoroi Mercenarys are very handy indeed. They have a way better defense - 8 - thanks to that large shield, and a decent attack - 7 and still fast.

Great units to bolster the mainline and to flank for that little upkeep of 130.

OA