Units that aren't too useful....

[RollingWave]

I'm just starting my first campaign... but so far i can't see the point of the following units... can someone enlighten me?

1.gladiator: a half sized infantry that takes 2 turn.... it dies like flies vs any calvary charge... and isn't increidablly great vs much else (it's bonus vs animal... does it work vs horse or just elephant/dog/pig???) why get these guys? a normal infantry tend to work much better...

2.war pig: errr dogs are much better and lower tech.....? why get pig?

3.ballista: while not as horrid as MTW ... still not much better either...

4.The dudes that can hide anywhere (i'm using a chinese version so not too sure bout particular unit names) i never quiete figure out how to use these type of guys in all the TW series... they can hide sure but they get revealed when u get close anyway... not like they can charge fast or anything...

So can ppl enlighten me on the usese of these guys?

[jerby]

right about teh gladiators, i see you're playing brutii.
gladiators are indeed useless and were never used in an army i believe, except of course spartacus.
pigs are used against elephants, its scare the living jesus out of them
ballsita's are just a step up to onagers, they are indeed not great, but the only thing you have in teh beginning.
the dudes that can hide anywhere, probably those ninja dudes. can be used in your centre as melee or used for trapping when you are playing defense

[Casmin]

[QUOTE=jerby
gladiators are indeed useless and were never used in an army i believe, except of course spartacus.
[/QUOTE]

Marcus Aurelius was supposed to have conscripted gladiators into the army after the Marcomanni burst across the frontier. Although my knowledge is limited in this particular topic I would assume that since they were conscripted into the legions they would have been equipped as legionaries and not like RTW.

If I'm not mistaken there was a non-Spartacus example during the Republic but I'm not sure. I'd rather not stray you off track with an innaccuracy.

[RollingWave]

Well trying it a bit more... gladiators and arcani are not too bad if dragged on fights.... they have higher HP and huge defense/offense capabiltiy... but non of that help vs a calvary charge and they can't take losses....

[The_Mark]

1. Gladiators, well, I don't use them, but when I attacked gladiator-rebelled Palma I figured out what they do the best. They hold walls. 2 glad units decimated 2 2-chevron hastatis and caused some casualties to the 3rd hastati unit which eventually overran them.

2. They scare elephants. They REALLY scare elephants. I remember once in MP my Seleucid enemy had 5-6 armored eles eady to fall upon my lines. Well, pigs forward, apply match.... 5-6 amok elephants scattering their pike formations..

3. Dunno. I don't use 'em.

4. The Arcani. They are quite good fighters, though as glads, understrenght. Have them hiding a little distance in front of your lines on sides. When enemy engages, throw them to their back. Quick rout, hopefully.

[Daevyll]

Try and use Arcani to assault a wall, where the numerical inferiority isnt too big a deal. Same thing (though less effective) with gladiators.

[Slaists]

Why would arcani, gladiators be better at assaulting/defending walls than, let's say, principes or later - legionaries?

[Productivity]

Why would arcani, gladiators be better at assaulting/defending walls than, let's say, principes or later - legionaries?

Presumably because they are better fighters, but in standard ground combat get overwhelmed by sheer nubmers and get surrounded, where as on walls, only a few can come at you at a time.

[Somebody Else]

Gladiators and Arcani do well on walls, either assaulting or defending. Arcani have another use in sieges as well - at the beginning of deployment, as the defenders, stick them outside the wall - and when the enemy has commited its troops to assaulting the walls - the arcani can pop up and do some damage in the rear.