Units that aren't too useful....

[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.

[Blitz]

but if i am not wrong if the enemy army get too close to your arcani they will be seen, so it is not an easy thing to do especially against a lot of enemy.

[sunsmountain]

One would have to perform tests with arcani and gladiators, to see whether they lose men at a lower rate compared to normal legionares.

But as i remember from the MTW engine, loss to arrows is probably a percentage of total unit size. Sure arcani may lose less men going towards the wall, but legionares can use testudo (bugged senseless, but ok), losing close to none.

The biggest plus for these small units is their hitpoints. Supposedly that would help versus arrow, but im unsure about their best role. I use them as flankers.
At least they're very maneuverable and can fill gaps like nothing else can.

[Siris]

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.

But how do you put them outside of the wall in deploment! It wont ever allow me to do such a thing, I have to send them out the gate which they'll be in full sight as would any other troop...

Mainly because I've wanted to do a thing like in the movie Troy, the huge battle where 50,000 greeks stormed Troy, but the Trojans had archers on the walls, and 10-20,000 soliders in the front, so the archers couldnt be attacked, nor the gates battered, so while they hold off & fight the enemy army, the archerse continue to fire without harm! I've wanted to do this tactic badley, but cannot since I cant put my men outside the walls before they enemies march in... since you stated above that you can put the outside of the walls before the battle... how so?

[Somebody Else]

Siris - you may notice that the red line denoting the limit of your troop placement is a little way outside of the walls - just enough to fit a small unit spread wide in. Double line maximum for stone walls (I think) and four deep for wooden walls. Quite useful when sallying on wooden walls, using phalanxes or whatever - set up the entire line before the battle, as in a field engagement, and go forth. Cavalry and such can't normally fit outside, nor siege units.