Faction selection! Help!

**KboT** · 02-17-2005, 19:07

Hey guys,

I just started playing Rome a month ago and I've been having some problems selecting a primary race. I've been playing RTS for a long time and there's just so many selectable races!

I like the Spartans of the Greeks, but they lack some things that other races offer, I'm not sure how to be offensive with them. The Selecids (Spelling?) seem to be very well rounded, containing everything you'd need, am I missing something, a weakness maybe? The egyptions also intrest me.

Basically what I'm wonder is the basic strategies for the Greeks, Selecids and Egyptions.

Also, one more thing, what are "Hitpoints" mentioned under the unit stats?

Thanks a lot,
- KboT

**KboT** · 02-17-2005, 19:09

Umm.. I couldn't find an edit button...

I forgot to mention I'd like to know the main effective units for these races. What units are used and useful when I play multiplayer?

Thanks again!

**KboT** · 02-17-2005, 21:32

Can anyone help? :(

**Crownsteler** · 02-17-2005, 22:24

Hhmmm, okey,
Seulicids are definatly the most well rounded, but they start out with some very weak and useless troops and it takes a while before you can get good troops, but when you do, it is probally one of the best factions. i've never played with them tho.
best units I reckon are:
-Companion cavalry
-Cataphracts
-silver shield pikemen & legionary
-elephants

greeks can be very powerful, but you have to realise that your armies are rather inflexible. If you want to attack with them, you should just push forward with you entire phalanx line, and use any cavalry or non-phalanx troops you might have to protect you flanks, however, you should realise that you need to keep your line together (never allow it to break up into single pieces!) and that the macadonians (and seleucids) have much longer spears than you do! so frontal assaults on their troops doesn't work!
best units:
-Spartans!
-Armoured hoplites
-Rhodian slingers
-Cretian Archers

I never played with the egyptians (in vanilla anyway), but I reckon you'd need to use them in about the same way.
best units: wouldn't know

other intresting factions you might consider:
Parthia, Armenia and Scythia/Sarmatia, if you like to use cavalry (armenia also has some decent infantry, so you might want to choose them), but don't forget; cavalry dies when they've lost momentum! Don't ever sent them into a melee with infantry unless you are sure they'll brake soon!

Romans, they have some of the most powerful infantry in the game, and don't require quite as much skill to use as phalanx troops, they also own some great late cavalry.

Carthaginians, they have a sensable mix of phalanx and non-phalanx troops, along with some great cavalry, and elephants, but lack some missle troops (balearic slingers are good, but not great imo). Their armies can be very flexable, but generaly, their troops aren't as good as other faction's troops (sacred band infantry and cavalry are some of the best units is game tho, but are only available late game and are rather expensive)

Barbarians, well I don't like them to much, I find their armies to be somewhat limited and I just don't like playing with them. The Iberians (Spanish) are probally the best (I love their Scutarii) and the britons probally the worst, as IIRC they effectifly lack any cavalry and missletroops, I don't know about the Dacians and Thracians tho.

However, you should remember that each factions fights best on their native terrain (the Romans are great all rounders tho)

Parthia, Scythia/Sarmatia, Armenia and the Greeks preform best on the great open planes (grassland preferably)

The succesorstates (Macedonia, Seleucia, Egypt, Pontus) can be used on most terrains, tho open planes are prefferable, the Egyptians also preform better in the desert.

The barbarians (Britons, Germans, Guals, Dacia, Thracia and Iberians) preform best in the woods and the snow, and are somewhat limited in the desert.

The Romans are great allrounders and shouldn't have much trouble being deployed on any terrain, they do prefer open grassland and don't like the snow and desert to much (but can still be deployed there)

The Carthaginians aren't much different from the Romans, but they mostly prefer the desert over the snowcovered grasslands and forests.

Numidia is a small mystery to me, I never really played with them, but they really prefer the desert over anythings else. Rocky terrain is probally wishfull too, as it gives their missletroops some protection against the enemy

Some other things to realise:
-rocky terrain breakes up phalanx formations, so if defending always place you troops behind them, and if attack always place your troops infront of them
-forests protect from misslefire and cavalry charges, go there to be somewhat safe
-hills give the person on top huge advantages! always try to get the hill

And hitpoints aren't anything more than an indications of how many hits a unit can take. 1 hitpoints means they'll die in one hit, while 2 hitpoint units can take 2 hits logicly isn;t it?

I hope this was of some use to you :)

**Jeanne d'arc** · 02-18-2005, 00:10

The greeks have rather a defensive unit roster but with Spartans u shouldend have much trouble on the offensive.They have 2 hitpoints so it takes 2 hits for them to actually die and with those stats thats priceless.A big price though cause there upkeep and cost is the only downside and they are only buildable in Sparta.This is not really a problem if u control the seas and as the Greeks u should work on that.Also you should focus mainly on building armoured hoplites, they are cheaper and much easyer to distribute over your empire.