Archers like Dogs

**Fast Death** · 03-10-2005, 20:09

Peasants were never used as "police". They were a supplement to the main army. Anyway, does it make sense ( in the Roman Era ) to place people who you have just conquered, “in charge”. To me, it’s a fantasy unit.

**drone** · 03-10-2005, 23:14

True. The only thing I use peasants for is resettlement. If they get in combat, it's an accident. I use town watch for public order/garrison duties.

I take it you removed them from the building lists. What happens when a town revolts? Without peasants, it's possible to have a town that cannot recruit any units. What does rebel stack look like?

**Fast Death** · 03-10-2005, 23:32

I haven't "spun-up" a game yet.... CD at home and I'm at work. I'll check tonight.

**drone** · 03-10-2005, 23:36

Ah, a work poster, like myself...

**Someone Stupid** · 03-11-2005, 11:55

I personally cannot stand wardogs. They are just too unbalanced in so many different ways. Can't attack them directly, regenerate, tear though practically everything long as it is busy with something else or trying to route. They are just ridiculous. I've just raised the cost to 3 turns and 2 grand. I've maybe seen them twice since i've done that. Both times they were arguably worth what the AI paid for them in cash, not turns. They still did a decent amount of disruption and probably did cost me a couple grand in replacing units since they'd get tied down and I'd have to deal with the enemy minus a critical piece at times costing me more units than I'd like. One time I had something like 8 wardogs and 12 other units attacking a city. It was a slaughter. The wardogs just cleaned up as my units would get preoccupied with actual enemy they could target. After that I went to the txt and raised the cost - not sure about how to delete units. It looks easy enough, but I didn't feel like having another CTD that night as I was playing with other stuff as well.

I use Gladiators only when dealing with Egypt and in limited number. They counter chariots nicely if another unit can stop them. Otherwise I never touch them. Though in my last run against the egyptians I used regular auxilla and they did an admirable job and are easier to get ahold of. So I may soon be ignoring gladiators all together. Pigs don't really bother me. I don't use them, but since they are one shot weapons and rarely have disrupted more than a couple units when used I can deal with them. Often my cohorts have no problems ignoring them. High morale makes them rather ineffective in my experience. Still I'd imagine they'd be horrific against other nations without the reforms which will still have a good deal of low morale units or easily panickable ones like elephants. Never bothered to use them so I wouldn't really know.

Never really bothered with Arcani, the small unit size makes them unattractive to me and I'd prefer to flank with light cav instead of HOPING the enemy doesn't stumble on the Arcani and slaughter them before the army can blindly walk past them and get attacked from behind.

As for peasants, they've been used in battle commonly. Although I do see your point for removing them if it's to help the AI.

**Someone Stupid** · 03-11-2005, 12:04

No edit? The above should read the AI attacked me with the 8 wardogs (surprised me that is for sure). If one reads the rest it can be made out - or it could just be plain confusing - so I thought I'd clear up that point.

**Watchman** · 03-11-2005, 12:28

AFAIK the flaming pigs are perfectly historically accurate. It's not like they have much use besides scaring elephants, anyway.

The Arcanii are a bit tricky issue. Especially in the last centuries of the Empire the Romans had a sort of elite special-forces doctrine in use, where small bands of mobile, highly trained troopers shadowed invasion forces and caused distruption; they undoubtly also did a lot of scouting, cross-border raiding and whatever. Dunno what they were called, though, or if there even was any specific term for such troops.

I always thought the RTW Arcanii had some connection with that. Or maybe someone in the design team figured that since the previuos games had Battlefield Ninjas (whom I personally never bothered using) and Hashishin (ditto), it'd be keeping in character to give RTW too an unit of elite stealth light infantry.

I once saw an unit of Arcanii demolish an entire Early Legionary Cohort. Dunno if it was due to them fighting in woods, the Arcanii attacking downhill, all those upgrades I'd given them (second-level equipement and the full valor bonus from the Mars temple line) or what, but in any case they mauled the whole bunch and lost about three men.

**General Carnage** · 03-12-2005, 09:33

Originally Posted by Someone Stupid

I personally cannot stand wardogs. They are just too unbalanced in so many different ways. Can't attack them directly, regenerate, tear though practically everything long as it is busy with something else or trying to route. They are just ridiculous. I've just raised the cost to 3 turns and 2 grand. I've maybe seen them twice since i've done that. Both times they were arguably worth what the AI paid for them in cash, not turns. They still did a decent amount of disruption and probably did cost me a couple grand in replacing units since they'd get tied down and I'd have to deal with the enemy minus a critical piece at times costing me more units than I'd like. One time I had something like 8 wardogs and 12 other units attacking a city. It was a slaughter. The wardogs just cleaned up as my units would get preoccupied with actual enemy they could target. After that I went to the txt and raised the cost - not sure about how to delete units. It looks easy enough, but I didn't feel like having another CTD that night as I was playing with other stuff as well.

I use Gladiators only when dealing with Egypt and in limited number. They counter chariots nicely if another unit can stop them. Otherwise I never touch them. Though in my last run against the egyptians I used regular auxilla and they did an admirable job and are easier to get ahold of. So I may soon be ignoring gladiators all together. Pigs don't really bother me. I don't use them, but since they are one shot weapons and rarely have disrupted more than a couple units when used I can deal with them. Often my cohorts have no problems ignoring them. High morale makes them rather ineffective in my experience. Still I'd imagine they'd be horrific against other nations without the reforms which will still have a good deal of low morale units or easily panickable ones like elephants. Never bothered to use them so I wouldn't really know.

Never really bothered with Arcani, the small unit size makes them unattractive to me and I'd prefer to flank with light cav instead of HOPING the enemy doesn't stumble on the Arcani and slaughter them before the army can blindly walk past them and get attacked from behind.

As for peasants, they've been used in battle commonly. Although I do see your point for removing them if it's to help the AI.

Pigs are designed exclusively for use against elephants, and I have found them to be ridiculously effective in that

**Somebody Else** · 03-12-2005, 09:40

How about a counter-unit to wardogs? Battle-cats! When deployed, they un up the nearest tree, causing all wardogs to give chase, run aimlessly around said tree, and demoralise opposition, who have to end turn to buld siege towers to remove cats before the dogs can be regained.