In a Seleucid campaign I had a large battle with the Brutii outside Athens, and was defeating the Romans all over the place, as usual. Then their faction leader came in as reinforcements from the city. He and his 108 (one hundred and eight!) highly experienced bodyguards single-handedly (well, with the help of a unit of equites) overturned my left flank by charging straight into the phalanx and routing it. I won the day, but that particular bodyguard cost me a great general who had come all the way from Parthia and many other good men.

When I sacked Rome with a Gaul army yesterday, the Senate faction leader also had a bodyguard of 108 men, but they didn't put up nearly as good a fight as their Brutii counterparts in that other game.

I still wonder, though, why some generals have greater bodyguards than others. If it's a valour thing, then why does my faction heir's son (a full-grown man now, by the way: his grandfather is 75 and still kicking any butt coming his way), with at least one golden chevron, only have around 45 men in his guard while another, less experienced and certainly less royal (though traveling with my faction leader) general has more than 50?