Best mercenery Unit

[tibilicus]

What do you think is the best mercenery unit? Personly i think cretan archers

[The Stranger]

sarmatian mercenary knights

[Siris]

I've killed so many samilte guys, Cretan's have to get my vote on this one. I love those green fella's! They kill Roman archers so nicely.

[The Stranger]

not samnite but sarmatian

[Dude_uk]

War Elephants. I kept a unit of them for 50 years as the Juli just to have the upper hand once the civil war started

[Siris]

What did they do when the war started, keel over & die at age 70 or so?!

I'd imagine that they would have been around 20 when they were trained, so around 70 or so when the war started, if it started 50 years later.... lol!!!

[mfberg]

Scythian horse archers

[Beefy]

Mercenery Hoplites,

Lovley when defending cities, espically against elephants

[Dude_uk]

What did they do when the war started, keel over & die at age 70 or so?!

I'd imagine that they would have been around 20 when they were trained, so around 70 or so when the war started, if it started 50 years later.... lol!!!

They were living through their second childhood at the time

I must have had some merc warbands under arms for 100+ years in some of my campaigns! And there was me thinking people died younger in those days! LOL!

[Romeus Petrus]

My vote goes to the cretan Archers Playing as the greeks, they are your best chance against the pharoe's bowmen and other over powered archers who would otherwise wreak havoc on your densely packed phalanges.

[tibilicus]

I even love the cretan archers so much i would send a little ferry to create hire a load and send them to disperse along my armies. I think that by the end of my campaign there were createn archers as far out as briton !

[HarunTaiwan]

Illyrians & Thracians - they are cheap and good

[The Stranger]

bastarnae mercs are good too

[Arrowhead]

Spanish Mercs.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Cretans, sarmatians, scythians, merc hoplites, merc war elephants, balearic/rhodian slingers and bastarnae. I can't really choose... Early in the game, merc hoplites, slingers, scythians and sarmatians own, while cretans can be crucial battle-winners. A little later, cretans and sarmatians are good. Very late, the cretans aren't as superior any more, at least if Egypt and any of the barbarian factions are still around. The bastarnae are always good but less so late in the campaign. Their vulnerability to missiles makes them less interesting after 230 BC though IMO. War elephants are the only merc that can still be better than "home-made" troops late in the campaign.

[Craterus]

I like Yubtseb Elephant Mercs, lol

My favourites are Scythian Horse Archers, Sarmatian Mercs, Bastarnae Mercs, Rhodian Slingers and Cretan Archers.. I have at least one of these in most armies.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Cretan Archers and Sarmation Cavalry, although at times the hoplites are far more effective.

[Craterus]

Cretan Archers and Sarmation Cavalry, although at times the hoplites are far more effective.

At times regarding foolish cavalry ?

[cunctator]

Spanish mercs, cretan Archers and hoplites in this order. For me pila infantry is the most versatile unit type in RTW.

[Somebody Else]

I have to say, in terms of usefulness, war elephants - when a faction can't usually get them, they're excellent - mobile battering rams for to break gates, palisades, formations...

When playing as the British, any form of cavalry mercenary is much appreciated.

Non-horse archer nations also benefit from sarmation mercs, as well as those camel riding types.

Basically, I see whichever mercenaries that don't come with the faction I'm playing as better than those that do.

[Dutch_guy]

cretans and bastarnae

[Sas_Legion]

I have to say, in terms of usefulness, war elephants - when a faction can't usually get them, they're excellent - mobile battering rams for to break gates, palisades, formations...

When playing as the British, any form of cavalry mercenary is much appreciated.

Non-horse archer nations also benefit from sarmation mercs, as well as those camel riding types.

Basically, I see whichever mercenaries that don't come with the faction I'm playing as better than those that do.

you beat me first I agree with you about filling tha gaps in the millitary sides .. Imagine you are playing aginst Armenians and u cann't caatch those nasty H.A , I think mercenery H.A best counter for them and go on ...

[phred]

I haven't met a mercenary I didn't like.
But I always hire calvalry mercs.

[Kraxis]

For looks I absolutely love the Samnites, and with a few upgrades and a good commander they make for a nice addition to almost any army.

Cretans are perfect for most eastern factions as they lack the long range archery on foot to deal with rebels and Egyptians. And they are in general just good, so I try to grab them whenever I can. Not unusual for me to have 3 units in my main armies, sometimes 4-5.

But in terms of pure effectiveness it simply has to be the Scythians. They are weaker than the other regular horse archers but a few upgrades makes them good enough, and they make perfect additions to all armies but the Scythian, Armenian and Parthian armies. A few horse archers can ruin the day for any enemy.

The Illyrians are the game's only semi-elite skirmishers (Merc Peltasts and Heavy Peltasts we can argue about). I love to have them in my army. Nice javelin attack and a strong melee that can beat any other skirmisher in the game, even a few melee units. Sadly they are in rather short supply unlike the Merc Peltasts that can be used in a similar role (just not as effectively).

But even the lowly Barbarian Mercenaries are a good catch early in hte game. They numbers and strength makes them great at holding the flanks while your legionaries or other heavy infantry break the center.

All in all, the only mercs I generally keep away from would be the Libyan Mercs (crap skirmishers) and the Beduin Warriors (camels warriors). They let me down almost every time... Well not the Libyans as it is to be expected that even peasants can beat them up pretty easily.

[The Stranger]

most eastern merx are crap, exept eles, cilisians and camel archers

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I like the barbarian mercenaries myself. They basically make up my northern army in my Julli campaign i'm playing and they can be quite effective once they have some battle experience.

The elephants are great as always. I sent a captain down to africa to hire a unit of them to bring them back to spain where i was fighting the Iberians. They were vital battle winners

[Craterus]

most eastern merx are crap, exept eles, cilisians and camel archers

Arab cavalry are a good eastern cavalry... and scythian horse archers..

[Mikeus Caesar]

Bastarnae Mercs, they are great for carving up enemy. I kept a unit for 200+ years, they killed thousands of barbarians and rebels, until they met the forces of the julii. 500+ romans killed, before the bastarnae were killed.

Cretan Mercs. Mainly because they are great arhcers, and make up for the pitiful archers that most greek factions in the region get.

[Gladius of Germania]

Thracians

[Quietus]

Mercenary Hoplites. They are essential to the center of my formation - in keeping it together.

I use three units for my center to protect my archers. One of those is ideally a Mercenary Hoplites (which I put right smack in the middle).