Fighting the Gaesatae

[Ranika]

Since a lot of you appear to be having trouble in this area, I will now explain how to properly fight Gaesatae in this brief guide, so you don't make the common mistakes. Let's first clear some things up, and then move onto how to fight.

1. Gaesatae are not simply large, strong men, who fight nude. They are elite mercenaries who used a 'magic potion' (a copious amount of a painkilling drug) before battle. So powerful was it, that they were reknowned to rip out javelins that had struck them, and throw them back. Because of this, Gaesatae have two hitpoints, and incredibly high morale.

2. Gaesatae are frightening to infantry. First, they fight nude, which is, in this period, interpretted as incredibly brave, if somewhat insane. Two, they have a reputation. They are famous for decimating huge numbers of enemies when outnumbered, and rarely fleeing from combat, as well as immense skill with their javelins, for which they're named, and incredible hand-to-hand combat skills.

This means they are some of the toughest infantry in the game. If you experience huge numbers of infantry lost to the Gaesatae, they're doing their job right. If they are outnumbered and still win a fight against infantry, they're, again, doing their job right. Later versions may have Gaesatae with increased expense, making them more rare, but their stats are designed to make you hate and fear what they'll do.

So, how does one go about beating them? It's a two part attack.

1. Javelins. Javelins and throwing spears are the most lethal ranged weapons in the game, so they have the highest chance of taking one of the Gaesatae's hitpoints. Do not charge the Gaesatae. If you have a unit that throws before charging, turn it to fire at will. Do not attempt to engage the Gaesatae in a melee, it is suicidal. Skirmishers are good, skirmishing cavalry is better. If you haven't the horsemen to pull off part two, javelins are the way to go. If you have a lot of javelin units, you should be able to pick them apart. Long-ranged javelin throwers are best, like some of the Germanic and Celtic units have. You can augment with other range, of course, but you may wish to be using that elsewhere; I'm sure the enemy has more than just a single unit of Gaesatae.

2. Cavalry. Cavalry do not experience the lowered morale of infantry engaged in Gaesatae. Now weakened by the javelins, and likely with morale lowered a bit, try to strike the sides or rear of the Gaesatae, if it's viable. Weakened, the Gaesatae will die easier, and you may get a few in the charge. You have to be timely; it's best not to let Gaesatae reach your infantry, though, if you have some cheap infantry or mercenaries, or something disposable, you may use it to tie the Gaesatae up for a little while to let the cavalry do its work. Even in this case, do not attempt a prolonged melee. Routing units lower other unit morale, and you're using the cavalry largely because their morale will not be lowered.

Done correctly, the Gaesatae will rout. Make sure you leave them a way out though in most cases; don't attempt to surround them with infantry. They'll fight to the death and you will lose men needlessly. Following this pattern, you should be able to handle Gaesatae. Just keep in mind, you'll have other things on the field to fight. It's just unlikely they'll be as devestating.

[GoreBag]

I routed a unit of Gaesatae last night, actually, without too much trouble. I just treated them like the juggernauts they were and swarmed then with crap infantry, then had a light cavalry charge thrown in at their backside. This, coupled with the recent death of the Gaesatae's general and a few routing units near to their melee, was enough for them to turn tail and face slaughter from the cavalry who had already engaged them.

Really, guys, it's not that hard. Just use your head.

[Chester]

I draw your attention to the website below. Notice that Gaesatae dead on the ground with a javelin in his chest. So they do work!

http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.asp...7&TabID=425714

Also notice the hail of javelins coming at the Gaesatae.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I agree, they're not overpowered. But I must admit I was a little shocked the first time because I was unprepared for them. I found routing the other enemy units first with a simple pin+flank or similar technique, then using the entire army to take care of the gaesatae last was the best technique for dealing with them. And if necessary send some of the cavalry after the other enemies routing so they don't turn around and join the battle again immediately. But now if the gaesatae are accompanied by good cavalry and regular infantry, they'd be a hard nut to crack.

[Ranika]

I agree, they're not overpowered. But I must admit I was a little shocked the first time because I was unprepared for them.

Honestly, I think this is where most of the complaints stem from. I don't think a lot of players are actually prepared for them, and don't know what they are. There are a few ways to kill them, but I find I get the least casualties with javelin-cavalry combinations. However, you don't always have that luxury, and cavalry is expensive. Isolating them is always a good thing if you can. You can mob them with junk-infantry, but units are expensive, even junk, and it's nice to pull things off with only a few casualties (unless you think that battle might end your current war, or if you're fighting rebels).

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I was fighting the unit with two units of hastati , a unit of princs and another couple, some light infantry and they were getting battered by the big celts and then i crashed two units of equites in the rear and they did nothing and i think they lost a couple of men. I have also seen them enter a javelin storm and barely lost any men and we are talking alot of units here.

I mean i know these fellas are tough and have a shield but if several scores of javelins are hitting your naked frame they should be putting you down.

[SwordsMaster]

I'm just curious, but Gaesatae seem to be one of the most popular units to pop up in rebellions in central Italy. I mean if they are elite mercenaries and all, shouldn't they be rare for the rebels too?

[Ranika]

SwordsMaster; I've already noted that concern elsewhere, and yes, they show up too often.

BKB; that sounds about right. They don't take much damage in a melee usually, and hence why softening them with javelins is important. However, it also sounds about right with javelins, depending on which units; they shouldn't lose too many that quickly. Were these two seperate incidents or one? If it was one incident, it was a fluke, if it was two seperate incidents, those are what should have happened.

[Conqueror]

I've only faced them once, in a custom battle. I was playing Getai vs the Aedui, who had 1 unit of Gaesatae. First, I thought about using a Sarmatian merc unit to lure them to a chase, but that turned out impossible because they were surrounded by so much other gallic infantry that I could never get cavalry anywhere near them. What I did was order all my archers to focus fire on the Gaesatae. It worked very well, for they spent quite some time lugging javelins before finally closing to melee with my line. By the time they did so, they had been shot so full of arrows that they routed very soon after attacking my phalanx. They didn't seem overpowered to me, and like I said I never even had the chance to use cavalry against them.

[jerby]

I was fighting the unit with two units of hastati , a unit of princs and another couple, some light infantry and they were getting battered by the big celts and then i crashed two units of equites in the rear and they did nothing and i think they lost a couple of men. I have also seen them enter a javelin storm and barely lost any men and we are talking alot of units here.

I mean i know these fellas are tough and have a shield but if several scores of javelins are hitting your naked frame they should be putting you down.

well, you casn't expect a unit that eats up infantry like that to just roll oevr and play dead when your send 3 volley's of javs...but some javs will definatly take away a hitpoint...1 down, one to go..

[CorporateSlave]

I found that my experience confirms what Ranika is saying: skirmisher cavalry and javelliners work best against the Gaesatae. In my Casse campaign I am mostly using the Caledonians for javeliners, although they don't seem to be that effective against the Gaesatae - case in point in the last battle: 3 units of Caledonians empty all of their missiles into one unit of Gaesatae and only killed 3 men. At the same time skirmisher cavalry, like one of the Epos (forget the exact name) is stellar. I was able to kill off 3/4 of the 40 men unit with one unit of epos at zero casualty! Anyone who've fought against these naked buggers will appriciate how satisfying it is to see them dead on the battlefield!!

I wonder if shooting them with war machines, like catapults, will do the trick as well? Too bad Casse will never get that far..

At the same time, any attempt to smash them with infantry or even chariots proved unsuccessful. These are truly crazy men, who are not afraid to die. My only suggestion is to make them a bit more rare. Once I fought an army of Aedui staffed entirely of Gaesatae, at ten units. They were unstoppable killing machines. Would be nice to have a limit, of say one or two per stack, no more.

By the way, regarding the oversized scrotum - I find it quite startling. It makes me wonder if the design was intentional to show their aptitude for a good fight, or a social commentary on the personal life of the pink devils - what woman would want to date a crazed, drugged-out blood junkie?? Maybe that's why they are so ruthless in their wrath!

[econ21]

I managed to hold two units of Gaesatae with two units of early triari this evening. I suspect other good phalanxes could do the same. It was fairly easy as the gaesatae were easily detached from the main Gaulish army and so could be engaged head to head by the triari. It was then like a Mexican standoff - neither seemed to really hurt the other, but it looked like it could go on all night. It gave me the time to throw some javelins and charge some cavalry in their rear - even so in one scrap, my cavalry (Roman generals with 2HP) got awfully mauled down to 11 men. Perhaps more significantly the triari bought me time to rout the rest of the army so that eventually the gaesatae's morale crumbled.

I've been struggling to find a use for my triari - too slow to suit my still of play and certainly too slow to be be a counter to cavalry - but now I may have found one.

[Antagonist]

I have also found phalanxes to be reasonably effective at "pinning" Gaesatae (as long as they engage from the front, of course) I had a lot of trouble at first capturing the southern independent regions of Gaul because of the Gaesatae units, but by utilising Mori Gaesum to pin them I was able to eliminate them as Ranika suggested (moving behind them, some javelin fire followed by a cavalry charge) without too much difficulty.

Personally, my perception of them is that while they can be shocking at first, they aren't really overpowered once you learn how to deal with them, however actually using them yourself is another matter. Because the AI does not know how to counter them effectively it is very easy to win battles with Gaesatae - playing as Aedui, following an expensive campaign against the Sweboz I have two veteran Gaesatae units, one with 9 gold chevrons, and it is a great temptation not to simply launch them at the enemy, no matter how numerous, and expect comfortable victory.

Antagonist

[Ergion]

In this great battle I had upload a time ago you can see how gaesetae can be defeated easely if you trowing javelins to their back.

http://rapidshare.de/files/9941695/maravilla.rpy.html

[SwordsMaster]

In my (ongoing) roman campaign, 2 units of Gaesatae shredded to bits a 5 unit army of light infantry... They were just passing through!

[jerby]

In my (ongoing) roman campaign, 2 units of Gaesatae shredded to bits a 5 unit army of light infantry... They were just passing through!

nothing new...

[Danest]

German generals + bodyguards also out-stat the naked guys (I've been playing sweboz, and it seems a gold-chevron sweboz general with morale boosts and a few command stars can kill _anything_). Starting to feel guilty using them (with a defense over 30). Only weakness is no missiles, I guess.

[PSYCHO V]

In my (ongoing) roman campaign, 2 units of Gaesatae shredded to bits a 5 unit army of light infantry... They were just passing through!

..and you find that unusual? Are you familiar with the fate of the likes of Boadicea, etc?

[SirPoot]

I draw your attention to the website below. Notice that Gaesatae dead on the ground with a javelin in his chest. So they do work!

http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.asp...7&TabID=425714

Also notice the hail of javelins coming at the Gaesatae.

the Gaesatae in the websites looks fit and strong. In comparison, those in EB look......plain fat.....

[PSYCHO V]

the Gaesatae in the websites looks fit and strong. In comparison, those in EB look......plain fat.....

Fat ..I dont understand? You are looking at EB right..the guys with the stomach muscles showing?

[Dayve]

That's what i thought Psycho...

[jerby]

Fat ..I dont understand? You are looking at EB right..the guys with the stomach muscles showing?

soem people need to udneratdn that that's the way a muscular body looks without the gym...not like Conan the Barbarian....

[Dux Corvanus]

I would fight that "Celtic Warrior Queen" (?) at anytime. In fact, I would fight her four or five times...

[Wandarah]

If you ask me, this is a lot of wishful thinking. The gaesatae were usually pretty easily slaughtered most of the time. I cant actually find a single account of them turning a battle, or doing anything but making a lot of noise and throwing thier lives away.

Anyway wanna solidfy this myth for me?

[PSYCHO V]

soem people need to udneratdn that that's the way a muscular body looks without the gym...not like Conan the Barbarian....

I was wondering when someone would bring this up.

For starters, the "artistic impression" in that depiction is very close to what we have done in EB. Just that our units have helmets and are not as loose / animated due to the game limitations. And whilst the Gaesatae are muscular and toned..they are a far cry from Arnold and the Conan. They are just big, well built, fit blokes.

Speaking of 'bringing up' ...

..I do know a few things about the physiology in this regard...the unit is kinda modelled on my own bod (and Vercingetrix's ...bits).. and I dont go to a "gym"..well not anymore. Just do regular exercise and keep fit. Nothing more than these guys would have done. You can be buffed and toned without being a gym junky or taking "enhancements".

My wife was looking at the Gaesatae the other day and the penny dropped.."now I know why you were parading naked in front of the mirror" says she.


... and if that bit of info hasn't ruined the EB experience for you I don't know what will?

[paullus]

Sheesh

[Dux Corvanus]

Yikes!

[Jebus]

So this means that it is your penis we keep seeing in the game, mirrored thousands of times?

There has to be a law against this kind of thing.

[PSYCHO V]

So this means that it is your penis we keep seeing in the game, mirrored thousands of times?.

No, my arse... Vercingetrix's (Modding Godfather's) "bits"

There has to be a law against this kind of thing.

Probably. Neither of us are professional artists so necessity dictated that we needed subject matter. Verci is still having counselling... all that time modelling blokee bits wierded him out.

Ah..the lengths to which EB goes to get the best / most accurate product possible for the community! One for the team.

.... and I'd like to clarify at this juncture that at no point was the aforementioned subject matter shared in any form between us.

my2bob

[Dayve]

Lies! You just did it as a way to get a picture of your behind on the computer screens of thousands of people!

And unbann me from the .com! I want to talk about the new TW game there...