Carthaginian Reform

[Divicorix]

Hi All

First of all, Great Mod! I really enjoy it. Excellent work!

I started a game as carthago on 0.81a, BI. It looks like no army reform is implemented (yet).
What would you recommend to use as "house rules" for recruitment of these units?

-Libyan Heavy Spearmen
-Liby-Phoenician Heavy Infantry
-Iberian Assault Infantry
-Elite African Infantry and
-Elite African Pikemen

I'm in the 250s and own all sicilly and half iberia. I expect a Roman invasion anytime now, they just kicked Epi out of itally.
Should i start recruiting the heavy Libys now? Or when did they apear first?

I'll wait for the Elite Africans untill I have a good General from the Hannibal-Generation and start invading Rome, I think.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

[LordCurlyton]

Heh well I managed to kick Rome's tail with Libyan Spearmen, Carthaginian Citizen Cavalry, and local merc backup. Works quite well. So my answer would be to not even bother with making the heavier units until you feel it is right. If you're RPing the Punic Wars, just wait until you declare Punic War I done with and go with that. Though I think that the Elite Africans were already around but in small amounts. So make 1 or 2 of each and try to avoid retraining it for the course of the war. The Liby-Phoenician Heavies and the Iberian Assaults I'd wait until Punic War II or Hannibal-era general for them. The Libyan Heavies I think you could make and not worry as it wasn't so much a counter to specific Roman developments but a natural progression of the concept, though it wouldn't be necessarily bad to wait until after your first War for them as well.
Since you didn't mention the Sacred Band units I presume you already have a plan for them? If not I would follow the Elite approach and only make 1-2 of each as well and try to avoid retraining.

[Divicorix]

I'm not RPing, I don't plan to lose this campain, hehe.
It's just to slow down my expansion a bit and give the romans a chance.
And I'm curious how the reforms will be implemented (if...).

So you think the African Pikemen were available early?
I thought the African Infantry were Hannibals veterans equiped in roman armour.

As for the Sacred Band, I planed to use one unit in my main army.

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

Well, common sense is a good guide. A small elite of pikemen and african swordsmen, light and heavy liby-punic phalanxes, thureophoroi and thorakitai style units, javelinmen, archers/slingers, 1/4 (of total cav force) light cav, 2/4 medium, 1/4 elite. Numbers vary depending on your fighting style. I find that the center of my line rarely gets hit hard so I use less phalanx units and more light and maneuverable ones better suited for the fighting that occurs on the flanks of my force. I also use light and medium cav better than heavy cav. I guess this only shows that Carthaginian armies can be very flexible and promote a more fluid fighting style.