Town Watch, useless or not?

**Shieldmaiden** · 05-02-2007, 21:16

I end up Garrisoning my Cities with Peasants in every RTW Campaign. Why? Population and relative Unit size.

Does anybody else end up never recruiting Town Watch type Units either? Upkeep identical to Peasants but worse in the job...

I was toying with the idea of giving Town Watch (and equivalent, i.e - the Carthages) Units a Law Bonus, simply to make them useful for their intended purpose.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

**Caius** · 05-02-2007, 21:32

Town Watch can start a chain rout.thats why.

**paul_kiss** · 05-02-2007, 21:33

Never used them. As well as other weak units. I usually have normal decent level units in my towns - capable for keeping the order and defending.

**Shieldmaiden** · 05-02-2007, 23:29

Town Watch can start a chain rout.thats why.

I usually have normal decent level units in my towns - capable for keeping the order and defending.

Correct.

Since Town Watch aren't effective at defending OR reducing unrest - as bad as Peasants in battle and worse for reducing unrest - how would you go about making them useful?

Since they are described as a "Police" Unit, how about giving them a slight law bonus, like Temples, etc? Raise upkeep slightly to compensate for the bonus and keep Peasants as a viable option?

What would be balanced and make sense?

**Caius** · 05-02-2007, 23:45

Originally Posted by Shieldmaiden

Correct.

Since Town Watch aren't effective at defending OR reducing unrest - as bad as Peasants in battle and worse for reducing unrest - how would you go about making them useful?

Since they are described as a "Police" Unit, how about giving them a slight law bonus, like Temples, etc? Raise upkeep slightly to compensate for the bonus and keep Peasants as a viable option?

What would be balanced and make sense?

Im not sure if an unit can give law bonus...

Correct me please

**I of the Storm** · 05-03-2007, 00:23

I don't think you can give building-like boni to a unit. The only special abilities you can add are unit specific types such as "frighten xyz" or "warcry" or such.

You can however raise the stats of town watch units to the level of, say, militia hoplites, i.e. some more att/def values and increase their size to 120 men instead of 80. This way they have at least some value and can help in city defense along with some capable units.

**guineawolf** · 05-03-2007, 06:41

for me,i only use town watch as Scipii only(with VULCAN,it can reach 8 att;12 def,i oredi using them in my Wolve Army=Scipii,it works well),perhaps Brutii too(coz i am gonna played as Brutii in future).But of coz,i only put them into my reserve army(army that lead by another general follow the regular legion army to conquer),they work same as auxilia(soldiers use to support legion)but got lower upkeep,so i can get more men to my conquest with lower expenses.

for JULII,i only use them when i have no choice(like in the city that only got level 1 barrack).for defending a city,they are still ok,coz we got central plaza!
On the wall,you can mixed up with archers,so they work as delayed troops so your archers can fire all their arrows before get into melee combat,but if you got legion,i still suggest you use legion(legion works perfectly on the wall,i always put 2 legions mixed up with 3 auxilia archers for the frontier cities garrisons.

It worth more than it cost,just a bit lower than militia hoplites(with HEPHAETUS of Seleciud empire,i even use militia hoplites as my swordsman too,numbers solve everything).But with it's poor morale,you better let a good general to lead them and always stick together so they will only rout when their squad strength lower than 40% too...

the more men you put behind them(don't let them get flank in the rear),more longer they will fight!

**Ciaran** · 05-03-2007, 09:36

Originally Posted by Caius Flaminius

Im not sure if an unit can give law bonus...

Correct me please

No, you´re right. Well, mostly; in BI peasants have the "peasant" attribute, so they only get half of their garrison value. But I don´t think you can use it in RTW without using the BI exe, and that opens a new can of worms.

**Omanes Alexandrapolites** · 05-03-2007, 09:46

Hi,
Town Watch do, for me, have a small purpose. I prefer to use them over-peasants in cities, due to the fact that they are better fighters than cheap and lesser peasants, on the walls Town Watch can beat more powerful units than themselves, including legionaries, peasants cannot beat them, and they fight in a more organised formation with a shield - this provides them with a better defence against enemies that are charging at them and from missiles. Other than that, however, I cannot see a larger use for them.

**Shieldmaiden** · 05-03-2007, 12:21

Thank you all.

And sorry, I didn't look into giving a law bonus in depth before posting

Too used to doing buildings and traits and presumed...

**mightilyoats** · 05-03-2007, 12:50

Don't give up now! Maybe there is a way to do it with triggers or something! (although that sounds like alot of work...)

I feel the game is broken in this regard. Elite units should have been given more power in terms of keeping peace.

**Severous** · 05-03-2007, 19:05

Town watch are not useless. But...

But theres always something better to build. Peasants are better value as garrison, and if its fighting units you need then theres something better than town watch.

A very rare build in my campaigns.

**Shieldmaiden** · 05-03-2007, 21:06

Peasants are better value as garrison

I'd love to find out if its possible to mod RTW and buff reducing unrest if a particular type of unit is garrisoned. I.e - a Town Watch unit reducing double the normal amount of unrest.

Pipe dream? If we can't give a unit something a bonus what can we change, other than anims and model and combat stats, etc?