Quote Originally Posted by Tellos Athenaios
If we are talking multiplayer; yes I suppose so. But against the AI it's a perfect waste of money to use your valuable elites/agrianikoi on the flanks. That's what you've got your Thorakitai/Thureophoroi for. Especially when you are facing a missile based army you will suffer if you chose Agrianikoi instead.
No, it is not. Firstly, you place your elites on the flank, behind the phalanxes there. This way they are protected from missile units that can hit them, and can function as flank guards for your phalanx. What you do is wait until the enemy is completely involved in fighting your phalanx, then you charge them around the side and surround their flank units. After that a cavalry charge or two breaks them and initiates a chain reaction. I've used that tactic many many times with a very large degree of sucess.

So can the KH. So that renders this null and void, IMHO. And IIRC there is only one successor state which has even a somewhat decent AOR for Hetairoi: the AS. (Only 5 settlements on the entire map.)
Uuuuuum, no. They need a Regional MIC, and then its only in Demetrias. The Makedonians get them in Pella and Demetrias, from their factional MIC, which gives them the advantage.

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Yes but, no, , depends.

Yes, but: Thorakitai can not stand against your beloved ELITES; so, what? That's not quite what they're made for apart from the fact that such troops at the flanks mean you are unable to field many armies at the same time. Hypaspistai and Pheraspidai are not your every day soldiers on the flanks.
No, two elite units on one flank and assaulters on the other will not keep me from fielding many armies. Especially if I control northern Greece, Thraikia, and Illyria. The whole point is that the Hypaspitai and Pheraspidai make incredible flank guards, and can turn into flankers to create a massive slaughterhouse on the enemy flanks, which causes a nasty route after a cavalry charge or two, and then your phalanxes turn the center into a bobbing for enemies game.
No: there are many all relatively easy ways to force you to disrupt formation. Especially sphendonetai are quite good at killing your elite units. And if you are using Agrianikoi on the flanks in such an occasion, chances are they will contain more lead after the battle than if they were shot with a machine gun.
That is why you place them behind the phalanxes. The slingers will target/hit the phalanxes because of the limits of the engines. So barely any stones will hit, and of those a very small percent will actually damage a unit or two.
Also: consider the Thorakitai Hoplitai. Those are some nasty breed, of just about the same quality as Hypaspistai/Pheraspidai.

Depends: as said before your Taxeis Triballoi will have to be shipped from a handful of regions each and every time; Thorakitai have a far wider AOR. In effect the Thorakitai will cost less to get them to the field; and against the typical AI flanking troops (cavalry) they will perform better.
Very valid points (wtf are the Thorakitai Hoplitai? I though that the only unit the KH had on level with Hypaspitai/Pheraspidai was Spartiatai Hoplitai. Nevertheless, I can switch to auxiliaries such as the Triballoi, Samnitici Milites in Italia, and Nudists/Heavy Spearmen in Turkey.
Even so, I see that you have an excellent point.
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Massaliotai are a cross over between Celtic & Hellenistic influences. Do not underestimate their skill with their swords. Also, heavy skirmisher cavalry is not something to brush aside easily either: they are the single most effective cavalry against the inevitable hordes of rebels you will encounter; and they have many nasty surprises in store for any foe. You just need to become familiar with them; but if you can use Hippakontistai to such an effect that they can break the (rebel) enemy - Tarantinoi will be a truly formidable cavalry indeed.
Was this directed at me? and why the heck would I care about Massiliotes? They are even farther away than the Triballoi, and require the same MIC, while being available in only one city. I can see how they would be valuable to Rome, Epeiros, or any of the Gallic factions, but the KH?