Cost of Polybian Hastati vs Principes

[Intranetusa]

True, so the gold standard is 1/4 the recruitment cost = upkeep?

[Watchman]

Far as I know, anyway. (And if you want to see a case of those having gotten spectacularly buggered in the process, look no further than the Komatai Epilektoi... )

[NeoSpartan]

TWFanatic when you look at the units descriptions you will find the following:

Levies: are broke down individuals who cannot afford thier own equipment. So they throw a few rocks/arrows/javelings and run like hell when the enemy gets close.
--But u also have other levies who are either issued or get themselves a spear and a shield.

Regular troops like pre-marian legions, Phalangitai Deuteroi, Hoplitai, and a few more.
-Are land/property owners THEREFORE they can afford their own equipment (and vote in the case of western greeks).

Levies tend to be people who worked (or not worked) low paying jobs just get by.

[TWFanatic]

TWFanatic when you look at the units descriptions you will find the following:

Levies: are broke down individuals who cannot afford thier own equipment. So they throw a few rocks/arrows/javelings and run like hell when the enemy gets close.
--But u also have other levies who are either issued or get themselves a spear and a shield.

[...]

Levies tend to be people who worked (or not worked) low paying jobs just get by.

By levies I simply meant troops who are "levied" i.e. the militia army.

Regular troops like pre-marian legions, Phalangitai Deuteroi, Hoplitai, and a few more.
-Are land/property owners THEREFORE they can afford their own equipment (and vote in the case of western greeks).

Tell me something I don't know.

[J.Alco]

Not going to contribute to the landowners argument.

But I will say that for me it makes sense to have Hastati, given that they cost the same as Principes and that, during battles, it's always a good idea to have your crappier troops take the brunt of the fighting first, that way they tire out the enemy units. When that happens, I generally replace the Hastati with the Principes during any lull in the fighting and thus, when the enemy charges again, I've got fresh, well-armoured troops with good morale (and a full stack of pila) against tired enemy troops who have by this time normally wasted all their ammunition (at least when playing against AI). That tends to win the battle for me. If even that doesn't work, I bring out the Triarii and deliver the coup-de-grace. It's historical AND effective!

For me, the fact that they cost the same as Hastati is a bonus, not a problem.

[Pharnakes]

You, sir, are evidently an optimist who looks on it as a good thing that principes are as cheap as hastatai.


The rest of us seem to be pessimists who think it is a bad thing that hastatai are as expensive as principes




My opinion? short of the abolishment of all roman units except accensi (don't kill me bovi ), I think things are fine as they are.

[bovi]

(don't kill me bovi )

Why would I? You didn't turn your back.

[Intranetusa]

But I will say that for me it makes sense to have Hastati, given that they cost the same as Principes and that, during battles, it's always a good idea to have your crappier troops take the brunt of the fighting first...For me, the fact that they cost the same as Hastati is a bonus, not a problem.

Well, no, because if they cost the same and the principes is the better unit, the logical thing to do is to produce all principes and never produce hastatis.

[TWFanatic]

Precisely. For the sake of better gameplay, there should be an incentive for a player to recruit hastati. Worried about historical accuracy? Well, making the upkeep of both units the same is just begging for people to use principes instead of hastati, which is entirely inaccurate.