Spartiatai Hoplitai

[pezhetairoi]

But then again, let's face it, with such a wild mixture you already have good enough troops to even defeat an army with three gaesatae in their ranks.

I find the Spartiatai impressive, but as you say, they are not meant for one on ones, though you can definitely rely on them to desperately hold an entire section of line for you against all comers if you had to, if you are prepared to lose quite a few of them. Something like my Arjos singlehandedly holding off an outflanking column of triple-silver Jugunthiz. They started with 121, they ended with 65. But they routed one of the Jugunthiz and held off the other two till help arrived, so.

[antisocialmunky]

The Spartiatai maybe good at last stands, but young family members are better as KH FMs seem nigh impossible to kill off and grow back with lots of chevrons and have that handy extra point of armour to boot.

[Maksimus]

There is one misfortune in 'engine' to this - as the hoplites are mostly much much weaker in one open battle (even on VH sett.)..
The AI si exploiting autocalculations on phalanx vice versa hoplites in one massive scale!

So In Greece - Makedonia almost always looses from KH after AI hoplites win on atocalc. as a rule against phalanx!? So even when Makedonia has 30-50% of phalanx in the army - she looses against the same numbers of KH that have no phalanx at all

I have tested it and I found the same solution as one that will (hopefully) be in overwhelming use for Horse Archer's in EB as a solution to 'never win in autocalculations' prob when AI plays. - I set the Hit Point's of phalanx from

1, 0 to (from) 1, 1 (and 1,2 - 1,3 - 1,4) for phalanx in the EDU

That has no effect on open battle but has on the AI autocalc. - so the full stack's of Phalanx Epeiros has in Italy wont 'fade away' that fast

The same goes for Makedonia at Athenai.. The phalanx armies will just hold their ground longer .. It is wonderfull - it work's very nice

[Perturabo]

Not a great fan of the Spartan Hoplites to be honest. No offence to anyone, but they are ok in flanking and city fighting, but a phalanx will win any time head to head, and in my humble opinion the Classical Hoplites look better and are better value for money.

The new KH bodyguard units on the other hand, well Brilliant looking and performing units, though very similar in use to the Spartans as one would expect.