What faction to play as?

[Pezlu]

Actually I'm playing with the romani and their units don't seem that bad... if used properly of course. I'm in Polybian times now, but I'm still using the camillan units that where still around when the reform happened. Effectively.

Maybe they are not as powerful as the elite units of other factions, but Roman's elite units are pedites/equites extraordinarii after all... and before Marian times you have to rely a lot on locals, since you can have romans only in italy; so you can get some good troops here and there (ok, not many; but still there are Neitos and Brihentin only a few provinces north...).

About roman's cavalry: equites romani suck, i agree, but the roman army is mainly based on heavy melee infantry and that makes a good work.

[Imperial Fist]

Actually I'm playing with the romani and their units don't seem that bad... if used properly of course. I'm in Polybian times now, but I'm still using the camillan units that where still around when the reform happened. Effectively.

Maybe they are not as powerful as the elite units of other factions, but Roman's elite units are pedites/equites extraordinarii after all... and before Marian times you have to rely a lot on locals, since you can have romans only in italy; so you can get some good troops here and there (ok, not many; but still there are Neitos and Brihentin only a few provinces north...).

About roman's cavalry: equites romani suck, i agree, but the roman army is mainly based on heavy melee infantry and that makes a good work.

I am or better was playing romani until today. As a romani fan i should like them, but unfortunatly i dont.
I have given up playing because i just got pissed off by 2 facts:
1. and most annoying: the reform conditions for the romani.
Ok polybian reforms r eazy to get, but when it comes to marian reforms the porbs begin. I have 5 plebs on the whole map and only 2 of em r sharp/char/vig.
Only 1 guy has everything u need to iniciate the reforms and the the thing with 45 provinces is also done. What happenes? Nothing for about 4 years nothing( and i was already in 159bc). To conquer 90 provinces is just nonesense! I dont wanna fight in asia minor and send reinforcements from italy(what takes u 1 whole year fromt taras harbor) or just use mercs or regional auxillia.

2. I just cant emagine how the hell some light troops like orindary iberi caetraii(or compareable) r able to cut princepes xp 3 bronze chevrons into pieces. I know they use ap weapons, but what has that to do with balance?

Ill try to play as romani again, but in 2 or 3 weeks or so.

[Pezlu]

I am or better was playing romani until today. As a romani fan i should like them, but unfortunatly i dont.
I have given up playing because i just got pissed off by 2 facts:
1. and most annoying: the reform conditions for the romani.
Ok polybian reforms r eazy to get, but when it comes to marian reforms the porbs begin. I have 5 plebs on the whole map and only 2 of em r sharp/char/vig.
Only 1 guy has everything u need to iniciate the reforms and the the thing with 45 provinces is also done. What happenes? Nothing for about 4 years nothing( and i was already in 159bc). To conquer 90 provinces is just nonesense! I dont wanna fight in asia minor and send reinforcements from italy(what takes u 1 whole year fromt taras harbor) or just use mercs or regional auxillia.

2. I just cant emagine how the hell some light troops like orindary iberi caetraii(or compareable) r able to cut princepes xp 3 bronze chevrons into pieces. I know they use ap weapons, but what has that to do with balance?

Ill try to play as romani again, but in 2 or 3 weeks or so.

I don't have many problems with principes... Yeah, they are not the best heavy infantry around, but they do their job fairly well...

I saw the requirements for the marian reform and I agree, you need A LOT of luck to get them. Unless you know exactly what affects the assignment of the necessary traits, like becoming consul, and have time (and will) to work on the few generals that could become "Marius". I have seen a few other posts with people who had some difficulty getting the reform so it's probably not just an impression... it is really that difficult.

I'll see...

[beatoangelico]

2. I just cant emagine how the hell some light troops like orindary iberi caetraii(or compareable) r able to cut princepes xp 3 bronze chevrons into pieces. I know they use ap weapons, but what has that to do with balance?

roman infantry is not meant to beat everything on 1vs1, it's a reliable, cheap, all-round infantry that excells at stabilizing the front, allowing multiple flanking actions

[konny]

I agree that the Roman Reforms are a bit hard to get, in particular compared to the easy way the other factions get their Reforms. I would strongly recommend to alter the conditions by hand when playing them (for example, I had tied them to the number of provinces owned only, according to about the number of lands the Romans historicaly held when reforming their army).

2. I just cant emagine how the hell some light troops like orindary iberi caetraii(or compareable) r able to cut princepes xp 3 bronze chevrons into pieces. I know they use ap weapons, but what has that to do with balance?

The Roman units are not bad at all.

The Camillan Hastati are cheaper and, due to their AP-Pila, better than the Pletastai (would be the Greek equivalent to them). The Camillan Principes are not of the best units, certainly.Their underhand spears and loose formations forbids to use them against Hoplites and Phalanxes and makes them inferior to swordfighters. They are best used against Celtic spearmen or other underhand spearfighters, and of course cavalry. The Camillan Triarii are amongst the best Hoplites in the game. They are much better than Haploi and Classicals (or the Karthagian equivalent) and do outnumber elite Hoplites, which can anyways only be recruited by KH.

Of the Polybian units, the Principes are certainly the best; forerunners of the later Reformed Cohorts. Provided you don't let them fight against serious odds, they should be able to fight everything down. That is save for heavy cavalry, for that your best unit in Polybian times are the Triarii.

In elite the Romans can muster the allready mentioned Extraordinarii and, in the early game, the Samnitici Milites. Both are able to force their way through every foe, even phalanx when taking heavy casualties into account. I use them very much in assaults on towns. In street fights 1on1 they can take the full advantage of their heavy armour, AP swords, dense formation and large shields.


Cavalry is the downside of the Roman army; but that's ok. The Romans do not field a Hellenistic Successor army and they are not the only one lacking decent horsemen (ever played the Sweboz!).


Now to your particular problem: Iberi Caetrarii are amongst the best units in the game. They look like nothing but 200 men, not to bad armoured with AP swords can make mincemeat out of most units. When playing Karthago one should always have at least two of them in the line up. Let them loose on the flanks of the Ptolemaic phalanxes and you'll see all those shining Agema melt away like snow in the desert. From my Romani and Karthagian campaigns I have learned to respect them as much as Gaesatae and would only attack them with superior numbers and supported by cavalry.

[Imperial Fist]

Yeah, i played sweboz. The guys rock, even without cav support. As soon as your eco is strong enuogh to provide germanic swordsman and phalangites u can slaughter almost everything. In my sweboz game bastarnolandam had a loylist revolt and i got a nice little city gratis. That was fun, because i was able to take crimea although my experienced armies stood in northern italy and southern gallia.
But to mention the romans again: Next time i invade iberia with the romans i just wont make the mistake and take princepes to this front only to watch them beeing slaugthered by light infantry.

[Obelics]

loving the challenge, if i play the Romans, i like it is difficult, cause you have to sent reinforcement from faraway provinces. And the battles are quite difficult.

The problem is when i play whatever other faction. Take Carthage or Epeiros or even KH, I expect to have some good challenge against Roma playing as one of these factions, but Rome is a very weak contender, i never felt scared. Instead, if i have to faces the Tolemaics or the Seleucids, they are a big pain cause their uber phalanxes and their strong melee infantry (galatian kleurikoi...), and their super cavalry... hmmm.

Even with the gauls is so easy to destroy romans stacks. Just put a line of Geroas in "Hold position", and strike in the back with the brihentin of the general...

Some one who is expert in roman military warfare should open a Thread like "Roman faction under-powered" like those threads opened by German fans.

[Wolfman]

I recommend the Saba for the reasons that were stated in the above post about them. Plus i just love the Saba and anything that has to do with Arabia. Second Faction I reccomend is the Getai. Glenn pretty much hit it right on the nail about them. Third faction are the Saka. I just love these guys. It starts out kinda hard plus you have that crappy steppe economy but it gets easier later on since they get reforms which allow them to train Hellenic ,indo-hellenic, and Indian troops.

[marodeur]

Either pontos or the getai. Pontos has access to lots of new troops in 1.0, so I would prefer them.

[Parallel Pain]

Well I just made my way through Saka VH/VH

So what's the hardest faction that doesn't have Horse Archers under 800 upkeep (or maybe no horse archers at all), as I'm sure I'll just blast everyone away with HA if I have them.