Is there really a use for missle units?

[Ymarsakar]

I got to mention the satisfaction of using fire arrow spam to make the enemy elephants panic, thus squashing their own army's front lines. Even if you just kill the elephants, they still usually fall over and crush a boat load of their allies.

The Bosphoran heavy archers have a slightly lower than top range but with armor to make up for it. The Indian patiyoda archers are also useful, given their main armament. I use heavily armored archers like those two to make the AI's cavalry and phalanx units go where I want them to. The AI really likes attacking missile troops with cavalry. Best to get rid of those first.

Archers with their fire arrows also serve as an immediate demoralizer. That's very important if you don't have a lot of cavalry in place or light forces are blocking your cavalry's optimum charge route. That tends to happen with the custom formations that put the AI troops in two lines.

[konny]

A very cheap but very effective little army: 4 units of classical Hoplites with 2 units of Cretan Archers on each flank. They make mincemeat out of every force of the same size. (Add a unit of Hippakontistai to cut down what remains after the lethal combo of arrows, spears and swords)

[pezhetairoi]

Iaosatae get my vote every time. They make mincemeat of anyone when experienced, and are versatile, and they have many more shots than the archers so it really all balances out, especially where I use them most; sieges. Usually I just stand my slingers in front of wooden walls, and fire at will until all the enemy has retreated to the town square, exposing their backs in the process (just taking a few Gallic towns brought my iaosatae as the Arverni to triple bronze, this way), then halting their fire and turning off fire at will. Then I advance my rams, stopping in front of the wall without ramming. Some units would begin running forward again to anticipate the ramming. My slingers drive them off again with directed fire. Further losses. Then I begin ramming, and as this goes on more units will come forward again, and I whittle them down even further. By now only the town square unit is left, and my iaosatae will have conserved their ammo (I always leave a last few salvos for the endgame).

Did I mention my slingers outrange the archers so before the archers defending the town can open fire, they're running and facing their backs to me because I struck first?

My assault troops storm the breach, sweep away whatever pathetic opposition remains, and surrounds the town square. Then I bring up my slingers, and put them behind the surrounders. Fire two salvos, and the enemy should nicely and obligingly rush out of the town square to engage. Once they rout, battle over.

Either that, or keep firing until they die. That, or (in rare occasions) my slingers run out of ammo, my assault troops storm in (they have overwhelming superiority now) and slaughter the whole bally lot of 'em.

It's a real force multiplier. Now you can trap whole fullstacks in a city and whittle them down. Run out of ammo before the killing is done? No problem. Withdraw, come back again, besiege, and kill some more. Only when the skirmishing has brought the enemy down to manageable numbers, then assault and slaughter.

Even accensi on double silver are a force to be reckoned with. Archers are only one-dimensional--they can only engage unarmoured units effectively. Slingers can do both, are longer ranged, and have more ammo, though admittedly their unit size is smaller. It's pretty balanced, but when you consider that many of the (civilised) faction enemies you will face are armoured in some way or other, it's really much more useful to have slingers.

[konny]

Then I advance my rams, stopping in front of the wall without ramming. Some units would begin running forward again to anticipate the ramming.

That has nothing to do with the ram. They always come back after some time (and a lot of running around the town square). But they immediatly turn back when comming under fire. When you have breached the wall, usually one enemy unit is sent to the gate without running back under fire. Be sure to have javelin units behind the wall and you'll get this unit "for free".

[pezhetairoi]

It has a lot to do with the ram. I waited for 15 minutes directing fire once. After getting a few salvoes back and forth some of the units will just decide not to come out anymore after the current lot finish dying. I waited for 15 whole minutes with my rams not touching the wall, just waiting. Nothing happened while I ate my lunch in front of the comp.

Then I started ramming, and they galvanised into action for more bullet fodder.

There is a connection, though I grant that it doesn't happen quite every single time.

[konny]

Then I started ramming, and they galvanised into action for more bullet fodder.

I see, then I did misunderstood it. Certainly the AI comes back when you start ramming, but not when the ram is moved to the gate or placed near the wall without ramming.

[Tarkus]

I've found missile units to be a great addition to my Roman legions. I've used Balearic slingers, Numidian archers and Cretan archers to devastating effect against the Carthaginians (Numidians) in nothern Africa and in Iberia, and am beginning to outfit my forces in northern Italy with Iosatae in preparation for the Gaesatae horde. Do not underestimate their value!