Is there really a use for missle units?

[Tellos Athenaios]

Celtic factions get Sotroas, alright. Useful chaps. (My last due to RL unfinished campaign is in fact as the Casse, and even there I use a combo of Archers (Sotroas) and Slingers (Iosatae).)

[hoom]

Agree with the general trend here, Heavy Infantry vs Heavy Infantry, Rome doesn't really need any slingers or archers (nearly all the Roman units have javelins or pilum anyway) but vs (north) eastern horse archers, you really want your own horse archers and/or a bunch of the decently armoured archer/infantry units like the Bosphorans.

[pezhetairoi]

Well, the Celts DO have the Sotaroas, but that's only after Time of Bondsmen. Before that, I have to rely completely on slingers, and by the time Bondsmen comes along, most of the slingers have achieved at least one silver chevron, so I don't want to stop using them. So the archers never come into the picture at any time, unless I raise a new army. Which rarely happens.

[Digby Tatham Warter]

Well I use a combination of Archers & Slingers. Why choose if you can have the best of both for cheap?

I do the same for versatality. I can always find precise uses for both. Plus I believe the real armies would of often had a real mix of missile units.

Someone said they use missile troops to draw the enemy onto their cheap to replace troops, well I do the opposite and draw them onto my crack troops. And if the enemy turn tail early they get a few broad sides from every missile unit within range up their 'jacksie'(backside).

I like combined arms armies, for realism, effectiveness and the overall cosmetic effect(flamming arrows, battle field troop line up).