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Rome: Total War Units Feature 2 July 29, 2004 Jakub Wojnarowicz |
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Summary: The second installment of our Rome: Total War units feature is here. This time we present le Gauls, zee Germans and of course the Greek city-states. Fear the screeching women of Germany (you think Panzers defeated Poland in World War II? Hah! It was those nagging hags!), the barbarian hordes of Gaul and of course the mightly hoplite phalanxes of Greece, in particular the Spartans!
 Gauls | Page:: ( 1 / 6 ) |
Peasants are reluctant warriors, but barbarian peasants are better fighters than most: hard lives produce hard men. Numbers are useful in all armies, and forcing peasants to fight is one way of getting lots of men in the field quickly and cheaply. They have little tactical sense, and even less willingness to fight - they would rather be defending their own homes than be dragged to a battle they neither care about nor understand. They are, however, experts at reading the land and hiding when there is cover.
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Skirmishers
Skirmishers are lightly armed troops who should break up and harass enemy formations before the main battle lines meet, and act as a screen for heavier troops. Their skills also make them useful in springing tactical ambushes. Each man is armed with a clutch of throwing spears, a short sword and a small shield, but they do not wear armour preferring speed over protection. Skirmisher warbands are often the tribe's younger warriors. These men have yet to prove themselves as warriors, so are not necessarily tough enough to stand against a seasoned enemy in hand-to-hand fighting.
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Foresters
A life spent hunting is an excellent training for war. Personal courage, skill and the readiness to take a life can all be learned during a hunt. Foresters are highly skilled men with both the bow and the spear, their preferred weapons. They also each wear good leather armour. Their hunting skills also stand them in good stead when stalking men instead of animals - these men can hide almost anywhere, taking advantage of every scrap of cover. The ability to spring ambushes as well as fight hand-to-hand makes them a uniquely flexible force for a warlord and one that, unusually, has enough sense to obey all orders. Foresters already know that they are superb hunters and warriors, and do not need to prove their skills to anyone by attacking just because they can!
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Warband
Warbands are bound to the service of a strongman or petty village head. They are the basic 'unit' to be found in many barbarian armies. They fight well as glory and loot are the road to status but are often difficult to control. They care little for discipline and less for restraint, but they can be relied on to fight, and fight hard. In warfare it is up to each man to prove his own bravery and worth, so the savage charge into the enemy is about as sophisticated as they ever want to be! Each man carries a stabbing spear and a large shield.
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Swordsmen
Swordsmen are steadfast and aggressive warriors, the 'infantry of the line' for barbarian warlords. They are not very disciplined at times, as their sense of honour and bravery can make them eager to get into any fray, but they are uniformly superb swordsmen. They are equipped with good swords and large shields. Every warlord worth the name makes sure he has a couple of warbands of these hard men under his command.
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Chosen Swordsmen
Chosen swordsmen are the best fighting individuals in their tribe, and armed with the finest swords available. While superbly skilled and extremely tough, they are not naturally inclined to fight as a group. Personal glory and the need to be first amongst the enemy ensure that they are headstrong and ill-disciplined. They are, however, very well equipped with the finest swords that the smiths can make, along with chainmail armour and large shields. They are an intimidating sight for any enemy.
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Naked Fanatics
There are warriors among the barbarian ranks whose love of battle is such that they live for little else. Clad only in flimsy loincloths, the fanatics whip themselves into a frenzy by chanting, beating themselves and drinking heavily. In this state they make an unnerving sight on the battlefield! They are best sent into battle en masse, shocking the enemy by a ferocious charge, but they should be kept away from enemy cavalry. They carry just swords and shields and have practically no discipline, but they can cause heavy casualties among most enemies. They fight mostly (if not completely) naked to emphasise their own fierceness and utter lack of fear. Scars and tattoos adorn their skin, and they let their hair grow wild. Only after a kill is their hair cut often with a sword blade while standing over a freshly dead foe. While their reckless courage is not in doubt, they can lack the cohesion and discipline to adapt to setbacks, breaking and running in confusion when subjected to severe pressure.
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| More Gauls | Page:: ( 2 / 6 ) |
Druids are spiritual leaders with practical fighting skills who instil confidence in nearby friendly warriors. They have a religious zeal that gives them great courage and their mere presence fills nearby believers with confidence. Positioned just behind the battle line druids can also form a powerful reserve, ready to join the fray at a crucial moment. Equipped with sickle-shaped swords and small shields, the mail-clad druids are excellent fighters. Their good war gear is a reflection of their status as teachers, judges, soothsayers and the focal point of religion and magic among their people. As Celtic cultures lack a written form, they are also the memory of the tribe as well, remembering all the important facts of tribal history. Historically, the Romans despised and then targeted these men because they practiced particularly savage forms of human sacrifice and because of their cultural importance. When a tribe's history was wiped out, it became a little easier to bend the people to the will of Rome.
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Warhounds
Warhounds are bred for a savage nature and great size, but then hunting men is only a little more dangerous than hunting wild boar! The beasts are muscular and powerful. Originally bred for hunting large prey, they are now trained to hunt and attack men. Warhounds are usually unleashed on an enemy to break a line and unnerve opponents. Few men are able to stand steadily in the face of a snarling and partially-starved beast. The dogs are trained to bite and hold on, dragging down their human targets, and hamstringing horses. Their handlers are brave, foolhardy and not easily intimidated: many have fingers, hands or even chunks of limbs missing!
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Barbarian Cavalry
Barbarian cavalry are lightly armoured and carry spears and shields. They are best used as scouts and in pursuit of fleeing enemies, and ride sturdy, sure-footed ponies with a good turn of speed. Like many barbarian warriors, however, they can lack battle-discipline and be over-keen to enter battle against worthy opponents. Honour and standing come from fighting, and sometimes the urge for glory overwhelms good sense! These men are all good fighters, but find organised, formal warfare goes against the grain. They are unlikely to be very effective against steady infantry unless attacking from an unexpected direction.
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Barbarian Noble Cavalry
Noble cavalry are an elite in society as well as war, and fight bravely to justify their status. This can lead them to be headstrong, and difficult to restrain before a fight, as personal glory gained in battle is the only true measure of nobility. Their war gear of spears, shields and good chainmail is the very finest that can be provided. They are best used to break weakened enemy formations, fight against other cavalry and pursue fleeing enemies. While they are brave men and superb horsemen, they lack the cohesion of more 'civilized' cavalry, and may not be as effective in a hand-to-hand fight. Shock and initial impact are their main weapons.
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Warlord’s Cavalry
A barbarian warlord surrounds himself with fierce warriors as a personal guard. These spear-armed cavalry are an elite reserve for use in a moment of crisis. Every warlord commands by right of personal courage as much as tactical skill, and must prove himself in battle. He and his guards are equipped as cavalry with spears, leather armour and shields so that they can dash to any point on the battlefield. The warlord can inspire his men to greater efforts just by his presence, and also has enough men to be a significant force should the need arise.
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| Zee Germans | Page:: ( 3 / 6 ) |
Peasants are reluctant warriors, but barbarian peasants are better fighters than most: hard lives produce hard men. Numbers are useful in all armies, and forcing peasants to fight is one way of getting lots of men in the field quickly and cheaply. They have little tactical sense, and even less willingness to fight - they would rather be defending their own homes than be dragged to a battle they neither care about nor understand. They are, however, experts at reading the land and hiding when there is cover.
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Skirmishers
Skirmishers are lightly armed troops who should break up and harass enemy formations before the main battle lines meet, and act as a screen for heavier troops. Their skills also make them useful in springing tactical ambushes. Each man is armed with a clutch of throwing spears, a short sword and a small shield, but they do not wear armour preferring speed over protection. Skirmisher warbands are often the tribe's younger warriors. These men have yet to prove themselves as warriors, so are not necessarily tough enough to stand against a seasoned enemy in hand-to-hand fighting.
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Chosen Archers
Chosen archers are highly prized for their superior skills in war. They are the best archers available to barbarian warlords. They are all, as might be expected, excellent bowmen, fleet of foot and expert hunters. They are given the best bows available to their people, and are also equipped with good swords and chainmail armour too. This equipment means that they can do more than just defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat. They can, when required, act as light infantry. Their presence on a battlefield is always useful, as they have the flexibility to be both archers and infantry and do a good job in both tasks.
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Spearmen
The men of a spear warband are effective against cavalry and most infantry, but lack the discipline of more 'civilized' troops. Their spears, however, make them valuable defensive warriors for any warlord. The warband is the basic unit of any barbarian army - a group of tough warriors bound together in the service of a tribal strongman or village headman. Each warrior is protected by a large shield. In common with other Germanic warriors, these men are very clever when concealing themselves in forests.
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Axemen
Axemen are steadfast and aggressive warriors, the 'infantry of the line' for barbarian warlords. They are not very disciplined at times, as their sense of honour and bravery can make them eager to get into any fray, but they are uniformly superb fighters. They are equipped with good axes and small shields. Every warlord worth the name makes sure he has a couple of warbands of these hard men under his command.
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Chosen Axemen
Double-handed axes are intimidating weapons, especially in the hands of chosen axemen. These men can hack a hole in almost any enemy battle line. Chosen axemen are an elite among tribal warriors, selected for their physical size, strength, bravery and - some would say - pig-headedness. They are the assault troops of any barbarian army, the men whose only job is to smash any organised resistance and keep on killing until no foes remain. Fear is completely alien to them, as is any concept of mercy to a foe or a weakling among their own kind. They are fantastically strong men - and need to be to wield their enormous double-headed axes with any degree of skill and control. The axes are easily capable of cleaving a man down to his breastbone even through armour. Chosen axemen themselves disdain armour as a sign of cowardice.
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Naked Fanatics
There are warriors among the barbarian ranks whose love of battle is such that they live for little else. Clad only in flimsy loincloths, the fanatics whip themselves into a frenzy by chanting, beating themselves and drinking heavily. In this state they make an unnerving sight on the battlefield! They are best sent into battle en masse, shocking the enemy by a ferocious charge, but they should be kept away from enemy cavalry. They carry just swords and shields and have practically no discipline, but they can cause heavy casualties among most enemies. They fight mostly (if not completely) naked to emphasise their own fierceness and utter lack of fear. Scars and tattoos adorn their skin, and they let their hair grow wild. Only after a kill is their hair cut often with a sword blade while standing over a freshly dead foe. While their reckless courage is not in doubt, they can lack the cohesion and discipline to adapt to setbacks, breaking and running in confusion when subjected to severe pressure.
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| More Germans | Page:: ( 4 / 6 ) |
For most armies, night is a time for withdrawing to camp and roasting a boar or two. For German night raiders, it’s the time to paint themselves and set out in search of enemies to slaughter. Lightly armed infantry, the night raiders' value lies in their ability to spread terror. These warriors from the remote depths of the tangled German forests carry just a small shield and an axe, but weapons of iron and steel are only part of their armoury. Before battle, they daub their bodies with black dye, giving them an otherworldly appearance. When the moment is right, they charge - wild-eyed and screaming - at their foes. Any who survive assaults by these maniacal barbarians are convinced they are spirits sent from Hades!
Berserkers
Berserkers are extremely ferocious, aggressive, indomitable warriors with no thought for personal safety once the rage of battle comes upon them. They will use chants, strong drink, potions, rituals and even self mutilation to whip themselves into a fighting frenzy. Once the madness is upon them, little can stop them - their blood-crazed dash into the thick of combat is deeply disheartening (at best) to any who stand against them. They may try to cut their enemies to pieces in this state, but will think nothing of trying to gouge, bite, head butt and kick opponents to death as well. They disdain armour as a sign of weakness, along with mercy, common sense and knowing when to stop fighting. They are supremely dangerous foes in close combat.
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Screeching Women
German screeching women think nothing of participating in a battle, wailing encouragement to their own men as they fight, and screaming defiance at the enemy to unnerve them. It’s not uncommon for women to accompany armies on campaign, but few actually take to the battlefield. Germanic warriors are inordinately proud, so the prospect of facing the scorn of their women is more than many care to think about. While they wield their hatchets with gusto, their true value is in the unnerving effects they have on enemies - the foul ululations of these women can strike fear into the strongest of hearts! They are best positioned safely behind friendly infantry where, like dark and demented cheerleaders, they can avoid combat while creating their particular brand of intimidation.
Warhounds
Warhounds are bred for a savage nature and great size, but then hunting men is only a little more dangerous than hunting wild boar! The beasts are muscular and powerful. Originally bred for hunting large prey, they are now trained to hunt and attack men. Warhounds are usually unleashed on an enemy to break a line and unnerve opponents. Few men are able to stand steadily in the face of a snarling and partially-starved beast. The dogs are trained to bite and hold on, dragging down their human targets, and hamstringing horses. Their handlers are brave, foolhardy and not easily intimidated: many have fingers, hands or even chunks of limbs missing!
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Barbarian Cavalry
Barbarian cavalry are lightly armoured and carry spears and shields. They are best used as scouts and in pursuit of fleeing enemies, and ride sturdy, sure-footed ponies with a good turn of speed. Like many barbarian warriors, however, they can lack battle-discipline and be over-keen to enter battle against worthy opponents. Honour and standing come from fighting, and sometimes the urge for glory overwhelms good sense! These men are all good fighters, but find organised, formal warfare goes against the grain. They are unlikely to be very effective against steady infantry unless attacking from an unexpected direction.
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Barbarian Noble Cavalry
Noble cavalry are an elite in society as well as war, and fight bravely to justify their status. This can lead them to be headstrong, and difficult to restrain before a fight, as personal glory gained in battle is the only true measure of nobility. Their war gear of spears, shields and good chainmail is the very finest that can be provided. They are best used to break weakened enemy formations, fight against other cavalry and pursue fleeing enemies. While they are brave men and superb horsemen, they lack the cohesion of more 'civilized' cavalry, and may not be as effective in a hand-to-hand fight. Shock and initial impact are their main weapons.
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Gothic Cavalry
Gothic cavalry are an aristocratic - if such a word can be applied to barbarians - heavy cavalry elite of the German tribes. Having the wealth to risk a horse in battle requires status, and among barbarians this status is retained by acts of personal bravery. As a result, these men think little or nothing of danger, and are keen to be the first to come to grips with an enemy. They are well armed and well armoured, having spears, heavy mail coats and shields. They are, however, prone to attacking whether or not it makes sense to their warlord - glory and honour are always worth pursuing, after all! They are best employed at what they do best - hitting an enemy hard and repeatedly. Victory over the foe is always glorious, so they will not think less of an order to attack the flank or rear of an enemy unit.
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Warlord’s Cavalry
A barbarian warlord surrounds himself with fierce warriors as a personal guard. These spear-armed cavalry are an elite reserve for use in a moment of crisis. Every warlord commands by right of personal courage as much as tactical skill, and must prove himself in battle. He and his guards are equipped as cavalry with spears, leather armour and shields so that they can dash to any point on the battlefield. The warlord can inspire his men to greater efforts just by his presence, and also has enough men to be a significant force should the need arise.
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| All Greek to Me | Page:: ( 5 / 6 ) |
Peasants are reluctant warriors, but numbers are useful in all armies. Forcing peasants to fight is one way of getting lots of men in the field quickly and cheaply. They have little tactical sense, and even less willingness to fight - they would rather be defending their own homes than be dragged to a battle they neither care about nor understand. If nothing else, they are useful when there's digging to be done! They are, however, experts at reading the land and hiding whenever there is cover.
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Peltasts
Greek peltasts advance at speed to pepper an enemy with javelins, and then withdraw in good order before a counter-attack can be organised. They are skirmishers and it is their task to harass and disrupt enemy units before the main battle lines clash. They are also adept at staging tactical ambushes. Peltasts are equipped with a clutch of javelins, a sword and a light shield, the pelte, which gives them their name as 'pelte-bearers'. They wear no other armour, and rely on speed as the best form of protection, and this isn't much protection should they be caught by cavalry.
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Archers
Archers are rightly feared for the casualties they can inflict, but they are vulnerable in hand-to-hand combat. They are drawn from the peasant classes of all societies, as these are the people who need to be skilled hunters in order to survive. Learning to use a bow well is something that takes a lifetime and constant practice, and putting food on the table provides good practice. They are best used to weaken enemy formations, or placed in a spot where they can retreat and find protection from other troops.
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Militia Hoplites
Militia hoplites are levies drawn from cities and thrust into battle with a little training. They fight best as spearmen, and are armed with long spears and each carries the large round hoplon shield which gives them their name. As a type of infantry hoplites have been around for centuries and have changed little in tactics or equipment. These men wear no armour, but then they are drawn from the poorer classes and it is traditional for citizens to provide their own war gear when called into the army. The cities of the Greek world have a long tradition of the people defending their own cities from invaders. They are at their best when used as a solid block of spearmen and can form phalanx to attack the enemy.
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Heavy Peltasts
Heavy peltasts are skirmishers, but carry large oval shields into battle. This added protection makes them suitable for standing in the main battle line, as well as for flanking and screening duties. Their javelins are intended to thin the ranks of approaching troops, weakening their morale just before battle is joined. They also carry short swords for when they are asked to engage in close combat. A heavy peltast’s shield (the thureos), is made from wood covered in leather. While this confers reasonable protection, when confronted with heavy infantry or practically any form of cavalry, these troops should not be expected to stand for long. Like other peltasts, this unit is well suited to using ambush tactics.
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Hoplites
The basis of nearly all military power in Greece once revolved around the hoplite. Operating in phalanxes, or tightly grouped blocks, these men are a powerful force against infantry or cavalry. Hoplite tactics are simple: formations generally approach the opposing army in normal order, and then close ranks into the phalanx so that each soldier is protected by overlapping shields. Then it is simply a matter of closing with the enemy as quickly as possible to decide the battle. Well trained, these troops have great stamina, and are some of the most effective soldiers in the known world. Hoplites generally supply their own equipment, so are not drawn from the poorer sections of society. They wear a hardened leather cuirass breastplate, and carry both a round shield (the hoplon) and a thrusting spear. This spear has a bronze butt-spike to plant in the ground (bronze is not prone to rusting like iron), which doubles as a weapon if the pike shaft breaks.
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| More Greeks | Page:: ( 6 / 6 ) |
Armoured hoplites are an elite among Greek soldiery, carefully selected and given the best training to make them superior spearmen. Each of them is equipped with good body armour, greaves and a helmet and carries a large round shield, the hoplon that gives this kind of soldier the name of ‘hoplite’. Each man is also armed with a formidable thrusting spear called the xyston and a sword. They are usually employed as solid, close-packed groups of men, presenting a wall of spear points to the enemy. In phalanx formation, they use weight of numbers to batter into enemy formations. They are vulnerable to flank and rear attacks, and ideally need some sort of light supporting troops to screen them as they approach the enemy.
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Spartan Hoplites
Spartan hoplites are trained from infancy to be nothing but soldiers. They are 'perfect soldiers' and nothing else. All of Spartan life is spent training for war. Weaklings perish soon after birth; youths are taught to thieve and terrorize the slave class to harden them; young men are taught nothing unless it has something to do with the arts of war - even music and dance are there only to help keep step when marching and obeying orders. The result is a man who thinks nothing of danger, expects to win, and creates a sense of dread in his opponents. Spartans fight in the traditional fashion as hoplites, carrying a long thrusting spear and the large round hoplon shield, and as a phalanx: a close-packed mass of men moving as one to crush their enemies. If they have a weakness it is that they are hide-bound traditionalists, and the once-mighty state of Sparta has not moved with the times.
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Militia Cavalry
Militia cavalry are javelin-armed mounted skirmishers who can strike quickly and be gone in the time it takes a more ponderous enemy to react. They do not wear armour, but do carry shields and swords so that they can fight in hand-to-hand combat should the need arise. They are, however, best used to dash in and harass a mass of enemies, such as heavy infantry who cannot hope to catch them. They are not ideally suited to fighting other skirmishers - many of their javelins will be wasted against targets who can dodge, after all - but they can be very useful in harrying fleeing enemies and driving them from the field.
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Greek Cavalry
Greek cavalry are fast moving horsemen armed with spears for maximum impact in a charge. They are not heavily armoured, and do not have shields for protection, relying instead on the old maxim of 'speed is armour' for protection. As a result, they are best used as a hit-and-run force, rather than as soldiers who can indulge in hand-to-hand combat. That said, they are excellent for breaking up skirmishers, attacking lighter infantry such as missile troops and pursuing already broken enemies to prevent them rallying and rejoining a battle.
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General’s Cavalry
This general has a bodyguard of loyal spear-armed cavalry to accompany him onto the field. Armed with spears, these men are shock cavalry, able to deliver a devastating charge attack; they are then well trained enough to fight effectively in continued hand-to-hand combat. Like all general's guards, this unit is best committed to the fight at the point of crisis, when the general's inspirational leadership and the combat power of his men can tip the balance.
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Incendiary Pigs
Incendiary pigs are 'one shot' weapons intended to spread panic and terror amongst enemies, particularly mounted troops. The pigs are coated in pitch, tar and oil, and herded towards the enemy. At the right moment, the pigs are ignited by their handlers and, not unnaturally, they run away in pain and terror - hopefully towards the enemy. Apart from goring anyone foolish enough to get in their way, the pigs are tremendously disruptive to formations. They are also very frightening for elephants in particular, and this is their main use in warfare. Pigs can only be fired up once during a battle, and few survive for long.
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Onagers
The onager is a catapult jokingly named for the tremendous kick it has when fired at the enemy (an "onager" is a wild ass). This war machine is powered by a twisted spring of animal sinew ropes, the most elastic substance available. The throwing arm is held in tension by the sinews. When pulled back and held by a catch it can fling a boulder with considerable speed and range. This version can be used for reducing stone fortifications, but it can also be used on the battlefield for destroying enemy artillery and harassing troops (although admittedly by killing them outright). The onager can also be used to launch incendiary missiles such as firepots, making it a versatile piece of artillery to any commander.
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Ballistas
A Ballista is a sinew-powered weapon that looks like an enormous crossbow. It has tremendous range and can skewer files of men with a single bolt! While a Ballista might look like a huge crossbow, its working principles are rather different. The two arms are pushed through ropes made of tough animal sinew. This naturally elastic material is then twisted, and becomes a hugely powerful spring, pulling each arm forwards. The arms are pulled back, creating even more tension, the Ballista is loaded with a missile, and then this is shot at the enemy with considerable force. Providing care is taken to make sure that the two sinew bundles are under the same tension, the Ballista is a very accurate weapon, but because sinew is sensitive to damp a Ballista does not work well in wet weather.
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