Here's my subjugation socii method. After ~dozen polybian eras in rome1&2, I guess I'm more aiming for that extra flavor than best bang for the buck or efficiency
I can't really recommend it, since it's really pain to get Veneti to build both horse pens ( lvl3! ) and barracks in that 3 plot town.. I had to raze it and then let it rebel, reloading dozen times until I saw 'em being constructed. Also don't try it without that moar levy mod; https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfil.../?id=339408767 But well, now I'm good for next 4-500 turns My legions are pretty standard:
1 General
2 Equites ( if I have extra equites opimi Italici or equites opimi Veneti, I sometimes replace one with those for extra variation. One also later got elephants here. )
3 Triarii
5 Principes
5 Hastati
2 Leves ( when they phase out I use Greek akonstai or velites Italici until they get replaced by velites @ time of Hannibal )
1 Psiloi toxotai and 1 psiloi sphendonetai ( yeah I use greeks for my missile contingent early on. I remember reading that Hiero of Syracuse supplied romans with slingers and archers during 1st Punic war. These get eventually replaced by Cretans and Balearics ~when I hit Iberia ). Very early on had rorarii. 3rd legion got Sardinian and Corsican missiles, 4th got Veneti.
Ala Socii Magna Graeciae: This is quite different from my other alae since it has 4 hoplite units. Those non-AoR Tarantine White Shields have pike strength units ( bug?) making it capable to use both legionary formation and semi-decent phalanx when I use it as my allies ( I try stick to historic expansion with romans usually. In my current campaign I have to go liberate Pergamon and Cyrene, so these guys while campaigning alone double up as my Greek allies using phalanx ).
1 General
Equites: 1 Tarantine & 1 Syracusan citizen cavalry. 1 Sicilian hippakonstai
Triarii: 2 Tarantine White shields, 1 Syracusan and 1 Tarantine hoplites
Principes: 1 thorakitai, 2 Syracusan thorakitai, 1 Apulii extraordinarii
Hastati: 2 Sicilian footmen, 2 Syracusan marines ( used to have Syracusan samniciti here too, but they've lost their pila somewhere along the road ).
Velites: at start none, I use Mamertines here. They phase out after 1st Punic war and get replaced by akonstai, peltasts or thureophoroi.
Missile: 1 Sicilian slingers + 1 gastraphetes
Ala Socii Samniciti: These are almost the standard socii ala.
1 General
Equites: 2 socii equites, 1 socii equites extraordinarii
Triarii: bit low on spear: 1 pedites extraordinarii, 1 Lucanian hoplites
Principes: 4 principes Samniciti, 1 Apulii extraordinarii
Hastati: 3 Samniciti, 2 Bruttian infantry
Velites: 2 Lucanian light infantry
Missile: 2 funditores Italici
Ala Socii Venetici: Most painful to recruit, they double up as my barbarian allies too, looks like they'll be dividing up the Massalian empire soon.
1 General
Equites: 1 equites opimi Veneti, 1 Veneti equites, 1 exploratores Veneti
Triarii: 2 hastati Veneti ( 300 strong each )
Principes: 4 Veneti securiferi ( 300 strong )
Hastati: 5 pedites Veneti
Velites: 2 velites Veneti
Missile: 1 funditores Veneti, 2 sagittarii Veneti
Ala Socii Italici: This is bit spear happy, I actually once used it in phalanx formation against invading Massalian elite hoplites ( didn't have polybian reforms yet so these we're the better option )
1 General
Equites: 1 equites opimi Italici, 2 equites Italici
Triarii: 3 Etruscan hoplites, later became 1 of each; Etruscan, Campanian and Veneti hoplites
Principes: 2 hastati opimi Italici, 2 Taurisci securiferi ( 300 strong ) -yea.. spears and axes as principes, now that's barbaric!
Hastati: 5 ensiferi Italici
Velites: 2 velites Italici
Missile: 2 funditores Italici