Usually I don't craft a Royal Army until I've reached the Empire Stage (30+ provinces.) They aren't so much practical military forces as much as they are a demonstration of my empire's vast reach and might. However, since they do comprise completely of veterans (must have at least 1 Gold Chevron before I consider them worthy) and elite units, I have won grand victories with them. While I do often create a "prime army" with picked units, intended to be lead by my Faction Leader/Heir/Preferred General, the Prime Army takes into consideration timely recruitment and replenishment, which is not practical for my Royal Army.
My favorite Royal Armies are the Army of Streuinta, which serves the Druit-Rix of the Boioi; and the Army of Armavir, which serves the Arkhayitsh Arkhay of Hayastan. There are other examples which I've put to good use, including the Stratos Akhilliad, which razed Roma to the ground as the last act of Pyrrhos Aetos. However for now I will simply cover the Kondamantes Streuinton. It's formation was a long process lasting over a hundred years in game time, and since I can't remember utilizing a Royal Army in...it's Royal Army capacity outside of it's final form, where it fought the Cohors Legiones; my tactical assessments will apply only to it's circa 52 BCE form.
https://i.redd.it/dthd59ldxcf51.jpg
Pros:
Made up of numerous veterans with several distinguished units further boosting morale, I have yet to see any of these men flee, even in the face of the finest Romani. With my meritocratic approach to the election of the Boioirix, ensuring any general that would lead the host is a distinguished veteran bearing multiple social honors, they are nigh unbreakable.
Makes heavy use of elements uniquely suited for attack, the Thraikians, Bastarnai, and Gaisatoi are especially distinguished in this.
Well balanced mix of spearmen and swordsmen, light and heavy cavalry. Though this army is clearly better at aggressive maneuver than it would be at taking the slow or ranged approach, it has flexibility that can address a variety of stages of battle or different foes.
Cavalry arm is well built (if a bit gamey,) with the only weak link in the bunch being the single Epades Dessis (and to be blunt the Zibutai perform below their price range.) Having overseen many of these units on the Battlemap, I have a fair (though not scientific) understanding of their...standing. I am confident that they won't lose out unless outnumbered or facing the AI's shenanigans...like 5 Aspidiotai Hippeis + supporting cavalry or something.
Cons:
Extreme diversity means any losses will be a massive pain to replace in terms of time spent and movement points consumed.
Despite the Elite status enjoyed by the majority of it's soldiers, they are actually not well armored in comparison to the Agema of my Makedonian allies or the hated Legiones of Roma. Thanks to the Keltic Twilight reform, the Army of Felsina is by and large better equipped. This means that if the prodigious offense of the Royal Army fails, then they are susceptible to being ground down. A fitting weakness, I suppose. According to the Tribal traits the Boioi are supposed to specialize in attack.
A complete lack of skirmishers means that the Royal Army has no means of harrying the enemy at range, or responding in kind if they have no way to close the distance. Which is just as well, I much prefer the brevity of the melee clash.
Several elements of the host, such as the Italic Keltoi, the Eluetoi, and the Noroi Keltoi are actually middle-of-the-road as far as their performance goes. In extreme circumstances they could prove to be the weak link.
History:
The historians of the middle sea have had much reason to fear the dominion of the Boioi, having burst forth from the Alps and Balkans to form a great power that dominated Europe, bloodied the vast Steppes, and even holds an enclave in Asia. Even so, the history of the warriors that personally accompany their Druid-King, a symbol of the confederation's unity and might, is known only in fragments. Fortunately, the line of the Druit-Kings is long, and the inscriptions they left behind can at grant a rudimentary timeline of the Royal Army's formation.
In 210 BCE, 42 years after the Second Sack of Delphi and 16 years after the Liberation of Felsina. Reign of Boioirix Ariandos. From his post in Felsina the Boioirix sends the Ubioi Epas Kokolitanos, aided by the Boioi Epas Lukterios, to rescue the Antigonid domain from the Aiakids. Benefiting from the Second Sack of Delphi dissolving the credibility of the rising Koinon Hellenon, the Aiakids have capitalized on the chaos of the Boioi's passing and rule most of Hellas. As well as Syrakousai, Rhodos, Ephesos, and Knossos. The Boioi themselves have expanded their domain as far east as the Skordiskoi, then liberating Felsina under the legendary Boioirix Battaios, and recently warred with the Sweboz, liberating the Ubioi and the Treveroi. Orbios Uindomorukios, while studying in Streuinta, is inspired by his time as a hostage in Roma and a mercenary in Qarthadast to begin forming a multi-tribal army. The Orbios requests the Boioirix to send distinguished warriors to Streuinta.
In 180 BCE, 72 years after the Second Sack of Delphi and 46 years after the Liberation of Felsina. Reign of Boioirix Uindomorukios. The Boioirix returns to Streuinta to begin the final period of his studies and ascend to Arduodruits. Despite winning acclaim and prestige from his service to Qarthadast, the Boioirix had to prove his new army to Ariandos and the heart of the Confederation in Streuinta. After waging war against the Aedui and Pritanoi, claiming the lands of the Belgae, Uenetoi, and Ikenoi; freeing the lands of Widura and Skadinauja from the Sweboz; suffering the betrayal of the Lugiones; and conquering Dacia (though a stronghold of Getai would remain in Pergamon for some time,) Uindomorukios has set in stone the use of allied Kingetoi in the hosts of the Boioi.
In 153 BCE, 99 years after the Second Sack of Delphi and 73 years after the Liberation of Felsina. Reign of Boioirix Endamos. The Boioirix accepts custody of Galatia from Basileus Aristotelis Antigonides, in exchange for 10,000 mnai. His last act before dying by the will of the gods. Arduodruits Mogetemaros is sent to negotiate with the Three Tribes. Mogetemaros spends his tenure strengthening Keltoi culture in the land and eventually mustering Galatians to serve in the Boioi hosts. After proving themselves, the bravest and best armed of their number present themselves in Streuinta.
It is by 52 BCE, 200 years after the Second Sack of Delphi and 174 years after the Liberation of Felsina, that the Royal Army would be put to the test. Reign of Boioirix Amminos. The Romani, after many failed attempts over the last century to seize Felsina, suffer the loss of Umbria to the Boioi and face being driven out of Gaul by a Boioi-Aedui alliance. In response, they refashioned their army into a machine more formidable than any that came before it. They seize Iberia, Africa, and Gaul up to the lands of the Belgae. Having stationed Legiones across their border with the Boioi, now stretching from Gaul to Illyria, they march on Felsina. After several months and the loss of a quarter of their forces, they claim Felsina, utterly shocking the Boioi. In response, the Boioi muster nearly all men in the lands of the Belgae and Pritanoi, the core of the Confederation near Streuinta, Galatia, and Thraike. Now fully formed and replete with proven men and nobility from across the world, the Royal Army descends from Streuinta to Felsina to confront the bulk of veteran Romani and numerous Primi Ordines, accompanied by a few Eqvites Auxilium and Antesignani.
The Royal Army, commanded by Boioirix Amminos, faced the bulk of Evocati at the Po River, commanded by Spvrivs Cornelivs Scipio. Both sides stood on opposite ends of a wide, gently rolling hill. The Romani, thanks to the inflated numbers of their new Cohors, outnumbered the Boioi by over a thousand. However, the Boioi held superior numbers in cavalry. The Boioi ordered their spearmen to the left, and swordsmen to the right. The Rompaianai and a unit of Draugai stood behind the line. The Gaisatoi were posted with the cavalry on the right, which held the Boioirix, Treveroi cavalry, and the Galatian cavalry. Both sides ascended the hill, closing to contact. Before both sides could fully form opposing lines, the Boioi right cavalry charged towards and catches the Romani left cavalry, lead by Amminos. The Boioi infantry rushes to close to the Romani, seeking to avoid suffering the deadly Pilum. Spvrivs, who lead from the Roman right, rushed himself left to shore up the left cavalry. Unbeknownst to the Romani, the Gaisatoi had managed to keep pace with the cavalry, and now tied down the Romani left cavalry, allowing the Boioi heavy cavalry to envelop and scatter the Romani left. The Epades Dessis are committed to running the Romani left cavalry off the field. Spvrivs is caught in a large scale fight near the body of his infantry. Meanwhile, the Boioi infantry were able to engage the Romani with most of their strength remaining, but the Romani were able to loose a few volleys. The Mandonai are committed to keep the Romani from flanking the Boioi left infantry. The Zibutai and Markaridai desperately clash with superior numbers of Eqvites Auxilium. The most weakened elements of the Boioi left make a short, measured withdrawal, turning the Boioi left into a checkerboard. The biggest gap is left in the center, the Rompaianai and reserve Draugai rush to engage the Romani mass. The leftmost units, a group of Ambaktoi Kington and the Mandonai, join the left cavalry fight and scatter the Romani right. The Boioi left cavalry encircles the Romani and begin charging their flanks. The Mandonai encircle Spvrivs' bodyguard and slays him. With their commander and cavalry gone, not even the Romani could secure victory. They were slain to the last man (or at least that's what I prefer to the mass capture and enslavement that actually happened in the game,) and the Boioi Royal Host lost about a fifth to a quarter of their number in the battle. To anyone else, these losses would have stung, but against such mighty foes it was a worthy trade. Furthermore, with this army vanquished, and with the help of a spy, Felsina was reclaimed.
The grand victory at the Po restored Boioi confidence, and with mailed soldiers, "Kondamantes," mustered in unprecedented numbers, the Boioi began their counterattack. Tauriskoirix Kritognatos, Orbios and Senonesrix Frontus, Skordiskoi Epas Enestinos, Galatesrix Taskiouanos, Insubresrix Neracos, Skordiskoirix Adcobrouatos, Eluetoi Epas Taskiouanos, and many more esteemed commanders began a war on a scale never before seen by the Boioi people. Holding bridges and forest ambushes in Gaul, a naval invasion of Southern Italy, a brutal siege in Illyria, clashes in the mountain highways of the Alps. Despite heavy losses the Boioi managed to seize the majority of the Italian peninsula, and drove into Akuitanon. In order to prevent Roma herself from falling to the torch, the Romani sued for peace, which the Boioi granted only after the ceding of Qarthadast and Atig. Having proven the dominance of their traditions, and adding the might of their new mailled hosts, the Boioi had proven themselves undisputed masters of Europos.
