Roman Archers

**Octavius-Augustus** · March 31, 2008, 05:52 AM

I know we've been over this debate a hundred times, but I still think the Romans should be able to recruit/hire some form of weak archers before the reforms. Even after the reforms they are limited and quite expensive for their unit size and effectiveness. I maybe mistaking, but I think I also read somewhere that in RS 1.5a (which I currently play), the Romans should have access to Archers before the reforms. I also haven't seen city hoplites available for hiring, despite the 1.5 preview saying that they are now also mercenaries.

Is this all intended? Should I look in the modding forums how to add some crap archers to the Romans before the Reforms?

**Snake_Plisskin** · March 31, 2008, 06:25 AM

Well the city hoplites can only be recruited my the romans during the early period of great hellenistic influence on rome, after the reforms Rome cannot recruit them.
Also some peasant style archers would be handy for thinning out the early gallic incursions, i mainly use mercenaries eg cretans or balaeric slingers before the reforms occur.

**Mjr Phil** · March 31, 2008, 07:07 AM

Lack of archers is just part of a challenge

But seriously, I get on well enough with some mailed mercs that cost 500 with upkeep 385. Found them in north Salona. They're quite good, long range ones

**Octavius-Augustus** · March 31, 2008, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Snake_Plisskin

Well the city hoplites can only be recruited my the romans during the early period of great hellenistic influence on rome, after the reforms Rome cannot recruit them.
Also some peasant style archers would be handy for thinning out the early gallic incursions, i mainly use mercenaries eg cretans or balaeric slingers before the reforms occur.

Recruited, yes, hired, no. The 1.5 preview says they can be hired also. :hmmm: Or that's what I think. I use merc skirmishers too, but it's a pain to hire them all the time, no?

Originally Posted by Mjr Phil

Lack of archers is just part of a challenge

But seriously, I get on well enough with some mailed mercs that cost 500 with upkeep 385. Found them in north Salona. They're quite good, long range ones

I know about these mercs, quite handy but really tiresome to hire them only in Salona...
I wouldn't say challenge, I would say annoyance. I know that historically the Romans never used archers wide-scale, but once again, this is not authentic history here, it's alternative history. Whoever wants realism just don't recruit the damn unit but it should be included... It's not a 'pig on fire' unit, is it?

I just added my own archers but have some trouble with the skins...

Oh, and here is where I saw the info about Roman archer mercs :

20.Added a 'merc_archer' that becomes available with the first legions in Italy (before the 'Imperial Reforms'). It is a Barbarian Auxilia Archer that is recruitable only in Cisalpine Gaul and Venetia. That should console the Roman fans who miss archers so much. And it made no sense to have NO archers available when Named and Numbered Legions were becoming recruitable.

Quote by dvk in the 1.5 fixes thread.

**Nellup** · March 31, 2008, 08:06 AM

That bit at the end means the first republican legions which are available at the highest level barracks in some settlements before the reforms.

And while it is alternate history, it can't just disregard history entirely.

**Mjr Phil** · March 31, 2008, 08:03 AM

Why don't we add elephants as well, then?

I'd like to have some, actually... That would be alternative history!

**Mjr Phil** · March 31, 2008, 08:12 AM

Flying saucers would provide alternative reality (well, not really according to Daniken) and homing arrows with explosive warheads might be smashing addition

ALTERNATIVE ROMA SURRECTUM!

on the other hand... disregard that, it's best the way it is now.

**Caius Antonius** · March 31, 2008, 08:52 AM

Actually the romans did use elephants in the late period..

**chris1974** · March 31, 2008, 09:53 AM

In my current Roman Campaign after capturing Patavium (or Mediolanium) the 3rd archery building listed mercenary barbarian archer available for recruitment. However nothing new came up in the city's training roster. This all happened at least ten years before the reforms.

**Octavius-Augustus** · March 31, 2008, 10:28 AM

Oh, come on guys, I'm not complaining or anything.

I added my own archers. Plus, how could you compare elephants and flying saucers to some archers? You can't persuade me that before Imperial times, Rome used NO archers. Another thing that pushed me into including archers myself is the low to none number of archer mercenaries. The other factions like Carthage have 2-3 units of archers and they still make a lot of casualties, especially while my troops are trying to fight phalanxes or heavy infantry... But I guess it's personal taste.

**Nicholas H.C** · March 31, 2008, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by Octavius-Augustus

I know we've been over this debate a hundred times, but I still think the Romans should be able to recruit/hire some form of weak archers before the reforms. Even after the reforms they are limited and quite expensive for their unit size and effectiveness. I maybe mistaking, but I think I also read somewhere that in RS 1.5a (which I currently play), the Romans should have access to Archers before the reforms. I also haven't seen city hoplites available for hiring, despite the 1.5 preview saying that they are now also mercenaries.

Is this all intended? Should I look in the modding forums how to add some crap archers to the Romans before the Reforms?

I Agree.