Anyone played Gaul?

[AchillesXX]

Have any of you spent time in a Gaul campaign? Is it fun? How do you like the units that intimidate the enemy? Or druids, do they really help keep your side from routing? How are the Jav chariots? Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Diomede]

I'm actually in the middle of a Defence of Gaul campaign. My conquering limitations are basically everything to the north of me and west of the Rhine, not allowed to advance into Iberia.

All the units you mentioned can be pretty good. They're all shock troops though; I'd especially not rely on jav chariots for cavalry. Druids are best used as reserves and fanatics/berskerkers as flankers. My campaigns generally go blitz Indie Gaul, blitz Germany, blitz Iberia/Carthage, brace for impact with the Orange death then if you survive that, up to you. Either Rome or go into Thrace and Greece. I do play on medium with though.

[Boriak]

I started to play Germania which is similar to Gaul (with respect to all the Greek factions) but I got the feeling they have a very poor troop type selection. Their economy is also poor, if I remember correct.

[Diomede]

Well, that depends too. Barbarian armies are rather undisciplined, you can't fight in the same way as an orderly Greek would. No honour and personal glory that way! The surest way to get a solid economy with Germania it to conquer Britain, Camulodunum (sp?) will give you 5000 denarii a turn. That's more difficult now though. My preferred style with either faction is to focus on local superiority and work my way from there - I wasn't joking when I said berserkers were shock troops! Their hammers are effective against armour too.

[Hurlbut]

I do miss their berserking ability though, it was fun to watch them cut a swath through an enemy formation.

[AchillesXX]

Diomede - How does a high level Gaul army hold up against the Romans? At this point in my game I don't have any troops from a city barracks. I find that spear warbands, swords, slingers, javs, and cavalry have a semi-tough time with pre-Marian troops. Whole stack vs whole stack is winnable, but not without substantial casualties. So, what happens when you have heavy spears, berserkers and such? Have you fought post-Marian Romans?

On the positive side, I find it generally easy to beat barbarian enemies. Particularly the Spanish, they rout too easily. I haven't fought Scythians yet, but I imagine I will just use a bunch of slingers (Chosen if available), archers and heavy spears.

Well, good luck in your defensive campaign.

[nhinhonhinho]

Well.Try to use your higher level unit like Berserker,heavy spearman,noble cav,some druid,Naked fanatic and chosen slinger and you will see the different

Chosen slinger in front and weaken them from afar.Heavy spearman hold your center while you unleash your beasts (berserker,Naked fanatic) follow by cav

[Diomede]

Rome is always the faction I struggle with most. I can't remember ever being successful against them without having all of Iberia so my flank's secure. Means I get scutarii too, I've been recruiting them every chance I get since they're even better defensively. I only use heavy spearmen as an anvil for flanking followed by a big cavalry hammer. Sometimes up to 6 lots of them.

I find it a lot easier to defend with Gaul than attack, tbh. I miss thar berserker quality from vanilla too, but at least they're a touch more realistic now.

[piranha45]

i played an Iberia campaign on normal/normal with AI bonuses, and I reliably trounced Rome's post-marian armies (at least a couple full-stack Legionnaire + Legionnaire Cavalry+ 3-5 star enemy generals) with full stacks of mostly heavy scutarii (some mercenaries or reg. scutarii thrown in to fill any empty slots), by stretching my lines thin and enveloping the enemy armies, and making sure my general was always close to the troops for morale.

I am sure the same could be easily accomplished using massed Noble Swordsmen in place of Heavy Scutarii, as I bet their stats and function are probably identical. On Normal/Normal, anyway.

Once you take key roman cities, and demolish their barracks, roman armies will be unable to replenish their numbers, even if they retake the cities.

Massing assassins and sabotaging roman barracks would probably work quite well, too.

[Scutarii]

I find the Gallic roster works well against Rome. The earlier you take them, the better. Masses of swordsmen, slingers and Light Cav trash early Roman armies, especially before they start spamming principe/triarii armies.

[Boriak]

I took a look at Gaul's unit roster. I am intrigued. I might take up playing Gaul soon. I started with Germania but I don't have the interest. Perhaps Gaul would be better.

[Diomede]

True, Scutarii, but then no Marian reforms.
Boriak, two choices with Gaul against Germany: just slaughter them all when they invade, or enslave them to get a nice city or two back home. The latter might leave you without much time to protect yourself against the orange death while taking Iberia and/or Italy though. If you do Germany first at least.