Carthage - Does it have the best units?

[Knonfoda]

OK, I just played two epic custom battles against Carthage, and going through their roster, I noticed they seem to have a lot of elite units.

I mean, Iberian Assault Infantry, African Assault Infantry, Gallic Heavy Infantry, Elite African Infantry, Elite Liby-Pohenician infantry, Sacred Band, Heavy Spearmen, Phalanx Units, equivalents of cataphracts, etc. The only thing missing are horse archers.

They pretty much seem to have everything available in the game.

[athanaric]

Most of their units have a small AoR.

[Unintended BM]

They get the best mix of good units. Naked dudes, really good Iberian infantry and cavalry, plus everything in Africa. I don't think they get too much out east though.

[Knonfoda]

Yes but who needs East when you have ASSAULT infantry! ASSAULT! ArGGHH!!!

[Unintended BM]

Yeah, you'll beat the crap out of everything in western Europe, but I'm not sure how well Carthage would do against some of really heavy cavalry of the east.

[Knonfoda]

Well, they also have some very heavy spearmen (Liby-Phoenician), some other heavy spearmen units I forget (I think sacred band is one of them), but also pikemen and 'phalanxes', so I reckon they could do pretty well. Especially with balearic slingers, heavy cav would not stand a chance. It surprises me people don't play with them more often.

[Kiyan_the_Great]

Well, they also have some very heavy spearmen (Liby-Phoenician), some other heavy spearmen units I forget (I think sacred band is one of them), but also pikemen and 'phalanxes', so I reckon they could do pretty well. Especially with balearic slingers, heavy cav would not stand a chance. It surprises me people don't play with them more often.

Well youre forgetting horse archers, with an ability to charge, put them along side cataphracts, and they eat belaric slingers alive

[0N3]

Well, it makes sence. Most of these units are really mercenaries and Carthage of course could buy the best mercenaries from all over the world.

[Knonfoda]

Well youre forgetting horse archers, with an ability to charge, put them along side cataphracts, and they eat belaric slingers alive

I meant the heavy spearmen/phalanxes, with the slingers behind them, what will those cataphracts do when they run out of ammo? Like I said, the one thing Carthage doesn't have is horse archers, but I reckon their spearmen are more than a match for cataphracts.

Sadly, in my Romani campaign, they never seemed to do much once outside of Sicily, nor did they spam any interesting units. Mostly Liby-Phoenician spermen, and some starting units of sacred band and cavalry. And I gave them till 212BC too, but never saw any interesting units.

[ISA Gunner]

Carthage definitely has some of the best troops in Western Europe. They have available to them the finest cavalry units in Western Europe including elephants, some of the best infantry in the world from various places such as Iberia, Africa, Italy and Gaul and phalanxes rivaling those of the Diadochi They also have lots of money which allows them to field vast armies of mercenaries. However, their elite units are confined to very small zones of recruitment and it takes time to ship troops and armies from one place to another in order to get the best units from each area.

[Ferdiad]

Carthage can't spam their units either unlike the Romans.

[Mediolanicus]

Carthage can't spam their units either unlike the Romans.

Unless they are in the hands of the AI.

[athanaric]

Unless they are in the hands of the AI.

That's what's gonna change with EB II, what with recruitment pools and all. No more elite spam!

[rocknrollrefugee]

Speaking of spamming, I toned down the 30000 mnai boost the AI gets when they're < 1000 to 3000. I've noticed it keeps everyone from spamming and expanding too much too soon thus keeping things more historically accurate. I've only done two tests and the only ones effected negatively is KH so I'm considering giving them 5000 or maybe even 10000. I think the real prob lies in the fact that the don't capture Crete until like 40 years into the game (if they survive Makedon) leaving a perfectly good army stranded for 40 years. Which reminds me, any suggestions on how to change this without changing the starting position or will I have to sacrifice historical accuracy for better gameplay?

[rocknrollrefugee]

i had a battle near where Tunis should be and I was up against like 5 elite pikemen, 2 sacred band, elite infantry (the green looking guys)spartan hoplites (Xannipos or whatever his name is), some liby-pho spearmen, some baleric slingers, some skirmishers, 3 liby-pho heavy cavalry 2 numidian cavalry and one very good general. I lost but just barely and all i had were the standard maniples (9 in all) 2 rorrii, ascenci 3 equites. Besides that most of the other battles have at least 1 elite unit the rest have been mostly citizen infantry.

I've never played as Carthage... don't know why but I think I might after this campaign. They really do have a pretty wide range of unit types and skill sets. Historically that backfired on them because most of their soldiers were mercs and hired mercs always run the risk of turning against you. Maybe something the EB team could implement? Like if you lose a certain amount of battles with mercs they turn to rebels? idk just a thought.