Have celtic archers always had spears?

[Knonfoda]

I've witnessed something very bizarre today which either I hadn't noticed before or perhaps my game got bugged.

I had a battle between my praetorian cohorts and some random rebels in Dacia, lots of light phalanxes and sotaroas (celtic archers). For the first time ever, I noticed the cavalry I sent after them (praetorian this time) was actually in trouble and taking casualties. I go over to see what is happening and notice the archers actually have SPEARS??!! Was this always the case or is this some random error?

I could swear i've never seen them wielding them before.

[Mediolanicus]

Yes, Sotroas have spears.

[Knonfoda]

Wow, thats incredible. My game has been going for over 150 years, I've conquered all of Gaul, Britania, Illiyria, Moesia, Pannoia, all of Germania and Ancyra, fought off Aedui, Sweboz, Casse and so forth, never had any trouble with them whatsoever, usual tactic, send a unit of cavalry, only to be dumbfounded by some random unit in Dacia somewhere. EB never ceases to surpise me.

Awesome!

[Conqistador]

Yay, in my Romani campaign i was surprised to see my Equites Extraordinarii taking significant casualties agaist the Sotaroas... yes, they are smarter than other archers and so they wield spears...

[athanaric]

Archer-Spearmen are quite common in this mod. All barbarian archers except Dacian Elites carry spears.

Even in Vanilla RTW, Celtic archers had spears IIRC (or at least in RTR, which I played before EB).

[Brapbrapbap]

Yeah, it really isn't a rare feature, only "civilized" archers carry little puny daggers , even Parthia has spearmen archers.

[Megas Methuselah]

Those Persian Archer-Spearmen are incredible units.

[Spike]

celtic/sweboz archer spearmen are crap actually, as they have virtually no worth in terms of missile ability. On the other side, their cheap cost made them extremely expandable skirmishers, meant to die holding enemy advancement, gave time for the rest to cut the enemies from side and behind

[Lordinquisitor]

Sweboz and celtic archers may be crap, but they are good enough against lightly armoured units. And who uses such units? Right, their early enemies.

[ATN]

In my Sweboz campaigns I found the Baltic Frontiersmen(?) useful for the long range missiles and longer spears.

[athanaric]

In my Sweboz campaigns I found the Baltic Frontiersmen(?) useful for the long range missiles and longer spears.

Yeah they're the strongest Archer-Spearmen (melee, morale, and skill). The Arabian dudes are better at range though.

[kingman1337]

My Seleucid campaign is going well.

We are slowly re-building the Old Persian Empire Alexander conquered.

[Julius Barca the Great]

My Seleucid campaign is going well.

We are slowly re-building the Old Persian Empire Alexander conquered.

Well that was random. Wrong thread?