Thureos Spearmen are a cheeky gem.

[Sharpe]

Seriously these guys are so practical.

Tandem with normal Hoplites and they can hold up enemies for ages.

:3

[Fanest]

nah numidian spears beat them in all ways also these spearmen have formation attack and thats why they suck

[Sharpe]

Stats mean nothing IMO. Just got to use them in the right ways.

REMEMBER THE TEACHINGS OF CENTURION MARCUS LAD

[vietanh797]

cheap, that's only reason to use them

[Sharpe]

Nah they can throw spears too.

Use them on the edges of your battle to sprinkle the enemy and then join the main line. So satisfying.

[biohazardcake]

they are pretty coolbut i prefer thorax swordsmen, and galatian swords.

[m_1512]

Er... what's this thread about again?

[Sharpe]

Er... what's this thread about again?

Thureos Spearmen and the fact they are a cheeky gem.

[karamazovmm]

how the thureos seaspearman are... fun?

[Stabri]

They cost the same as the normal pikemen, 510 gold

Pikes live longer and have way more killing power imo...okay pikes dont offer fast movement and square formation, and no pila to thin out the enemy before the clash, so at the end it comes to the role they are supposed to fit. Maybe best as an emergency unit or cav grinder instead of a frontline unit?

[neoptolemos]

Thyreos spears are all arounders, as Sharpe noted a practical unit but far from an elite.
As supportive and supplementary unit it can be used quite effectively.
If you have Athens you ll need better infantry along with them. If you are using Macedon or Epirsus then they can be placed on the flanks or rear of the phalanx.

[Lugotorix]

Seriously these guys are so practical.

Tandem with normal Hoplites and they can hold up enemies for ages.

:3

Quality infantry used en masse. I sent a full stack of elites and artillery against Punic Rebels in Caralis, was repelled and then tried my stack which was 4 noble blood cavalry some swordsmen but mostly these, and they fared much better (maybe because the walls were to rubble at that point). They're also fun as Pontus and are a good replacement to the hoplites you have earlier when used in tandem with Pontic Swordsmen, if you rank the ranged legion skill high. Still love my peltast army, it's not versatile, but when you can literally light an entire fort's garrison on fire with one volley of javelins, who needs that.

[Bovaiveu]

They are always among the units I prioritize to kill at range, they are just too... useful for the enemy to have >.<

[AgentGB]

Yeah they are pretty decent to hold the flanks, while the macedon pike phalanx exploits the center and crashes through the center.

There quite a nasty exploit for pike phalanx, that will guarantee you smash anything in front of you. Just stretch your pike men out into 2-3 long ranks like this below:

TS == == == TS

With the thueros spearmen on the flanks, then march through your enemy. Its pretty dam OP, and really shows in a Versus MP campagin, even worst is when your modfied the unit sizes to 300men a unit, and can be stretched out the width of the map, making flanking impossbile. Also when deployed in there phalanx formation, they seem to be able to fight over the top of each easier then your average melee unit, that would cluster its self out of the fight.

Its a dam shame, there isn't a fixed depth for phalanx units(16by16), or forced to deploy in a box shape, because it seems pretty unrealistic, seeing 3 ranked deep lines advancing over the top of each. Even in a 300 unit battles, with hardly any penalty to speed while carrying a 22ft foot when not deployed in phalanx.

I know ranged is a phalanx worst enemy, but in rome 2, range can beat all high tier units anyway.

I know it sounds picky, but its really gamey on large unit sizes, when maps seems smaller, and the chance to skirmish the enemy back is difficult. But even in vanilla multiplayer, with the aid of cretan archers,your out range your enemy too.

Phalanx is way to strong, a ton of breaking power if you stack your unit on top of each other and advance them through the enemy, and you have a sure win, try to use a phalanx historically or individually holding a section of a line, and your take unnecessary losses, its also easier to rotate out damaged units when advancing them through each other, somthing that can't really be with most other unit when moshing, in fear of causing a mash rout.

Pikemen are way OP

[Sharpe]

I don't use Pikemen as Athens, usually just a mix of hoplites and thorax hoplites as the main battle line, with Thureos Spearmen and Thorax Swordsmen as the movers.

[AgentGB]

Well pikemen are better, there no collision, so can stab through each other, so laying out 3 units which would make them 9 ranks deep, since 3 ranks is the minimum depth, would give them excellent killing potential, and smash through units, very much the same effect when you push through a gap in a siege, except pikemen work better when in formation, because they ignore all collision. length of pike and the ability to stab through each other.

[karamazovmm]

for me pikes have a min of 5 rows of depth, otherwise the soldiers that pass through the pointy blockade can disrupt the formation

but pikes work wonderfully well if you funnel the AI forces into one point be it attacking or defending, get 6 of em and pile them up in a gate a order them to march through, they will try their best to keep the formation and the AI will perish in a sea of bodies, if you add arty fire or any kind of missile units to reach units in the middle or back of the pile its even more effective