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Thread: First Cohorts

  1. #1

    Default First Cohorts

    First Cohorts were the bearers of the legionary eagles (Aquilae) of historical Roman legions, and this is modeled in-game as well by the "Inspires Nearby Troops" effect of these units and the legionary-eagle strategic effects (if a general loses a battle and one or more First Cohorts ran from the field, the general is considered to have lost a corresponding number of legionary eagles- with corresponding negative traits gained from the battle but the opportunity to recover the eagles by conquering the enemy capital city and redeeming themselves... I am unclear if these effects are limited to Barbarian Invasion or occur in the original game as well, as First Cohorts can only be trained in the city of Rome with a high-level barracks in the original game, and you do not control Rome for most of the game...)

    I have used First Cohorts very little, especially in the original game (in Barbarian Invasion they are easier to acquire, and I have found some limited utility for them in stiffening the typically weak resolve of the Late Empire legionaries...) However I have resolved in my current campaign game to try and conquer the ENTIRE world, not just meet the victory conditions and play for a few turns longer until I get bored- so I might actually have the chance to use them sooner or later... Thus, I was wondering if some players with more experience using them might be able to provide me with some pointers on their use that I might not have thought of.

    Feel free to discuss your experience using them, tactics you have found work well using them (involving factors such as where to place the standard in a typical battle lineup- for instance is it better to hold the First Cohort in reserve to reduce the chance of losing it, or use the First Legionaries as shock-troops to try and quickly break the enemy line thanks to their larger unit-size and better combat stats relative to comparable legionaries...)

    - Northstar

  2. #2

    Default Re: First Cohorts

    I don't really know to be honest - I think that in rome 1, the 'lost eagle' mechanic works differently to BI. I've had games as Carthage where I've captured a roman eagle from the Scipii on Messana (Sicily) at the start of the game, years before the Marius Reforms.

    -
    G. Ward


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