Legionaries

**deltafan** · December 27, 2006, 10:33 AM

OK, I know that Legionaries will be able to be recruited once the Marius Reforms occur, but I also noticed that there are Republican and Imperial Legionaries. How will the game decide which type of these I can recruit?

Also, as Rome, when fighting a full Gaul army, is only losing 20% of my army pretty good, or could it be better?

**Garnier** · December 27, 2006, 11:14 AM

The republican barracks comes one tier below the imperial barracks, and they recruit republican legions, while the imperial barracks recruits imperial legions.

And as to the losses... I play on hard battle difficulty and rarely lose a battle, unless I am outnumbered 2 to 1. Which does happen sometimes. Also I modded the legionaries and auxilia swords so they have 1 pilum each, making the battles far more interesting.

**deltafan** · December 27, 2006, 12:42 PM

OK thanks.

**Atticus** · December 28, 2006, 03:01 AM

when i'm fighting with a legion (3000 soldiers), i try to limit my losses to around 10% unless i'm severly outnumbered (3:1). when i use an auxiliary legion (2500-2700 soldiers; i only use auxiliary legions to defend my borders) i try to limit my losses to around 20-25%.

**deltafan** · December 28, 2006, 06:42 AM

when i'm fighting with a legion (3000 soldiers), i try to limit my losses to around 10% unless i'm severly outnumbered (3:1). when i use an auxiliary legion (2500-2700 soldiers; i only use auxiliary legions to defend my borders) i try to limit my losses to around 20-25%.

10% is hard to accomplish, that will be difficult.

**Atticus** · December 28, 2006, 07:05 AM

it's not that difficult when fighting gauls, dacians or germans.
you first shower them with arrows until your ammo is spent (depending on the size of the enemy's army, i usually have killed 20% of them without losing a single roman)

then you charge, i usually put 5 cohorts + first cohort on the right in shield wall at my frontline. when the enemy's in pila range, i halt my troops and they throw 2 volleys of pila (the pila kill another 5-7%). i pin them down and have 2 units of auxiliary javelinman behind shower the enemy with javelins while my other cohort surround the enemy. they also throw 2 volleys of pila and then charge.
in most battles, by now the enemy routes or is completely surounded and their numbers melt away.

that's how i only lose about 8-13% of my army. unless the enemy has heavy cavalry, i have more losses.

i only fought gaul, germania and dacia by now, so i don't know yet how it's like to fight macedonian, greek or carthaginian pikes in phalanx formation and if this tactic also will work.

**dominic** · December 31, 2006, 01:14 PM

Hello to all!
1. I've found out here that legionaries occur once after Marius Reforms. But Senate when the game starts already has this sort of army.... Why? Maybe I can recriut legionaries some where or somehow before Marius?

2. When Marius Reforms occur? Is is fixed time (I mean year), or does it depend of my gameplay?

P.S. S.P.Q.R - the greatest mod!!!

**Hoffman** · December 31, 2006, 02:22 PM

1. Its to prevent the player from bum-rushing the Senate. You can defeat them with Pre-Marian Armies but it is VERY, VERY, VERY costly.

2. Marian Reforms occur the second you build either an Imperial Palace or the first Republican Barracks, I'm not sure but its a 20 turn wait for the building so use 'em wisely and build up as much money as you can.

**Konig** · December 31, 2006, 10:19 PM

so who exactly are barbarians? Gauls, Germans and Britons? what about Thrace, Scythia and Dacia?

**deltafan** · January 01, 2007, 10:21 AM

When running my second line into battle, do I use them to flank or provide a counter-charge and bolstering of the front line?

**mercja** · January 01, 2007, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Konig

so who exactly are barbarians? Gauls, Germans and Britons? what about Thrace, Scythia and Dacia?

Sycthia and Dacia I consider barbarians, Thrace is somewhere in between so I attack them as I do Macedon and Greece.

**mercja** · January 01, 2007, 01:48 PM

Your second line is used to reinforce the first line, just charge them in behind the first line, sometimes I use spears to flank and to counter enemy cavalry who try to flank me.

**dominic** · January 04, 2007, 10:19 PM

2Hoffman
Thanks for your answers!

At last I've built imperial palace and got the legionaries....
Unfortunately, on the tactical map they line up wrong. I mean, that one cohort has depth twice than front of line, i.e. I can't form right "chess" array with wide front of attack....
Is there some way to change the form of cohort of legionaries?