Hello, hello in long overdue preview!
This patch is unusal as it did not bring full factional or combat overhauls but had tens of hours put into updating, polishing or filling lackluster areas of the mod.
In Total 160+ units, generals and officers got their visuals updated, including new models added to DeI!
1. Two handed and axe units
Their role as shock troops is more prominent, especially two handed units should move faster around the field, making them a threat if spotted on the flank!
One handed axe units got their stats adjusted, while their defence is still rather low, their charge more lethal than it used to be.
2. Thorakitai & Late Hellenic heavy sword infantry
Late Hellenic sword units got their stats overhauled, exchanging defence for higher attack. Thanks to that, spear and sword thorakitai are more distinct units with one being better at holding ground while the other is better at offence.
3. Syracuse units and city features overhauled
Syracuse melee units had an issue of having rather bland and similar stats. All of it has changed and their units not only stand out more from the other but also help this faction differ more from other Greeks.
Main building chain of Syracuse now also functions as workshop, allowing you to recruit siege weapons and crossbows without a need to build anything in other slots. If other Greeks conqer the city, they also have access to this benefit.
4. AOR unit cap overhauled
Area of recruitment units got their campaign caps changed so to be better aligned with their actual quality.
5. Dismounted cavalry stats
Now while fighting on foot, cavalry units should have more appropriate stats, some of them might even perform well as heavy shock troops if situation is dire.
6. Animation updates
Spear cavalry has new overhand charge animation added for more variety! Hoplites in back ranks will no longer stand idle but now they also stay braced. Bug with hoplites in back ranks "dancing" due to changing position constantly should be gone or less noticeable thanks to tweaks to transition times. After this patch will be out, we will also start new submod to check hoplite overhand animation to check if it can be added to main mod 
7. Artillery ships have their range reduced and projectile size decreased. While they will be still extremly useful in naval battles and city sieges, they should be more balanced and won't be able to snipe enemy units standing behind buildings on the other side of the city
8. Scythia updates
Scythian units got their stats updated, certain units were overhauled to different function, with some being specialized in certain roles.
9. "Two" Tarantines
Tarantine cavalry got overhauled to be more in line with historical records. Their role is still debated but it seems there were two version of this famed cavalrymen. "Original" Tarantines fought as light cavalry, that relied on their shield for protection and deadly skills with javelins for the kill but were unable to put up a fight in melee, often not even bringing melee weapons for smaller skirmishes as they were expected to just fall back to the camp. Later "national" Tarantines seem to be different type of units, probably just bearing "Tarantine" name as style of combat than ethnicity of the soldiers. While still rather light, they were more of a shock units, famed for being able to throw javelins during charge and switch to spears before going into gaps created by their projectiles. Both styles are now reflected in DeI, "original" Tarantines can be recruited as AoR or Mercenary troops, performing a role of elite, light skirmishers while 'national" Tarantines are deadly, light shock cavalry with javelins that have ability to disrupt enemy formation for short time.
Original Tarantines (Left) and National Tarantines (Right) side by side:
10. Numidian elephants
Numidia finally gets very own elephant corps, rather than just having AoR/Merc ones. Their unique feature is their reformed elephants unit, while not heavily armoured, they have 25% more elephants per unit.
11. Bactria and Indian units
Bactria now is able to recruit Indian Longbowmen and Indian Guild Warriors from Thorax reform to represent their conquests which led to creation of Indo-Greeks.
12. Illyrian Sica Bearers
Illyria got two of their sword units changed into sica bearers as they were the ones who invented it. This also makes them a bit better against armoured enemies.
13. Full list of combat changes and tweaks can be found under detailed patch notes of Beta patch.
Unit and visual updates
1. New, highly detailed helmet for Bactria
2. New Macedonian and Ptolemaic units
Sacred Squadron regiments can now be recruited, instead of being just general bodyguard.
Late Sacred Squadrons are brand new units, that fight as heavy shielded lancers. While their charge is not as strong as dedicated lancers, it is still very high and their equipment allows them to be better in melee or if harassed by missiles.
Their Agema pikes also got brand new models and textures!
Late Antigonid Sacred Squadron:
Late Ptolemaic Sacred Squadron:
Antigonid Agema
Ptolemaic Kleruchoi Agema
3. Scythian Medium Infantry and updated visuals
Scythia received new medium infantry unit, while no match for Western heavy infantry, they are still solid shock troops, especially seeked out during sieges. Many other Scythian units got their roles changed to make their army more varied and others got visuals updates.
Medium Infantry:
Examples of other changes:
4. Pontic units
Pontus got 2 new units, Late Pontic Infantry, based on Mithridratic troops assembled and trained to resemble Roman fashion, placing them between thureophoroi and thorakitai in terms of performance. Another one is Bosphoran Horse Archer, coming from later state of Mithridratic kingdom where both Pontus and Bosphorus were under his rule. In addition, their early and late lancers got new look!
Late Pontic Infantry:
Bosphoran Horse Archers
Early & Late Lancers
6. New Spartan Cavalry
Picked Ionian Lancers are new unique unit of Sparta, they represent specific way of how Sparta used to recruit cavalry starting from Agesilaos. Initially made of Ionians, these soldiers had to go through strict recruitment process before being admitted to the unit. Due to that their regiments were small but of very high quality, at one point even beating Thessalian cavalry at their peak.
7. Kartli and their new ranged cavalry
Light Cavalry
Medium Skirmishers, they are expert at ambushing enemies and their horses, while light, allow them to ignore ground penalties.
8. Athenian cavalry bodyguard
9. Saka, new units and visual updates
Saka Assault Infantry is using short spears in two handed fashion and is equipped with heavy armour and bucklers. Despite using spears, they are more of a melee infantry but great if city needs to be taken!
Yuezhi Heavy Infantry, elite and heavily armoured heavy archers of Yuezhi tribes, also able to deal good amount of damage in melee.
Yuezhi Noble Cavalry, heavy horse archers, while not the deadliest when it comes to charge, they are very fast for such heavily armoured unit and their skills with bow are superb.
Updated late Cataphracts
10. Roxolani, new units and visual updates
Sarmatian Warriors, these medium infantry unit is solid but not exceptional melee unit. They come from more settled Sarmatian tribes.
Elite Sarmatian Archers, another unit coming from more settled Sarmatian tribes, these skilled archers can also fight as infantry if required.
Sarmatian Armoured Lancers
Sarmatian Noble Lancers
11. AoR & Mercenaries
Due to amount of changes, here are just selected few that got updated.
Mercenary Veteran Hoplites
Egyptian Infantry, Levies and Cavalry
Germanic Axemen
Assyrian Infantry (Previously Akkadian Infantry)
Babylonian Heavy Spearmen
Mesopotamian Spearmen
12. Parthian Noble Horse Archers, Heavy Infantry & Alan Noble Cavalry
Heavy Infantry
Noble Horse Archers
Alan Cavalry
13. Dii Sword Masters, one if not the most warlike of all Thracian tribes, now joining ranks of Odryssian Kingdom
14. Syracuse melee units
Samnite Medium Infantry
Sicillian Footmen
15. Seleucid Royal Peltasts & Late Companions
16. Arverni Veteran Freemen and Heavy Axemen
17. Dozens of officers recieved new look, with new textures, models and details, here are some examples.
Parthian
Nomadic
Pontic
Germanic
18. Parthian, Spartan, Persian and Pontic generals updated.
Credits:
-Benjin & Rome II HD Team - new models and fixes
-KLA for the great new helmet textures
-TheCzarsHussar for updated Alan cavalry visuals
-AveMetal from Para Bellum mod for animation editing advices
-Michal Magnachar Pavlišta of the Kmen Hardrubů for sources on Germanic equipment
-Vandamsel/Falco – countless unit visual tweaks and fixes
-Agrez for awesome Veteran Hoplites
[PREVIEW] DeI 1.2.7 Battle and Unit changes
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