Best Unit Roster for fighting Rome?

[Tatiacus]

Both in custom battles and in the campaign, which is the best? I've noticed that the Iberian and Carthaginian unit rosters seem like they are built to lose against Rome both in custom battle and in the campaign, though the Iberian one is even worse at fighting the Romans than the Carthaginian one. I haven't tried many of the unit rosters out, so which one is the best against fighting the Romans? After all fighting Rome is the biggest challenge in any campaign.

[Big Kahuna]

kush shotel warriors are op against rome, axe units can do alright aswell but not ideal
also pikes if there is no limit rule

[Tatiacus]

Originally posted by Wout:

kush shotel warriors are op against rome, axe units can do alright aswell but not ideal
also pikes if there is no limit rule

What about the German and Celtic rosters?

[Canadian Ninja]

Originally posted by kelan.turley:

Originally posted by Wout:

kush shotel warriors are op against rome, axe units can do alright aswell but not ideal
also pikes if there is no limit rule

What about the German and Celtic rosters?

Germans and celts struggle more than the ones listed. Gotta have oathsworn / swordmasters face tank with your elite charge infantry flank. Berserkers do phenomenally for Suebi.

[Tatiacus]

Originally posted by Canadian Ninja:

Originally posted by kelan.turley:

What about the German and Celtic rosters?

Germans and celts struggle more than the ones listed. Gotta have oathsworn / swordmasters face tank with your elite charge infantry flank. Berserkers do phenomenally for Suebi.

Which are good though?

[Stevcorp]

Roman units are overpowered. While it's unbalanced in game terms, it's completely realistic because in real life, they steamrolled the whole Mediterranean.

As for beating them?

If you're facing them in a stand alone battle (e.g. custom or multiplayer) then you need to match them strength for strength. Your heaviest infantry holding the line, while your cavalry charges them in the rear. Elephants and chariots are particularly useful to punch holes in their line and help you surround isolated units.

In campaign, the only nation that beats them hands down is nomad armies . You switch your horse archers to armour-piercing, and shoot them full of holes while letting them slowly chase you around the map. When you run out of arrows, you flee. They'll lose several hundred men and you'll lose nothing. Rince and repeat.

Once again, that's unbalanced but realistic. The nomad armies used that exact tactic to kick the romans' asses. That's why their empire never got beyond Egypt.

[Salty Nobody]

Roman infantry have anemic charge bonuses. Even hoplites have charge bonuses in the 20s. If you know how to cycle charge infantry you can stand up to Romans with a surprising variety of "inferior" troops.

Barbarians especially are heavily reliant on charges, but some of the Celtic factions like Tylis have the armor to match them in a grind as well. If you want to take the Romans head on with heavy infantry Tylis is the way to go. In multiplayer field battles I have a literal 100% win rate against Rome users with Tylis, to the point where I stopped using them because it doesn't seem fair.

Otherwise asymmetric warfare works. Shooting the Romans with armor piercing missiles or smashing them with shock cavalry will inflict heavy enough casualties to win. Elephants also give Romans fits if they aren't able to shoot them, giving Carthage and Kush a formidable advantage.

[Tatiacus]

Originally posted by The Fifth Archon:

Roman infantry have anemic charge bonuses. Even hoplites have charge bonuses in the 20s. If you know how to cycle charge infantry you can stand up to Romans with a surprising variety of "inferior" troops.

Barbarians especially are heavily reliant on charges, but some of the Celtic factions like Tylis have the armor to match them in a grind as well. If you want to take the Romans head on with heavy infantry Tylis is the way to go. In multiplayer field battles I have a literal 100% win rate against Rome users with Tylis, to the point where I stopped using them because it doesn't seem fair.

Otherwise asymmetric warfare works. Shooting the Romans with armor piercing missiles or smashing them with shock cavalry will inflict heavy enough casualties to win. Elephants also give Romans fits if they aren't able to shoot them, giving Carthage a formidable advantage.

I don't have the DLC that has Tylis so are there any others?

[Salty Nobody]

Tylis is from Pirates and Raiders. Boii is also very good and comes from Caesar in Gaul. Both Kush and Saba from Desert Tribes are stronger than Rome as well. Base game Parthia is more versatile than Saba if you have Beasts of War and otherwise can mimic the Nomads. You MUST be good with micro and cavalry if you use Parthia though.

Carthage is strong in their own right but you need Hannibal at the Gates to be at their best.

On higher funds Sparta from Greek States can straight up out grind the Romans. Egypt and Arverni from the base game are serious threats as well on high funds.

[Canadian Ninja]

Originally posted by kelan.turley:

Originally posted by Canadian Ninja:

Germans and celts struggle more than the ones listed. Gotta have oathsworn / swordmasters face tank with your elite charge infantry flank. Berserkers do phenomenally for Suebi.

Which are good though?

They are good but strictly speaking the best roman infantry you'd be likely to face would outclass oathsworn / swordmasters, and the roman auxiliary missiles and cav would beat yours so the berserkers / naked warriors / fierceswords would struggle to be used perfectly.