Best Divide Et Impera Aux Units

[Captain Sexy T-Rexy]

Hi,

Old Rome 2 player but trying DEI for the first time. I've got a few questions!

1. I was going to do a run through with the Roman family with 50% Cheaper Aux. What are the best Aux units I can use as the Romans? Ideally, cheaper ones early in the game so I can cheaply get some good strong armies together.

2. Are Baeleric slingers and Cretan Archers still the go-to for ranged? Are there any great alternatives that are easy to get?

3. Best Cav units for Rome? Ideally Aux but I'm open to suggestions.


4. I saw a strat where a player kept all cities with Taxes OFF and spammed them with farms/libraries... but then focused Commercial on like 3ish regions, for max wealth generation. Is anyone aware of this? Can they link me to this proper guide, or is there a better meta strategy for money.

[Drkilljoy91]

best aux units come when you get the third refrom and early stage you wanna use the standerd createn and rhodian slings and alot of mercy in the game but just play around with some units also upgrade your citys to level 3 you get some AOR units from that as well

[Captain Sexy T-Rexy]

Originally posted by Drkilljoy91:

best aux units come when you get the third refrom and early stage you wanna use the standerd createn and rhodian slings and alot of mercy in the game but just play around with some units also upgrade your citys to level 3 you get some AOR units from that as well

Thanks!

I've just realised the Cornellian family 50% off Aux troops doesn't apply to DEI. So that strategy is out the window.

[alenalenalen]

1. If you take Apollonia from Epirus instead of peacing out after taking Taras, you can get access to Thessalian Cavalry. These guys don't stand out in prolonged melees, but they'll hit harder in the initial charge than pretty much anything that isn't super heavy cavalry or another special mount. If you want a cav unit whose one and only job is smashing into the rear of enemy units, these are your men. They also use T4 population.

2. Sardinian archers aren't anything special, except that you can get them in Latium if you're bottled up. Gastrophetes (or however they're spelled) are crossbowmen you can get from Syracuse. Slow to reload, flat trajectory like slingers, but if you want to shoot heavy infantry from the front then it's time to roll them out.

3. At first? Equites Extraordinarii and the mercenary Samnites in Latium. The Thessalian cavalry I previously mentioned makes a fine addition, but I wouldn't rely on them exclusively. Regular Equites aren't anything to sneeze at, but their mediocre armor means they'll easily drain your T1 population if you aren't careful (not so much a problem in Latium as it is when on campaign and having to choose between preserving your elite cavalry or merging them so the whole army can replenish).

Campanian cavalry from Magna Graecia are decent heavy skirmisher cavalry if that's what you're into. Tarantine Cavalry is, IMHO, too much of a glass cannon to be worth using.

4. Specialize your provinces. Don't bother taxing a military province where all the buildings are focused on buffing the troops you build there and countering PO/Squalor penalties, it's probably not going to make much money and will definitely eat a lot of food. Ditto for a province full of libraries and shrines of minerva. Instead, tax the provinces where everything is focused on growing food or on earning cash.

For Rome, as an example, focus Latium on money via commerce. Build both ports towards commerce, build the salt resource building chain that adds commerce, build the temple of Mercury in every region, build the slave trade building in Rome, and use the economic stimulus edict. Put a general in Rome with no troops and give him ancilleries that boost commerce/tax/PO, and when he levels up do the same with his skills. Deploy a diplomat in Rome and do the same. With Tier 3 buildings, this should be enough to fund four full stacks even with taxes set to minimal.

But what about food and troops? The city of Rome itself functions as a normal barracks, and you can build an aux barracks in one of the remaining slots, or just recruit auxiliary troops from Magna Graecia. Speaking of MG, focus that on food, and ditto for sicily once you take it. Generals and diplomats can boost those provinces too, but the opportunity cost of using them probably isn't worth it after the early game.