Why do plebs even exist?

[Charlemagne]

They are absolutely worthless. They can't stand 5 seconds in battle. Sometimes they even break the moment you order them to attack. Peasants and other rabble troops were moderately useful in prior games like Rome 1 or Medieval 2 as fodder, for flanking attacks, even for holding gaps in a line.

[l33tness08]

Good god it keeps going.

[MrLiability]

And it continues to keep going.

Plebs factor into the autoresolve, so they sometimes tip the balance there. About the only use I've found for them is to stand in front of my better units and absorb a charge. They break quick, but the other units don't usually join them unless they've taken a beating already.

[SJWs R TRAITORS]

Plebs should be armed with fire-brands or 2 handed weapons - clubs, axes, scythes etc, maybe even throw rocks ?? This means they would actually be useful on the charge .. if their moral holds up - good charge bonus - poor defence - poor moral.

[Zero]

I used to think plebs was totally worthless and in the game just for keep it historical

Then today they save my settlement. Had only garrison of 4 legionaries, an unit of vigiles and 2 plebs + 2 leves vs a way bigger army. I knew my walls of legionaries on the plaza would not stand too long, though was a lost already so try a desperate tactict - I keep the plebs amd leves in reserve and make them reach the back of the enemies right when my legionaries was about to fall...

Plebs do their meatshield work, leves start shot on the enemies and in minutes was full of enemies white flags.

Feel good, I will never understimate the power of the common people anymore

[theseeman]

Reading back over this thread I sense a lot of disdain for plebs.

[The Night King]

use them to charge missile troops on skirmish mode and chase them around the map