I don't expect this to be a successful thread, I just want to do a bit of exclaiming about how cool the Dahae are.
Basically, I got a copy of Alexander and fired it up. Couldn't bear to attempt the campaign after I took one look at it - a) I don't much like playing Greeks b) it was daunting c) I only had time for a quick game. So I went to look at the custom battles. Obviously I had to have a look at those Indian archeresses which everyone has heard about (their stats are atrocious, sexist bias or what?), but I also wanted to see what CA had done with the Parthians. I was in for a very pleasant surprise; they were not an ahistorical cavalry-heavy Eastern faction as they would later become after they settled further South, they were real barbarians. So, naturally, after just one quick battle using those sexy archeresses I opted for the Dahae.
IIRC, their units are as follows: peasants, spearmen, swordsmen, sicklemen (search me), archers, slingers, HAs, barb cavalry, and a cavalry general. Now none of these units are anything particularly special (those sicklemen aren't bad, and the slingers are good), but what really struck me was how goddam awesome they looked. The swordsmen had a really badass looking sword which reminded me of a Hallstatt or early La Téne style but never featured in RTW vanilla, and the oval shield of the barbarian warband but with a new design. And I was just thinking wtf, give these guys woad paint and they're Britons! Even the spear warband looked better than in RTW vanilla, despite being the same, by virtue of having a shirt. This might make no sense, but to me it symbolised that these spearmen weren't warriors, they were basically farmers, part-time warriors, as opposed to the swordsmen who were the pros. Then the slingers; for once, decent barbarian slingers with Balearic stats but not extortionately expensive!
I just really loved everything about the Dahae. They have a flexible selection of basic troop types (at least compared to the Britons who have no long range missiles and no cavalry) and they are ahistorically accurate generic barbarian faction (almost) - from CA. The only thing I would want to add is chariots. The next release of my Britannia Reborn mod is going to be heavily influenced by these guys.
Maybe the main reason I am so enthusiastic is because I've been deprived of RTW for so long, apart from a battle as Carthage at my friend's house a week ago... I also tried out a couple of rather neat historically accurate barbarian strategies and enjoyed some success - what I mean is, packing all your melee troops together in a mass, infantry and cavalry, and charging in a single mass, later splitting off into smaller groups to pursue other minor battles, with missile troops on one flank. Worked well against India, almost worked against Macedon until my slingers got trampled by Companions and the rout spread... The reasons I suppose this works are a) the enormous local superiority you gain enabling you to cause a chain rout quickly and b) slow reaction on the part of the AI.
I may have to do a faction overview on these guys. Comments? Anyone who prefers a different faction and can say why it's better?
Basically, I got a copy of Alexander and fired it up. Couldn't bear to attempt the campaign after I took one look at it - a) I don't much like playing Greeks b) it was daunting c) I only had time for a quick game. So I went to look at the custom battles. Obviously I had to have a look at those Indian archeresses which everyone has heard about (their stats are atrocious, sexist bias or what?), but I also wanted to see what CA had done with the Parthians. I was in for a very pleasant surprise; they were not an ahistorical cavalry-heavy Eastern faction as they would later become after they settled further South, they were real barbarians. So, naturally, after just one quick battle using those sexy archeresses I opted for the Dahae.
IIRC, their units are as follows: peasants, spearmen, swordsmen, sicklemen (search me), archers, slingers, HAs, barb cavalry, and a cavalry general. Now none of these units are anything particularly special (those sicklemen aren't bad, and the slingers are good), but what really struck me was how goddam awesome they looked. The swordsmen had a really badass looking sword which reminded me of a Hallstatt or early La Téne style but never featured in RTW vanilla, and the oval shield of the barbarian warband but with a new design. And I was just thinking wtf, give these guys woad paint and they're Britons! Even the spear warband looked better than in RTW vanilla, despite being the same, by virtue of having a shirt. This might make no sense, but to me it symbolised that these spearmen weren't warriors, they were basically farmers, part-time warriors, as opposed to the swordsmen who were the pros. Then the slingers; for once, decent barbarian slingers with Balearic stats but not extortionately expensive!
I just really loved everything about the Dahae. They have a flexible selection of basic troop types (at least compared to the Britons who have no long range missiles and no cavalry) and they are a
Maybe the main reason I am so enthusiastic is because I've been deprived of RTW for so long, apart from a battle as Carthage at my friend's house a week ago... I also tried out a couple of rather neat historically accurate barbarian strategies and enjoyed some success - what I mean is, packing all your melee troops together in a mass, infantry and cavalry, and charging in a single mass, later splitting off into smaller groups to pursue other minor battles, with missile troops on one flank. Worked well against India, almost worked against Macedon until my slingers got trampled by Companions and the rout spread... The reasons I suppose this works are a) the enormous local superiority you gain enabling you to cause a chain rout quickly and b) slow reaction on the part of the AI.
I may have to do a faction overview on these guys. Comments? Anyone who prefers a different faction and can say why it's better?
[This message has been edited by Edorix (edited 04-06-2011 @ 12:09 PM).]