Egyptian Units

Peasants

Peasants

The last option of any desperate army (except perhaps slaves or convicts), peasants are good for increasing your numbers…and not much else. Poorly armed and with little military experience, their morale and discipline are both understandably low. They are cheap to train, however, and their one advantage is an ability to hide well. Peasants should be used as an absolute last resort, or in cases where funds are extremely short.

Skirmishers

Skirmishers

Much like the Roman velites, skirmishers are restricted to peppering the enemy with long-range javelins before the actual battle commences. They can also be useful for acting as a distraction to the enemy, to lure them into an ambush, or to create a diversion by attacking some target. They are fairly useless in melee combat, and should not be subjected to it.

Slingers

Slingers

Slingers perform a similar role to archers and skirmishers; their attack differs in method rather than in result. They can “reload” faster than most archers, but are even more vulnerable against any kind of close combat troops. The most famous slingers of the ancient world were those of the Balearic Isles. In general, slingers were not quite as widely used as, say, archers or skirmishers, for whatever reason.

Archers/Bowmen

Archers/Bowmen

Archers were used more widely by some cultures than others. The Romans, amongst almost all the peoples of the ancient world, were prominent in their disdain for archers (and indeed for almost any kind of ranged weapons). Nevertheless, archers are sometimes necessary (particularly, for example, in sieges), and the legions therefore recruited them from amongst the poorer sections of society, and from allies. They are not armoured and thus almost useless in hand-to-hand combat.

Pharaoh's Bowmen

Pharaoh’s Bowmen

Egypt has a longer tradition of archers than perhaps any other faction in the game, and even if arrows no longer have the effect they used to, Pharaoh’s Bowmen are still a formidable force to be reckoned with. They are not like other archers in that they actually wear armour; nevertheless, they are quite useless in hand-to-hand combat.

Nubian Spearmen

Nubian Spearmen

The weakest of Egyptian infantry units, Nubian spearmen are cheap militia-like troops. They hail from the Nubian lands south of Egypt, and are armed only with a spear and shield – no armour. Like most other low-grade infantry, they should be used primarily for defensive purposes, and certainly not committed to a battle against superior enemy foot like Roman legionnaires or Carthaginian Sacred Band infantry.

Nile Spearmen

Nile Spearmen

Nile spearmen are the medium-level Egyptian infantry unit, and as such have slightly better offensive capabilities than their Nubian counterparts. However, they are still better suited to play a defensive or anti-cavalry role, since their lack of swords will not be to their advantage in a hand-to-hand combat situation.

Pharaoh's Guards

Pharaoh’s Guards

Recruited like any elite group of warriors from the higher sections of their society, the Pharaoh’s Guards are capable spearmen who are trained to fight as a phalanx if necessary. Their loyalty and discipline will also be understandably higher than those of the Nubian recruits or ordinary Egyptians. This is as good as Egyptian infantry gets.

Desert Axemen

Desert Axemen

Axe units are not all that common in Rome: Total War. Axes could be used to great effect against slow-moving infantry, but they were unwieldy, and their bearers were by necessity slow themselves. However, this does not take away from their ability to hold a line for a long time against enemy infantry, and it is probably best to attempt taking them out from a distance if possible.

Desert Cavalry

Desert Cavalry

Unlike most of the other cavalry units in Rome: Total War, Desert Cavalry are armed with axes, rather than with spears or swords. This perhaps puts them at a disadvantage against other cavalry, since they have less range at close quarters. Nevertheless, they can be used to great effect against infantry, or even more so against any kind of ranged units.

Nubian Cavalry

Nubian Cavalry

Nubian cavalry play much the same role for Egypt that the Numidians did for Carthage (although not in this game, since the Numidians are a separate faction). They are lightly armed horsemen ideally suited for quick raids and ambushes, as also for cutting down fleeing enemies. They will definitely not be able to stand up against enemy cavalry in battle, though, so be careful how you use them.

Nile Cavalry

Nile Cavalry

Yet another crack cavalry force made up of the most influential Egyptians, Nile cavalry are heavier than their other Egyptian counterparts, and as such can be used to deliver a far more decisive blow. They carry only spears, not bothering with the shields and swords of their army’s other cavalry. Like all other citizen units, they have higher morale and discipline than those who have been conscripted.

Camel Archers

Camel Archers

A slightly unusual unit, and one that is useful against cavalry, due to a peculiar aversion horses display for the smell given off by a camel (which is not to say that humans particularly enjoy it). These creatures can easily outrun any form of infantry, and thus could potentially be very difficult for an enemy to counter. Camel archers are less vulnerable in close combat than other kinds of archers.

Chariots

Chariots

The Egyptians are one of the only factions in the game to make use of chariots. Pulled by multiple horses, the chariots not only carry swordsmen but also have scythes on their sides that can cut down infantry as they drive by. Obviously the main disadvantage of a chariot is the serious lack of maneuverability, and an inability to move over terrain that is not as smooth as the deserts which the Egyptians call home.

Chariot Archers

Chariot Archers

Much like the chariot unit, but carrying archers instead of swordsmen. Since chariots were pulled by multiple horses, they could be quite difficult to catch, even for cavalry, and this became even harder when they were raining arrows on their enemies. These chariots had their own drivers, so that the archers (who were armored, incidentally) could concentrate on the obviously far more important business of killing.

Onagers

Onagers

An onager, unlike a ballista, worked similarly to a catapult. These machines could be used to hurl projectiles up to half a mile (with the larger versions). The Roman used them in many different ways: large boulders were flung at walls to help bring them down; many smaller rocks were used against enemy troops as a sort of shrapnel; various burning projectiles were used to try and spread fire; and diseased animal carcasses were flung into the enemy-held city to spread disease.

General's Bodyguard

General’s Bodyguard

A bodyguard was, historically speaking, a functional unit, rather than a type of soldier. In the game, however, Egyptian bodyguards are chariot archers, whose success or failure depend to a large extent on the personal characteristics of the general who they are guarding – his effect on their morale, for example, or on their discipline, will play a large role in determining how they fight. They are in all cases excellent troops.