Rome Total War Barbarian: Invasion Units

Discipline clashes with brute force in this category. Roman heavy infantry has evolved, while barbarian shock troops have become far more armored.

A: When a nomadic faction (like the Huns or Vandals) loses its last settlement, its entire population transforms into several large, free armies called hordes. These armies can move and fight without paying upkeep. Your goal as a horde is to conquer a new territory, at which point you can settle down and start building your empire again.

A revolutionary mobile artillery unit. Essentially a ballista mounted on a horse-drawn cart, this unit allows Roman generals to reposition artillery rapidly across the battlefield, sniping high-value enemy targets on the move. The Germanic and Migratory Tribes: Shock and Awe rome total war barbarian invasion units

Heavily armored horse archers that can also handle themselves in melee.

A: The Sassanid Empire and Saxons are excellent choices. The Sassanids have a strong starting position and powerful, straightforward units like cataphracts and war elephants. The Saxons are an infantry-focused faction that plays similarly to traditional barbarians, allowing you to learn the new mechanics with a familiar playstyle. Discipline clashes with brute force in this category

The unit design in BI tells the story of the Dark Ages: the twilight of the legionary and the dawn of the knight and the huscarl.

Focus on a strong defensive core. Lock the enemy in place with Comitatenses in a shield wall, utilize Plumbatarii to rain down darts, and use your heavy Cataphracts or Clibinarii to deliver the hammer blow from behind. These armies can move and fight without paying upkeep

| Unit Name | Role | Key Features | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Heavy Infantry | Deserters from the Roman Comitatenses. They are essentially as powerful as a standard Roman heavy infantry unit, recruitable by any faction in Roman provinces, making them a hugely valuable asset. | | Mercenary Equites Veteranii | Light/Heavy Cavalry | Similarly, these are skilled Roman cavalry deserters, providing excellent medium cavalry options for factions that lack them. | | Foederati Infantry/Cavalry | Spearmen/Cavalry | As mentioned, these barbarian units are available as mercenaries, offering solid mid-tier options for many factions. | | Mercenary Onagers | Siege Artillery | Siege engines available for hire, essential for factions that lack their own siege technology, such as the nomadic hordes. |

Barbarian Invasion introduces critical unit abilities that completely change how field battles are fought. The Shield Wall