Which UU do you think is best?

[Artifex]

Roman Legion (iron) 3-3-1 *30 shields

or

Celt Gallic Swordsman (iron) 3-2-2 *50 shields

[ChrisiusMaximus]

At the moment Im playing as the Celts quite a bit and I love the Gallic Swordsmen, but prior to PTW my favourite was the Legions of Rome.

[mrmitchell]

Dunno.

Probably the Gallic Swordsman as it has mobility and attacking units don't really need defense, but then again it is more expensive.

Flip a coin.

[WarpStorm]

Sipahi. Yes, they are expensive, but if you make a beeline for them you will have a unit that is awesome for the half of the Middle Ages and up until Infantry become common in the Industrial Age. Put them in an Army to get Blitz and they are even better.

[PLATO]

I agree Warpstorm. Sipahi are the real deal. The key is to get them early. The domination is worth the cost.

[notyoueither]

I'd rather have 5 Legions than 3 Gal Swords.

[notyoueither]

I suspect that Caesar felt the same way.

[WarpStorm]

Of those two, I'd agree with NYE's assessment, 3 Legions will be a better deal than 3 Gallic Swordsmen.

[Dominae]

I hold by my early assessment (when PTW first came out) that the Numidian Mercs. are a tier 1 UU. The AI simply does not know how to deal with them. They're around and useful for the most critical parts of the game. They're flexible. They need not blow an early GA to be useful. They're just as useful as Swordsmen, have the same cost but do not require Iron. Against human opponents, their "deterrent" effect directly supports Carthage's traits (Industrious/Commercial - builder). And if the deterrent effect does not work, they repel attackers just as well as they promise to.

And they look darn cool.


Dominae

[Ancyrean]

I would also say Sipahi. You rule the game as soon as they become available. They make up for whatever advantage other civs might have had in the time before their arrival

But in ancient times in my opinion legion is the most versatile. Num Mercs are kings of defence, and that's divine for builders (I still have a high degree of respect for hoplite as well, even after the advent of Num Mercs). While Num Mercs can make it easier in a supportive role to win a war, you can in all likelihood win a war only with legions, and the difference is essential.

As for Gallic Swords, it all depends whether you can churn out a meaningful number of them in a conflict situation. A stack of 10 Gallic Swordsmen would probably speel doom for the closest 3 or 4 enemy cities

[Azeem]

Judging by the assessments on the Numidian Mercs, I'd say they're the best for multiplay. But for single play, I like using Chinese Riders, Arab Ansar Warriors, or Japanese Samurai. I don't really have favorite UUs. I've never tried Ottoman Sipahis, but I ought to try that sometime.

[Master Zen]

Definitely the Sipahi! or the Beserker The Roman legion comes a close second although I usually don't play aggressive in the ancient era. The problem with the Berserker is that its no longer so good when your opponents get Cavalry, but if you can take advantage of this in the meantime, it's a better alternative than the Longbowman or the Med. Infantry.

But I'll stick to the Siphai.

Oh, and an honorable mention to the Jaguar Warrior. Excellent against barbarians.

[Unconquered]

I like the greek hoplite. An early high defense means you can immediately go offensive with little fear of losing your cities in the couter-offensive. Put them behind walls and on a hill and they are near unstoppable early on.

[BRC]

I like the Rider. 3 movement points at that stage in the game is overpowering. They can be used for offense and defense, and are extremely effective at pillaging and oscillating tactics. A GA just outside of despotism makes them even more attractive. However, with Culture Linking on, you may have to deal with Samurai's at the same time.

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by Unconquered
I like the greek hoplite. An early high defense means you can immediately go offensive with little fear of losing your cities in the couter-offensive. Put them behind walls and on a hill and they are near unstoppable early on.

yea, one MP game, i was carthage, and i lost out on the GL by 1 turn to an AI, so i switched to the great wall. after i got it, i realized how insane my defense was.

my main border city, which were constantly under siege by rome / china, was on hills, with walls (now with double duty), across a river.

thats:

3 + 3 * ( 1 + .50 + .25 ) = 8.25, when the strongest unit attacking me were legionaries, attack of 3.

even riders with an attack of 4 wouldn't dent that. hell, CAVALRY would have problems with that! (ignore the fact that cavalry require the advance that makes the wall obsolete plz )

truly, a wonderful thing.