Thrace (RTW Faction)
| RTW Factions |
|---|
| Armenia | Britannia | Carthage | Dacia | Egypt | Gaul | Germania | Greek Cities | The House of Brutii | The House of Julii | The House of Scipii | Macedon | Numidia | Parthia | Pontus | Scythia | Seleucid Empire | Senate | Spain | Thrace | Rebels |
Thrace are one of the factions in Rome: Total War designed to be non-playable. However they can be made playable by simple modifications to the game files.
Contents
Game Play
Thrace is home to a fiercely independent poeple, from the times of the Persian Wars they were always a threat. They have been sometimes conquered by Hellenistic opponents, and cultural diffusion has also played a large role in hellenizing their original "barbarian" culture. This reflects int he mix of units that the Thracians have,a nd Thrace can field well-balanced armies if given enough time. However, it starts weaker then its neighbor Macedon and must build up quickly and grab key areas, such as the city of Byzantium. Early war with the Dacians is also advisable, as they are close by and weak. Thracian armies must utilize the excellent light troops Thracians have by nature, and this will reflec tin battle planning and AI behavior.
Starting Position
Thrace starts in the west part of the Black Sea.It has two cities:
- Campus Getae: City which is located north next to Scythia.
Win Conditions
Long campaign: Hold 50 provinces including Rome
Short campaign: Hold 15 provinces and outlast or destroy Macedon
Units
The Thracians have a good mix of barbarian and Hellnistic units. The Thracians start out with Militian Hoplites, and in the next tier barracks can train Falxmen like Dacia. Finally, the Thracains gain access to Phalanx Pikemen and Bastarnae. As regards to missile troops the Thracians have peltasts and archer warbands. The Thracians lack in light cavalry, making a jump from Miltia Cavalry to Barbarian Noble Cavalry.
Unique Units
BASTARNAE:Thracian Unit that carries a deadly Rhomphaia. They are a step up from Thracian Mercenaries, and are deadly when attacking against most cavalry and from a flank. They can increase their high attack by performing a fearsome warcry, and can run large distances because of their light armor. They should not be kept in prolonged combat, but rather as excellent hit-and-run troops.
Strategy guides
Possible strategy for Thrace is to directly and openly attack Macedons at begging of game, while allied with Dacia. Macedon are not so powerful at beginning as they are mostly concentrated on Greece. Beware the Scythians' horse archers at this point however as they demolish most types of infantry with their arrows before retreating and are very hard to catch.
However, another strategy is to grab Byzantium in the south, and then annihilate the Dacians fast. From then the player can build a strong economy and build good troops with which to invade Macedonia.
History
The historical boundaries of Thrace have varied. Ancient Thrace (i.e. the territory where ethnic Thracians lived) included present day Bulgaria, European Turkey, north-eastern Greece and parts of eastern Serbia and eastern Republic of Macedonia. Its boundaries were between the Danube River to the north and the Aegean Sea to the south, to the east - the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and on the west to the Axius. Thracian troops were known to accompany neighbouring ruler Alexander the Great, when he crossed the Hellespont which abuts 'Thracia' and took on the Persian Empire of the day. The Roman province of Thrace was somewhat smaller, having the same eastern maritime limits and being bounded on the north by the Balkan Mountains; the Roman province extended west only to the Mesta River.
