Chosen Swordsmen (RTW unit)
Chosen swordsmen are the best fighting individuals in their tribe, and armed with the finest swords available.
Overview
Chosen swordsmen are the best fighting individuals in their tribe, and armed with the finest swords available.
While superbly skilled and extremely tough, they are not naturally inclined to fight as a group. Personal glory and the need to be first amongst the enemy ensure that they are headstrong and ill-disciplined. They are, however, very well equipped with the finest swords that the smiths can make, along with chainmail armor and large shields. They are an intimidating sight for any enemy.
Details
Chosen Swordsmen are among the best troops barbarian factions have to offer and are priced accordingly. These units can effectively hold a line and be expected to fight hard. Chosen Swordsmen are also the last barbarian infantry recruited at the barracks, which makes accessibility the real drawback for them. The Hall of Heroes that allows you to recruit Chosen Swordsmen can only be built in minor cities, which is the largest settlement barbarians can access. This makes Chosen Swordsmen a late-game unit.
They do very well against infantry at a comparable level, such as Principes, however, later elite infantry, especially Roman Legionaries and Carthaginian Sacred Band, are superior to them. For this reason barbarian factions might want to attack Rome before they can recruit them.