Auxilia (RTW Unit)

Auxilia (RTW Unit)
Class	Light Infantry
Unit Size	161 men
Weaponry	Spear
Morale	6
Melee Attack	5
Ranged Attack	N/A
Defence	16
Charge Bonus	2
Accuracy	N/A
Range	N/A
Ammunition	N/A
Region	Global
Recruitment Cost	430
Upkeep Cost	170
Turns to Build	1
Unit Limit	Unlimited
Building Requirements	Militia Barracks
Technology Requirements	Marian Reforms
Attributes	Can sap; Can hide in forests;

Auxilia are highly disciplined and tough spearmen who provide support to Roman legionaries in battle.

Overview

Auxilia are highly disciplined and tough spearmen who provide support to Roman legionaries in battle. They are defensive infantry, expected to protect the flanks of the heavier legionaries from cavalry and similar threats; their training is at least as harsh as that of the legionaries and produces men with a similar level of discipline and hardiness. These troops need to keep up with other Roman forces, and so cannot be allowed to tire easily. They are recruited from among non-Romans within the Empire, and this is easy because Roman citizenship is far from being universal.

Historically, Roman commanders made sure that auxilia were always stationed far away from home so that there was no temptation to acts of rebellion. The changes introduced by Gaius Marius meant that professional auxiliaries were recruited to serve alongside the now-professional legionaries; a wholesale shake-up of the Roman military machine saw the whole army being put on a full time, service-for-life footing, with auxiliaries being rewarded with Roman citizenship at the end of their military careers.

Details

Auxilia are the first post-Marian infantry unit that can be recruited. Unlike other Roman infantry, these soldiers use spears instead of swords and pila in combat. Auxilia cost roughly the same as Hastati, their pre-Marian counterpart. Auxilia have a high defense and low offense, except for the unit’s anti-cavalry bonus. They will do a good job at holding the line, but will do very little damage against Infantry, so they need another unit to support them to win the battle.

Overall, Auxilia are decent enough troops for support in battle and garrisoning in the campaign map. Compared to Hastati they are very weak against infantry but they give the post-Marian Romans a much needed unit to fight cavalry. Against the strongest cavalry however Auxilia may still struggle. In the late game it is probably better for the Romans to use their own formidable cavalry against enemy cavalry, making Auxilia eventually obsolete.