Nomadic Tribes (TWR2 Cultures)

Nomadic Tribes (TWR2 Cultures)
Name:	Nomadic Tribes
From Game:	Total War: Rome II
Cultural Group:	Barbarian
Playable Factions:	Yes

Overview:

Culture Traits

• Horde: +3 army recruitment slots in home province
• Marauders: +50% income from raiding and sacking

Factions:

Massagetae

• Pastoral Lifestyle: +40% wealth from livestock buildings
• Tribal Ferocity: +15% morale during battles in own or allied territory

Roxolani

• Peregrine Conquerors: +20% melee attack during battles in foreign territory
• Migrant Traders: +15% wealth from all commerce buildings

Royal Scythia

• Scythian Craftsmanship: +20% wealth from all industrial buildings
• Archery Masters: +25% ammunition for all units

In game:

• Cultural traits allow the Nomadic Tribes to recruit large armies very quickly in their home province, and gain additional income from raiding enemy regions and sacking their settlements.
• The Nomadic Tribes all start in the north east corner of the map, some distance away from most of the major powers. The individual regions here are often large, with settlements quite spread out. This is both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand an attacking force may take multiple turns to reach your settlements, giving you time to react even once they have crossed your border. On the other this means it may take multiple turns for your armies to arrive where they are needed.
• Horses. Lots and lots of horses. The Nomadic Tribes roster is focused on cavalry to a greater extent than any other culture, even the Eastern Kingdoms. With a single weak recruitable melee infantry unit (Young Axes,) and no recruitable ranged or spear infantry (though they do appear as garrison units,) you're armies are going to be principally built of cavalry.
• Each faction specialises in a different type of cavalry, so it's worth taking this into account when deciding which Nomadic Tribe to play. Massagatae focus on armoured cavalry, including Saka Cataphracts and even Saka Cataphract Horse Archers, but lack melee cavalry so rely more on heavy impacts than drawn out melees. Roxolani by contrast choose to fight in close quarters, their Sarmatians riding close to the enemy so they can engage in brutal melee. Finally Royal Scythia focus on ranged combat, with a selection of superior horse archers, including the deadly long range Amazonians and Noblewomen, but few options in other areas.
• For those players familiar with Nomadic Horde factions from later games such as Attila and Warhammer, it is worth noting that Rome 2 does not have this mechanic. Nomadic factions in this game still conquer settlements and use standard building and recruitment mechanics.

In history:

• The fearsome horselords of the sea of grass.
• The people of the Steppes were amongst the first to master mounted warfare.
• Though a common perception of the nomadic tribes is of a people constantly on the move with no real home, many nomadic people actually follow a set seasonal or annual pattern of movement. They will return to the same places (such as fertile pastures or clean watering holes) many times in a life.