Poeni Infantry (RTW unit)
These heavy Poeni infantry are drawn from the self-reliant Carthaginian citizenry, and make superior all-round soldiers.
Overview
These heavy spear infantry are drawn from the self-reliant Carthaginian citizenry, and make superior soldiers. Poeni infantry are heavy spearmen, armed with heavy thrusting spears and swords. They are well armored in chainmail, carry large shields, and are some of the best troops to use as an 'anchor' for a battle line. They can hold off cavalry attacks and fight against other infantry when required.
Details
Poeni Infantry are the second-to-last infantry the faction Carthage can recruit. They are relatively inexpensive, since they are marginally more expensive than Triarii and somewhat less expensive than Chosen Swordsmen.
These units also have the distinction of being the first Carthaginian infantry that are able to form a phalanx. As a result Poeni Infantry’s tactical defensive capabilities are significantly greater than they otherwise would have. They are much better than Libyan Spearmen. They cannot quite match the Roman Legions or Greek Armoured Hoplites but are still a very useful unit and a big improvement over earlier infantry of Carthage. They will destroy cavalry and lighter infantry as well without any fuss and they are the first Carthaginian infantry unit that is respectable on it's own as opposed to needing support in most scenarios.
Unfortunately, Poeni Infantry are overshadowed by the more elite Carthaginian Sacred Band. However, they do have some advantages; they come from a regular Army Barracks instead of an Awesome Temple of Baal, which usually makes them easier to retrain, and they only require 1 turn to train.