Can Head Hunting Maidens Beat Seleucid Elephants in OG Rome: Total War?

[@priximus2254]

I'd say the maidens performed really well for their weight class. Really makes the mind want to try to use them during a campaign. Shame that the Scythian campaign is such a chore

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Yea, agreed. They seem like really solid performers :)

[@DT-im1dp]

Bro you never been so wrong. Scythian campaign is one of the easiest. They have one of the best units in the game that can be recruited from tier 1 barracks with upkeep cost that is similar to that of peasants. You don’t need anything else other than that 1 unit. I can achieve a long campaign win in less than 40 turns. The numbers of generals I got from man of the hours were crazy. Almost every win is a heroic victory

[@bannedcommander2932]

Everyone thinks Scythia is a slog until they see Scythian Horse Archers can be trained at a muster field (Town).

[@aretiredsubberl7036]

@@DT-im1dp he said it's "a chore" meaning that it's grindy which doesn't imply it's difficult. Just like household chores, they are repetitive and take time. You verified it yourself by saying that Scythian is about spamming horse archers and that's it which is the definition of "a chore".

[@Warmaker01]

@@bannedcommander2932 The fact that Scythia's Horse Archers can be recruited from Tier 1 barracks is a MAJOR difference from Armenia and Parthia's own versions of the same unit. The smallest settlement can have a a Tier 1 barracks, which Scythia gets their HAs from. But Armenia and Parthia derive theirs from the first stable buildings, which only start at Tier 2 settlements. I have not done a Scythian campaign yet but with Parthia, you literally can blitz through the campaign very quickly riding mostly on the backs of your HAs. Scythia doesn't even have to wait for a place with Stables to keep the momentum going. Conquer, replenish even from the most basic settlement, and keep the steamroller moving.

[@johnirby8847]

Companions are mainly used to tire heavy cavalry to exhaustion and then charge because they have the highest stamina of all heavy cavalry. It's kind of like the false gap at Gaugamela. Head hunting maidens or Egyptian axe cavalry would use the same tactic... even easier because they are fast moving. Once heavy cavalry is exhausted...especially cataphracts...they are incredibly vulnerable. You get 4 hits for every one hit they can swing. It's kinda cool CA put the effort in to make everything so unique and niche!

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the interesting comment. And I have to admit that I have not heard how the exhaustion mechanic works, so that was really nice to know as well :)

[@aulus3792]

Companions dont have better stamina than other cav with this trait, actually only some infantry are very hardy and that's it

[@johnirby8847]

@@aulus3792 are you looking at export_descr_unit in the data/data file? That's not correct, even in the remaster!

[@aulus3792]

@@johnirby8847 it is correct and the only stat that exist, you can remove it and they will tire faster than say legionary cav and with hardy stat they will tire at same speed

[@johnirby8847]

@aulus3792 awesome! Test it out yourself in a battle! VH. Have heavy cavalry follow Companions until they are at red exhaustion, then charge with Companions and see what happens! Bill Nye it!

[@ImmortalSkyCitizen]

That chariot charge was just amazing! Like a hot knife through butter

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Agreed on that :) Thanks for the comment.

[@saffron5802]

Bah, I got that one wrong. I thought that they would beat Companions, but I guess their armour piercing didn't do enough to offset their abysmal defense skill. Still close though!

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Agreed, an interesting match-up :)

[@Vasemir28]

No, they would win, if some idiot didn't make their formation so wide, and not deep enough

[@qualityoldgames7721]

@@Vasemir28 Come on. Lol. Both sides had their starting formations :)

[@saffron5802]

@@Vasemir28 woah dude, no need to call him an idiot. He was using the standard formation. Of course the results for these tests might be different when the formations are altered.

[@freddyjosecarrillocamacho5842]

wow, Scythed Charriots destroy the maiden. WTF

[@giacomoromano8842]

If you use chariots well, they are a nightmare against cavalry. In reverse, if you use cavalry well, you can easily annihilate chariots. It boils down on who charges who, basically.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

:) Thanks for the comment.

[@freddyjosecarrillocamacho5842]

@@qualityoldgames7721 Thank you for quality content (xD). Greetings! from Colombia.

[@Rakiael07]

Now I would like to see how they fare vs cataphracts

[@qualityoldgames7721]

@@freddyjosecarrillocamacho5842 Thank You! Greeting to Colombia :)

[@RocketMonke69420]

I love that YT recommended me this out of the blue xD. Subbed.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thank You! :)

[@bannedcommander2932]

I thought they would do a lot better, but I'm used to using them in the campaign where their early battle goal is to assassinate the enemy general and later on break/mop up units weakened by horse archers. I guess going up against full strength units was a bit too much for them. Still, they're cheap and devastating when used properly. I often put a couple in every full stack.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Yea, agreed that they would probably do better in campaign situation :)

[@napoleoncomplex2712]

To be honest, they did a lot worse than I thought they'd do. Although bringing down a few elephants was impressive, especially the armoured elephant at the end.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Agreed, that last one was a wow moment :)

[@rorschach1985ify]

A lot of that has to do with the fact the video has them using their alt attack when in campaign the AI never does that. Without it I can see the Maidens going further.

[@Warmaker01]

Head Hunting Maidens were unfamiliar to me. Then I remembered. They were the ones my Horse Archers shot up and my Cataphracts ran over in a recent Parthian campaign 😅 I was surprised with how fast they were, my Horse Archers had just enough speed to maintain distance but needed to countercharge with Cataphracts once they were overextended. If I had been using Persian Cavalry who don't have Fast Moving trait, they'd have been overtaken. On a Macedon campaign they weren't a factor because the stupid AI likes to charge them headlong into my pikes. Waste of a good unit. I wasn't too familiar with them and had to look them up. Scythian players access them from one of the tier 2 temples (Api for growth and happiness). For early game Light Cavalry, they really are impressive considering what other factions get that tier: Fast moving, 8 charge, a shield, some armor, decent melee attack and morale. That is a lot going for them. They're Light Cavalry that can make heavy armor units pay. Their 8 charge is high. It's not the highest but it's really up there. Light Lancers, Cataphracts, Companion Cavalry have 9 charge. Scythians are there with Parthia for "Ride or Die" armies.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Agreed on that. A really solid early-game cav unit that is actually useful in late-game as well :)

[@Pink.andahalf]

They also have armor piercing, which very few Rome 1 units have.

[@matthewmcneany]

They're AP so they'll value trade well into cataprachts compared to companion cavalry, right..? Right?!?

[@aamil93]

That one point in defense skill is sick, but I guess any other way they'd be overpowered. Scythians are all about maneuver, grtting a rear charge from nobles and getting the enemy general offguard with the maidens almost always does half the battle, just a shame the infantry line will melt and you can do nothing about it. Ps: how would they fare against companions and catas without alt attack?

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. I think they actually might win Companions as they get a significant boost to attack from alt :)

[@giacomoromano8842]

The maidens are really strong for being a mid tier unit, all things considered.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Fully agreed on that :) Thanks for the comment.

[@outoftime2302]

Prediction: No After Watching: No but was surprised they lost to small elephants

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Yea but they managed to take some down :) Thanks for the comment.

[@aulus3792]

Tbh i really believed they are gonna win against companions as they have ap attack

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. Perhaps it was the companion alt-attack :)

[@Шишкевич-ю2ф]

The cavalry of the Greek city-states, Seleucids, Thracians is weak, the situation is better with the Macedonians, because they have a high charge, but the lack of shields makes them very weak in close, protracted combat. And the girls with axes really burn)))

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Indeed :) Thanks for the comment.

[@aulus3792]

Maidens vs roman cavalry roster?

[@Warmaker01]

They should do pretty well and make even Legionary Cavalry get nervous a bit. Their low defense will be their undoing, but their high charge and armour-piercing will make the Roman bodyguards and post-Marian reform heavy cavalry feel some pain at least. They're a Tier 2 temple unit, and they should account for themselves pretty well considering their place in the roster. A 108 size Head Hunting Maiden unit charging into a 48 bodyguard size Roman general? Money's on the maidens riding off with the general's head. Legionary Cavalry should win on attrition over the Maiden's poor defense.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Thanks for the comment. I will add that to TO-do list :)

[@reinhardvonloengram8020]

Well it would be a great shame if Alexanders best men would get defeated by women.

[@qualityoldgames7721]

Indeed :) Thanks for the comment.