Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion Units Extra Quality May 2026
Key Mechanics Affecting Units
- Horde Units: When a nomadic faction (Vandals, Goths, etc.) loses its last settlement, its armies become a "horde." All military units double as settlers (can build a new city).
- Night Battles: Generals with high command can fight at night, reducing visibility and missile effectiveness.
- Religion: Units have morale penalties/boosts based on your empire’s dominant religion (Christianity, Paganism, Zoroastrianism).
Quick counters
- Missile-heavy armies → use cavalry to close gap fast; protect archers with light infantry screens.
- Heavy infantry formations → flank with cavalry or use missile volleys to disrupt.
- Skirmishers/horse archers → try to pin with spearmen and bring in heavier troops.
Germanic tribes (Goths, Franks, Saxons, Alemanni, Burgundians)
- Spear Levy / Spear Militia: Cheap, basic defensive line units; low morale, useful early game.
- Spear Infantry: Better armor and formations for holding the line.
- Light Infantry (Warband, Warlord’s Guard variants): Flexible melee troops with higher attack but lower defense.
- Axemen / Chosen Axemen / Berserkers: High offensive melee power, poor morale and armor; great for breaking infantry.
- Sword Infantry: Better-balanced close-combat troops for mid-game.
- Heavy Infantry (Noble Infantry / Household Guards): Armored, high attack/defense, limited availability — often elite late-game core.
- Skirmishers / Javelineers: Cheap, hit-and-run missile support; vulnerable in prolonged fights.
- Cavalry (Light Cavalry / Noble Cavalry): Mostly light or medium shock cavalry; nobles provide heavy charges and morale boosts.
- General’s Bodyguard: Elite and highly reliable; used to anchor armies.
Tactics: Use spears to hold, axemen/berserkers to charge flanks, cavalry to chase or flank. Germanic units favor aggressive melee, hit hard early, and rely on numbers and morale.
The Saxons
Naval raiders and shock infantry.
- Saxon Hearth Troops: The best heavy infantry in the barbarian roster. Armed with a seax (long knife) and a throwing axe, they induce fear in nearby enemies. They are expensive but worth every denarius.
- Saxon Raiders: Light infantry with two javelins. They are the ultimate skirmishers. Have them throw their javelins into the rear of engaged Roman units, then charge.
- Chosen Archers: Long-range, high-damage archers. Unlike hun horse archers, these are foot archers who deploy stakes. Use stakes to funnel enemy cavalry into kill zones.
The Sassanids (Persia)
The anti-Huns. Heavy cavalry and elephants. rome total war barbarian invasion units
- Savaran Cavalry (Clibanarii): The Persian version of cataphracts. They are arguably better than the Roman Armored Legionaries because they carry bows in addition to lances. A unit of Savaran can shoot, charge, and melee without support. They are the most micro-intensive unit in the game.
- Elephants (War Beasts): Devastating, but dangerous. An elephant charge will break any infantry line. However, flaming arrows will cause them to rampage, killing your own troops. Bring them only against Romans or Goths who lack fire arrows.
- Kurdish Javelinmen: Fast-moving, armor-piercing skirmishers. They are essential for countering Hunnic horse archers (dismount to shoot their horses) and killing elephants.
Horde Formations
Barbarian factions that lose their last settlement do not die; they become a Horde. Key Mechanics Affecting Units
- Horde armies consist of huge numbers of "Warband" units. They have zero upkeep but very low morale.
- As a Horde, you must sack a city immediately to survive.
- As a Roman, do not fight Hordes in the open field early on; they outnumber you 3-to-1. Let them siege a city and use your superior heavy infantry to slaughter them at the gates.