Rome Total War Arcani

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Rome Total War Arcani

bruncaciaver1980 2020. 10. 29. 17:17

Truth or Fantasy?

Arcani Rome Total War Wiki
Rome Total War Arcani
Rome Total War Arcani Unit

By Terikel Grayhair

Rome:Total War has some pretty odd units. Are those real? Did they actually exist? Well, now you can read the story behind some of Rome:Total war's more exotic (and sometimes downright silly) units and find out for yourself if they are Fact or Fantasy.

Falxmen
The falx seems to be a fantasy creation at first glance- a long blade that can cut through metal and men with equal ease. It is no Ginsu blade, but cannot be far from it. What it was was a long hook-like blade, with the cutting edge on the inside of the blade- used in a pulling motion, rather than the outward slash. Pure Fantasy, eh? Well... No.

The Dacians did indeed use the falx in battle. The name comes from Latin, however, and means sickle, though interestingly enough, the word sickle derives from the Dacian name for the shorter falx- the sica. It was a rather long blade for the times, with the cutting edge upon the inside of the curve, rather than on the outside as in modern sabers as mentioned above.

There were two sorts of falxes- a long two-handed variety which necessitated a specially-trained warrior, or the more common one-handed variety similar to the swords the Thracian infantry use in Rome:Total War. The falx shown in the Dacian and Thracian units, however, resembles more closely the Thracian variant- the Rhomphaia- more so than the heavily-curved Dacian model.

It was one of the few weapons encountered by the Romans which caused them to modify their current equipment. Upon facing falxmen for the first time, the Romans were terrified to see the weapon slice through helmets, or chop off arms with a single blow. The next time the Romans went on the warpath, they had bronze crosses reinforcing their helmets, and metal plates covering their shoulders and lower legs.

The falxmen in history, unlike in RTW, did not serve in an organized unit of such. Like most barbarians, they were crudely grouped by fighting style instead of weapon type. The falx was a melee weapon, and thus grouped with others such as axemen and swordsmen.

Sep 16, 2013 This is my second ROME 2 TW Deadliest Warrior video with an Arcani unit(Roman Secret Agents) this time against a Royal Parthian Cataphract. The inf-cav anima.
Oct 21, 2010 Rome: Total War; Rome: Total War; Rome: Total War General Discussion. Arcani are usually the deadliest when they are maxed out. Kingdoms Crusade Factions Mod v1.1. I was once an Angel of Total War Heaven, but gave up my wings for a life.

Please note the error in the picture above. The falx shown in the Dacian's hand curves the wrong way- a true falx curved outward, and had its sharpened edge on the inside of the curve.

Feb 03, 2018 Yes. The Arcani (also called Areani) were an organization stationed in Roman Britannia. They served as a sort of frontier spy force, traveling and reporting news of the local tribes to Roman authorities. They were disbanded after they were found t.

Berserkers
These existed, but not until the day of the Vikings. Tacitus does not mention them, nor does any classical historian I have perused. But later historians and chroniclers mention them in great detail- even down to the bear-skin capes and naked bodies. Viking lords used berserkers as throw-away weapons, unleashing them upon their foes to do their thing and then ignoring them. The men would work themselves up into their fury, the berserkergang, during which they could perform feats of amazing strength and be seemingly immune to weapons. Even lethal wounds could be ignored for a time. Their appearance and disposition was often enough to send showers of warm urine streaming down their opponent's trousers, as was the gibberish they spouted in this state.

Berserkers were far from honored. Most were treated with respect due them as prime warriors, but their tendency (not reflected in the game) to kill both friend and foe when in their berserkergang made them a double-edged sword. Killing a comrade in battle was among the lowest deed one could perform, and since berserkers often did just that, the other warriors reviled them. Only their awesome skill in battle earned them any grudging respect.

Berserkers were outlawed by Nordic kings in or about 1015, and anyone going into a berserkergang was to be punished by being outlawed for period no less than three years.

Night Raiders
These are actually true to form, surprisingly enough. Tacitus tells us of the Harii tribe in his Germania, which painted their shields black, dyed their bodies, and chose to fight almost exclusively at night. Their paint and dye, when coupled with their screeching in the attack, was done to terrify their opponents, just like in the game.

The Night Raiders were thus based on actual warriors who fought in actual groups and had actual unnerving effects, just like the units- making them in fact one of the most factual of the exotic units.

Head Hurlers
Kill a man, cut off his head, dip it in lime, let it dry, then chuck it at an enemy. Sounds awful. But it was indeed a custom among the Britons and Celts! There were no units of Head Hurlers- that part is pure fantasy- but the actual throwing of limed heads is a documented fact. The Celts were head hunters, and believed that the spirit of a man resided in his head. This made the head special, and sought-after. Lime was a preservative, treating the head with it kept the trophy for longer. And hurling it at an enemy was considered a major insult to the enemy. And the lime coating? It did indeed burn the skin where it impacted.

However, there were no units of these men. Individuals might throw their trophies, thinking them imbued with some magical power, but most heads collected would be treated and kept as souvenirs. The more powerful a warrior, the more value his head had.

British Chariots
Another unit of factual warriors in a fantasy unit. British nobles were famous for riding into battle upon their chariots. Historians mention their antics while doing so- running along the yoke, dancing between the horses, throwing spears as they passed a foe. Verily, archaeologists have recovered many such chariots, and restored some of them to their original condition.

The British chariot was a two-horse wagon, driven by one man while the noble warrior was free to perform his tricks and to fight. Considerable engineering went into the chariot to make it both light (and thus swift) and maneuverable while providing a stable fighting platform. They had rimmed wheels with spokes, and were often highly decorated. There were no blades on the hubs, though- never has a British chariot been unearthed with any indication it once had scythed blades on its hubs. Eastern chariots with bladed hubs have been recovered- but not a single British one to date.

Flaming Pigs
Sad, but true. Tarred pigs were indeed used in warfare- mostly by the Romans against the elephants of Pyrrhus. The squealing of the pigs, combined with the fire, drove the elephants insane. There were no pig farms with specially trained pigs or pig handlers, though- and once ignited, the pigs did not run in a preset direction but tended to scatter wherever Chaos took them.

They did indeed scare the living poop out of elephants, according to the sources. One could say they were surprisingly effective. Tasty, too.

As pigs are easier to come by in Europe than elephants, the use of imported elephants to fight in Europe died out.

Peasants
Why on Earth would Rome:Total War have this unit? They can hardly fight, have no morale worth spit, tie up resources better used for true warriors, and have no historical counterpart?

Well, mostly. Besides their use in population redistribution, peasants are handy little buggers and are historically accurate. When cities were besieged in the old days, the male population of the city often joined the defenders. Maybe not always on the walls fighting, but doing the other tasks like bringing supplies, putting out fires, and such that freed up true warriors to serve on the walls. Later, in medieval times, peasants and serfs were called up to fight as part of a feudal lord's retinue.

Peasants were not organized into units as in the game, however.

Screeching Women
There was of course no unit recruited at a shrine to Freyja of these melodious maidens. But there were, in fact, detailed reports of women accompanying their men on German battlefields to provide morale support. Tacitus mentions them twice- in his Germania and again in his Annals, specifically at the battle near modern Nijmegen when Lupercus and the XV Primigenia and V Alaudae legions were sent packing back to Castra Vetera where they were later besieged.

He mentions in detail how the women would gather behind the warhost, and show their bosoms to flagging warriors while screaming that their loss that day would mean the enemy gaining these breasts as slaves. Women held an honored position in German tribes, and were seen as holy spirits as shown by their adoration of such as Aurinia and Veleda. Slavery was the fate of cowards and the unlucky- and letting one's women fall into that fate was a hideous deed. Thus the men were encouraged to fight harder.

Sometimes it worked.

Praetorian Cohorts
Everyone who ever read a word of Roman history knows that the Praetorian cohorts were indeed factual units. They were chosen from among the elite at first for the honor of guarding the emperor- and were the only troops allowed by Roman law to be based in or around Rome itself. Most generals had a picked group of bodyguards when on campaign. Since these men guarded the praetorium- or headquarters of the general, they became known as praetorian cohorts. Augustus created a similar bodyguard for himself, and used the same name for these imperial guards- the praetorian cohorts- though only one cohort was patrolling the public buildings in Rome at any one time. The rest were spread throughout towns nearby where they could do no harm.

Tiberius allowed the other eight praetorian cohorts to move into a Praetorian Barracks (Castra Praetoria) built just outside Rome, and it was from this time that the praetorians began enjoying political power. The emperors relied upon them as a legionary force at hand, and in turn they began to consider the emperor and his throne as their own- one which they could replace at will and often did.

So from being initially the best troops in the Empire, they fell from military power to assume political power. They became less fearsome as warriors and more a police force and finally emperor-makers until finally disbanded by Constantine I.

Urban Cohorts
This was a factual unit. Really. Augustus had them created for Rome. Honest. But they were not super-troops who could stand up against elephants and whittle them down with their gladii and pila until there was nothing before them than pachydermal bones. No, the true urban cohorts were more firemen and police officers than combat troops.

Fire had always been the biggest threat to any city, even a city built in stone. Rome was then, much as today, a city of apartment-buildings. During the civil wars, riots had often broken out as one faction or another was angered by some event. Thus, to keep order in his beloved city, Augustus created the cohors urbanae, under the direction of the urban prefect, to act as a heavy-duty police force to back up the vigiles (night watch and fire brigade) and force a reduction in the activities of the mobs that used to run rampant over the city in the Republican days.

The urban cohorts were the same size and strength of the praetorian cohorts, though there were initially only three of them in Rome itself. They shared many of the same facilities as the praetorians, and soon came to be seen as a balancing force against the praetorians. This is probably where RTW gets the inspiration to make them so powerful in the game. But whereas the praetorians were soldiers first and police second, the urban cohorts were primarily a paramilitary police force for riot duty and fire prevention who rarely saw battle. This led to the praetorians being seen as the more prestigious unit.

Head Hunting Maidens
Girls with cleavers, seeking to kill? True! Well, maybe not the cleaver part, but both Sarmatian and Scythian warhosts were known to have both male and female warriors. Indeed, Herodotus wrote much of their women, thinking their descent must be from the legendary Amazons. Indeed, he even mentioned a custom that no girl could wed until she had killed in battle. Hippocrates mentions something similar.

And, recently, tombs have been discovered in Southern Siberia with women dressed as warriors, and buried with their weapons, giving credence to the outlandish claims of Herodotus. They did indeed fight alongside the men, share the same dangers, and were every bit as tough and hardy as the other warriors of the tribe.

Arcani
The arcani, Rome's Nijnas. Cowflops. If any unit here is completely fantasy, it would be this one. The twin swords, incredible stamina, black armor, and ability to hide anywhere, even on an open field- all pure unadulterated fantasy. Right?

Wrong. There were arcani, at least groups named such. Arcanus means 'hidden ones' or 'secret ones' in Latin, and the arcani themselves were spies and scouts of the empire. A shadow organization, they were never mentioned but once in ancient texts- and that in Britannia. They were accused of treason by allowing the barbarians- whom they knew were gathering for an attack- to do so without giving word to the garrisons. After the barbarians were repelled and Britannia set in order by Theodosius, the arcani there were disbanded in disgrace.

Other groups may have existed, but being hidden scouts and spies, never mentioned in ancient texts. It seems rather odd that spies and scouts of this nature were used only in one province, and not throughout the border regions, thus leaving one open to suggestions that other units did exist, but being secret, were never mentioned because they performed their tasks properly. But they were far from the battlefield ninjas of our beloved game.

Sacred Band of Carthage
I thought the Sacred Band was Theban, wiped out to a man by Philip II of Macedon at Charonaea. It was, but before they perished, Greek historians had labeled another group as the Sacred Band- a rather large unit from Carthage. The Thebans had three hundred in their Sacred Band, whereas the Carthaginians had two to three thousand. Unlike the Thebans, the Carthaginian Sacred Band soldiers were not lovers. They were volunteers from among the city's wealthy and/or noble classes, lavishly armed and equipped, then trained as a phalanx. They were deemed Sacred because unlike most armies, Carthaginian forces were not citizen-armies but rather hired mercenaries and allies. Very few Carthaginian citizens served in the armies, yet the Sacred Band was a unit consisting entirely of citizens.

It was considered an honor to serve in the Sacred Band of Carthage, though it was not the wisest choice for career opportunities. The Sacred Band of Carthage was annihilated to a man in Sicily in 341 BCE. It was reformed, then wiped out again in 311 BCE. Twice within forty years two to three thousand wealthy and/or noble Carthaginian citizens died on the field of battle- a staggering loss to the city. Thereafter the Sacred Band was never reformed- not even during the First Punic War, which is probably why most people have never heard of it.

Bull Warriors
Bullshit Warriors is a better name for these tough Spanish warriors. Nowhere outside of Rome:Total War have these warriors existed.

Though pure fantasy as both a warrior and a unit, Bull Warriors do have a small toehold in the realm of reality. The true warriors in Spain of the time, both the native Iberians, the Celtiberians, and the Celts, were much hardier and more elusive than the game can portray. There were among the warriors men who could perform great feats of strength and courage. Men like these, when well-led and used wisely, made life a living hell for the Carthaginians and the Romans who came to conquer Spain.

The Bull warriors represent those tough men.

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Roman Units

Peasants

The last option of any desperate army (except perhaps slaves or convicts), peasants are good for increasing your numbers...and not much else. Poorly armed and with little military experience, their morale and discipline are both understandably low. They are cheap to train, however, and their one advantage is an ability to hide well. Peasants should be used as an absolute last resort, or in cases where funds are extremely short.

Town Watch

As the name suggests, the town watch is more of a sentry force than anything else. A militia made up of local townspeople, it is poorly-armed and largely useless against any competent troops. However, when one considers the immense advantages given to the defender in the siege of any fortified town, it is obvious that even the watch can hold off enemies for a substantial amount of time. They are also useful for keeping peasants in line, as can be necessary in towns that have recently been captured, and are not yet entirely resigned to your rule.

Archers & Archer Auxilia

Archers were used more widely by some cultures than others. The Romans, amongst almost all the peoples of the ancient world, were prominent in their disdain for archers (and indeed for almost any kind of ranged weapons). Nevertheless, archers are sometimes necessary (particularly, for example, in sieges), and the legions therefore recruited them from amongst the poorer sections of society, and from allies. They are not armoured and thus almost useless in hand-to-hand combat.

Velites

The lightly-armed velites, or skirmishers, were the fourth part of the Republican legion. They were also the poorest, as they could not afford even an infantryman's equipment, but instead were armed only with throwing javelins, which they flung at the enemy before the lines of infantry met. Velites were occasionally used to significant effect, as at Zama where Scipio Africanus used their javelins to drive away charging Carthaginian elephants. Velites disappeared after the Marian reforms, which made the legion a professional army in which men did not have to pay for their own weapons.

Hastati

The Roman legion was made up of three kinds of infantry, the first of which were the hastati. Normally the youngest men of the legion, they were armed with two throwing javelins (pila - of shorter range than those of velites) and a sword. As they were less experienced than the other two lines of infantry, and also went into battle first (being in front), they often suffered the heaviest casualties. Those who survived the hastati were eminently qualified to move on to the more experienced principes.

Principes

These principes were normally men slightly older, in their 20's perhaps. They were, as mentioned before, more experienced, and as such were expected to shift the tide of the battle, after the hastati in front of them had worn down the enemy. They also carried two pila and a sword. Like the other two lines, they had an oval shield called a scutum.

Triarii

The cream of the legion, the triarii was made up of men approaching middle age. These hardened veterans were literally the toughest infantry you could find in the ancient world. The triarii, behind the other two lines of infantry, were not always required to go into battle, but when they did, their enemies had reason to be worried. These men carried a long thrusting spear and a sword. Being richer, they could also afford better equipment. There were also less of them than of the other two lines.

Light Auxilia

When a Roman legion went to war, it normally had a roughly equal number of allied troops accompanying it. They were known as auxiliaries. The lightest-armed troops amongst these allies were roughly equivalent to Roman velites, playing a primarily skirmishing role. They carried throwing javelins. Being both light troops and non-Romans, they were quite often used as cannon fodder by Roman commanders.

Auxilia

As the light auxiliaries corresponded to Roman velites, the auxiliary infantry corresponded to the Roman legionnaires, although they were perhaps not as skilled. Often deployed on the flanks of the citizen troops, they again could expect to be sacrificed if necessary. Nevertheless, these troops were by no means incompetent, and the outcome of more than one Roman battle could have been swayed by them. In the later days of the Republic they were rewarded for their service with citizenship.

Early Legionary Cohort & Legionary Cohort

Roman legionaries are tough, professional troops with good armour and superb weapons. Their hallmarks are discipline, obedience and tactical flexibility. When approaching enemy fortifications, for example, they can use the turtle formation, or testudo, overlapping their shields for protection. Every legionary's flexible banded armour, the lorica segmenta, is of very good quality, as is the rest of his gear: a metal helmet and a large curved shield. They fight with two throwing spears (the pilum, plural pila) and a short stabbing sword, the gladius. Each pilum has a soft iron shaft behind the piercing head that is designed to bend as soon as it hits a target, making it impossible to pull out and throw back. Embedded in a shield a pilum hampers an enemy. Embedded in a man, it usually kills. Once the pila have been thrown, legionaries close and continue fighting with the stabbing gladius. The lorica segmenta armour was adopted because it was cheaper to make and offered more protection as the earlier chainmail.

Early Legionary First Cohort & Legionary First Cohort

After centuries of Roman infantry dominance on the battlefield, one almost feels compelled to ask how the reforms of Marius could possibly have made the legion any stronger. Yet they definitely had a substantial impact, and the Roman legionnaire of the late Republic/early Empire was truly a force to be reckoned with. They were no longer divided into hastati/principes/triarii according to the equipment they could afford, but instead had their arms provided by the Roman army, and served 20 year terms, unlike in earlier days, when armies were levied only during wars. The best legionaries in each legion would naturally gravitate through seniority into the first cohort.

Praetorian Cohort

Although the historical Praetorian Guard was an elite unit specifically tasked with protecting the person of the Emperor (which means they took part in more assassinations than anyone else), we can forgive the creators of Rome: Total War for taking some liberties with these units, for had they not, we would not be able to use Praetorian infantry in battle. And that would be a shame, for these are the best of the best, possibly the strongest infantry available in this game.

Urban Cohort

The only thing that Rome had resembling a police force, the Urban Cohort was intended mostly to maintain order in the great city. This is not intended to suggest that they were any less qualified to fight than the legions in the field; in fact, it was quite the opposite, since only the best were chosen to serve in Rome. The Urban Cohort could create a lot of problems for you should you ever choose to march on Rome...

Incendiary Pigs

This is the unit that everyone has been talking about. The Romans employed groups of pigs, coated in tar and oil and then set on fire, as a sort of primitive artillery. Apart from scaring elephants and horses, they could be useful in disrupting infantry formations. Obviously, the pigs did not survive for very long after being set on fire...

War Dogs

Used occasionally in battle by various nations, these dogs were deliberately starved to make them all the more fierce (and hungry!). They were trained to target horse's hamstrings and therefore could be used against either infantry or cavalry. Although they were obviously never used on the scale possible in the game, they could be a fairly formidable deterrent to any group of infantry.

Velite Gladiators

Amongst the many poor souls who fought for their lives in the Gladiatorial Games, the velites were perhaps the bravest, as they were armed only with a spear and a shield. The Games were started by Roman politicians as a way of pleasing the masses (and therefore receiving their votes); they rose to huge and quite obscene proportions in later years, as hundreds of men and animals were slaughtered for the entertainment of citizens. Velite Gladiators are available only to the Brutii.

Samnite Gladiators

Samnium was a mountainous area in the South of Italy, and one that had risen in revolt more than once. Samnite Gladiators were tough like the land they came from, and fought with a sword and shield in the arena. Like all the other gladiators, their lives depended both on chance and on the extremely fickle favour of the crowds. Samnite gladiators are available to the Julii.

Mirmillo Gladiators

Mirmillo gladiators are superb individual fighters, unmatched by any ordinary soldiers. They wear apparently impractical armour, but then it is designed to stop a quick kill in the arena, not necessarily keep them alive in a battle. They would normally fight singly as half of a matched pair, against another style of fighter, but on a battlefield they form a unit all of their own. They care little for personal safety as they are part of the damnati: the disgraced, the condemned, the untouchables in society. They fight; they win; they may gain freedom... eventually. Mirmillo Gladiators fight exclusively for the Scipii.

Cavalry Auxilia

Of course, the auxiliaries also provided cavalry, although these were often not very well-trained. Armed with throwing javelins, they could be used to pressure an enemy, or chase off their skirmishers, but were largely useless in an actual battle. Do not depend on auxiliary cavalry too much (or at all), for they are weaker even than Roman cavalry, and cavalry was always the weak point of the infantry-dominated Roman legion, one that led to defeat on more than one embarrassing occasion.

Equites

Service in the Roman legions depended largely on one's economic standing. While the infantry was made up of those who merely owned land (and not even that, after the reforms of Marius), the cavalry consisted of people from the equestrian class - the 'knights' who could afford their own horses and weapons, and who in peacetime were often the businessmen of the middle class. Armed with spears, they were useful for ambushes, for pressuring the enemy flanks, and - more importantly than is often realized - for chasing a fleeing enemy and cutting men down before they could escape.

Roman Cavalry

These Roman cavalry were almost always the richest segments of society, or the sons of aristocrats. In battle, the commanding general always rode with the citizen cavalry. Because of this, they were often incompetent nobles who served in the army only to further their political careers. Nevertheless, the cavalry could be brave, and a fierce charge could on occasion turn the tide of a battle. They were organized into ten turmae of thirty horses each.

General's Bodyguard & General's Armoured Bodyguard

A bodyguard was, historically speaking, a functional unit, rather than a type of soldier. In the game, however, they are spear-armed shock cavalry, whose success or failure depends to a large extent on the personal characteristics of the general who they are guarding - his effect on their morale, for example, or on their discipline, will play a large role in determining how they fight. They are in all cases excellent troops.

Legionary Cavalry

Let us be blunt - the term 'legionary cavalry' is a paradox, since the word legionary itself refers to the infantry that made up most of the Roman legion. Nevertheless - in Rome: Total War, the Legionary Cavalry are a more powerful strain of the Roman Cavalry unit, able to take on almost any foe besides spearmen (which are of course a natural counter to any kind of cavalry).

Praetorian Cavalry

Once again we are faced with a largely fictional unit; however, we can figure out its basic properties. Praetorian Cavalry are the toughest units that are available to a Roman player in the game, and can be used to good effect against almost any sort of enemy. The real Praetorians, for the record, who were meant to guard the Emperor, were not defined as infantry or cavalry so much as by their responsibility - looking after the person of the Empire's ruler, that is.

Ballistae

A Ballista is a sinew-powered weapon that looks like an enormous crossbow. It has tremendous range and can skewer files of men with a single bolt! While a Ballista might look like a huge crossbow, its working principles are rather different. The two arms are pushed through ropes made of tough animal sinew. This naturally elastic material is then twisted, and becomes a hugely powerful spring, pulling each arm forwards. The arms are pulled back, creating even more tension, the Ballista is loaded with a missile, and then this is shot at the enemy with considerable force. Providing care is taken to make sure that the two sinew bundles are under the same tension, the Ballista is a very accurate weapon, but because sinew is sensitive to damp a Ballista does not work well in wet weather.

Repeating Ballistae

The repeating ballista is a semi-automatic artillery weapon. As long as it is loaded with bolts and cranked it will keep firing. The basic design is similar to a ballista: twisted animal sinew ropes provide the power. There is an ingenious winding mechanism that draws back the arms, drops a bolt into place and then releases a catch - and all this happens repeatedly as long as a windlass is turned. This makes it a perfect weapon for creating a 'beaten zone' or targeting large enemy formations, when speed of fire is more important than pinpoint accuracy.

Arcani Rome Total War Wiki

Scorpions

A Roman scorpion is a sinew-powered weapon that looks like a large bow laid sideways on a frame. It has a tremendous range and can skewer a man with a single shot! While a scorpion might look like a huge bow, its working principles are rather different. The two arms are pushed through ropes made of tough animal sinew which is then twisted, becoming a hugely powerful spring, pulling each arm forwards. The arms are pulled back, creating even more tension, the scorpion is loaded with a missile, and then this is shot at the enemy with considerable force and accuracy. Providing care is taken to make sure that the two sinew bundles are under the same tension, the scorpion is a very accurate weapon, but because sinew is sensitive to damp a scorpion may not work properly in wet weather.

Onagers

An onager, unlike a ballista, worked similarly to a catapult. These machines could be used to hurl projectiles up to half a mile (with the larger versions). The Roman used them in many different ways: large boulders were flung at walls to help bring them down; many smaller rocks were used against enemy troops as a sort of shrapnel; various burning projectiles were used to try and spread fire; and diseased animal carcasses were flung into the enemy-held city to spread disease.

Heavy Onagers

The heavy onager is an enormous catapult built using the same basic design as its sibling and capable of smashing down stone fortifications. It is powered by a twisted bundle of animal sinew ropes, and is slow to wind back and reload. Its missiles are devastating, and it can also fire incendiary firepots. Range is no more than the smaller onager and this makes the heavy onager susceptible to counter fire. Often, it is best employed alongside smaller artillery to deal with enemy fire.