I always love the battles where you have like 2000 kills with about 50 deaths aswell (against low levels recruits I should add) The best fights have been the ones where you are outnumbered 2:1 etc but still manage to claw a victory. I am on turn 120 and not once has any1 declared war on me (too scared). Originally posted by I_ArCh0n_I:I have been playing as Sparta and I really like having a small but powerful force. Sparta would have been my favourite faction but for now I think it has to be a barbarian one, perhaps the Arverni as all organised militaries have so little cohesion its pointless. Perioikoi were not allowed Spartan cloaks using crimson clothing if they wished to associate themselves and generally had lambda marked shields as a mark of their allegiance so for me the disparity in accuracy of armour is a shame. Full Spartiates used full bronze armour, a lambda decorated shield (Kudos for that CA) and their helmet was a full face bronze helm with a crest running from front to back with the back of the crest hanging down like a ponytail with the corinth helmet (left to right crest) also in use but generally for officers or prestigious troops as well as only full Spartiates were allowed the crimson cloak. Pelos helmets (what the Royal Spartans have) were more often Perioikoi helmets and were largely phased out by this point in history. Another thing which annoyed me was the fact that the armour was wrong. Secondly their units are vulnerable, more so than they should be, against cavalry charges.
![total war rome 2 best ranged faction total war rome 2 best ranged faction](https://i0.wp.com/nerdlodge.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dwarvesranged.jpg)
The problems are that firstly unit cohesion in the game is nonexistant so the phalanx breaks with the tiniest assault against it so the Spartans primary advantage which is a superior phalanx is nullified and in melee spearmen have a disadvantage against swordsmen so they are overly easy to kill. They are weaker in prolonged melees, if they are not able to deal a decisive blow early on.Sparta are incredibly lacking. The tradeoff for better offense is a lower defense making them better suited for charging into a gap, or for dealing a heavy blow to enemy units. Sword Infantry: Sword infantry is usually known by their attack capabilities, compared to spearmen's more defensive skills. So in short while they have no advantages from the phalanx formation they are more flexible and are able to respond to a number of threats better.
![total war rome 2 best ranged faction total war rome 2 best ranged faction](https://i.redd.it/utva9fsep5b91.png)
While not as lethal as pikemen against horses or infantry units when attacking head on they are able to move faster and are better for screening for enemy horsemen as they can catch up to them. Spearmen like pikemen carry stabbing weapons into battle but their weapons are much shorter but also more muneverable.
![total war rome 2 best ranged faction total war rome 2 best ranged faction](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/60KPg5Oi1IU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Once the formation has been broken pikemen are rather weak one on one unless if they are elite units like Spartans. Infantry will pay a high price to break through their front ranks as well! While these units are amazing in the front they are vunerable to being flanked, as they are slow and make a large mass they are extremely vunerable to missile fire especially when they stay in phalanx formation to move. They can form phalanx formation that present a row of sharpen pikes in the front which is lethal to calvary.
![total war rome 2 best ranged faction total war rome 2 best ranged faction](https://i.redd.it/xebukthc8fx01.png)
Pikemen or Phalanxes carry long pikes into battle.