This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of the various units.

Light units - These are the weakest units in the game. They don't hit hard. They rout far. Their only hope is if they are opposed to slow moving infantry or similar units. Keep your distance ad take cover in forest and broken ground. Evade when attacked.

Bows and slings - These are also weak units. Their one advantage is that they have the longest range. Keep your distance ad take cover in forest and broken ground.

Auxilia - The best of the light units. They can go toe to toe with warriors in the right circumstance. Good movement, ranged fire, and lower retreat make them useful. Consider not evading when you are about the block strength as your enemy.

Warrior - They weaken and they run, but they are powerful if they attack first. They also have lots of punch and lots of range if they attack when they are fresh.

Medium and Heavy infantry - They have lots of punch but they are slow. Slog them forward in big groups using the line command cards. Surprise your enemies with a double time attack card.

Light cavalry - Very low punch. Extremely harmful retreats. One of the best uses of light cav is to mop up single units and to block the back door retreats while your infantry kicks down the front door.

Medium and heavy cavalry - Good punch, good range, and good follow up. Use them to punch holes and divide up the enemy lines. You must provide room for them to retreat or they will die.

Elephants - work best alone. Send them in first. Don't battle lights. Find heavies to combat. They are most effective in the midst of the enemy thanks to their rampage when they rout.

Leaders direct troops. Provide leader hits when in combat. Prevent retreats when attacked. Keep them attached. Retreat to friendly units when routed.

Good luck and keep those lines in order!

Since Auxilia, unlike other light units, can never evade, there isn't much to consider.

Whoops. Good point. I was looking at the 1 space retreat, and my mind short circuited. You are correct, auxilia don't evade.

Actually i find auxilia to be the weakest unit most of the time due to their inability to evade. Theyre not nearly as good and medium/heavy infantry in close combat, theyre less maneuverable than the other light infantry and lack of evade generally makes them the best target to engage in close combat. Other units either hit back much harder or can simply evade, slowing down the attacker significantly.

Yeah, Auxilia are just weaker medium infantry with missle fire. Use them to close against the other lights, but try to stay out of the way of anything else.

You left out Chariots.

Chariots - Use these to mop up using clsoe combat. Do not expose them to missile fire. Don't expect more than one effort from them.

Light foot, Bow and slingers are most usefull at the beginning of the battle : they slow down the enemy lines, and have an attritional effect on those that don't find the opportunity (card) to move.
I try to make them retreat (through enemy lines with the Light unit move card, if possible) when the enemy goes in for the kill.
Light units are also good to harass from the sides enemy units attempting encircling manoeuvers...
They also can be the second to fight when heavy and mediums manage to make the defender retreat : javelines, arrows and stones can still hit the retreating one - especially if you don't want to break your lines by Momentum (and if your heavies or mediums are not able to close combat at the same time they advance).

They have the weakness of being the most generalized unit in the game, able to do some light things (move 2, fire) and better at melee (a 3rd dice, getting the swords hits).

Think of them like battlecruisers-- something that can be very useful, but which doesn't last when plugged into a battleline with bigger boys.

One of C&C's best appeals is the variety of unit types and their differing strengths or weaknesses. Some are easier to figure out how to use. Others, like elephants and chariots, have their weaknesses close to the surface and their value more subtle to find. Figuring out how to use them all in the best way, at the best time, and within the limits of the cards you have, is the real challenge of the game.

Good-O

I've found that the auxilia can be the most useful troop type, since they can do a little of everything. Combined with a leader, they are quite formidible...

Actually, according to the Reference Sheet, auxilia can only move one hex and fire. They cannot fire (or close combat) if they move two hexes.

Yes, I know that they can't move 2 and have combat but they can move 2, and sometimes that can be very useful.

(And there are several cards which do let them move 2 and fight as well.)

My bad...you said "move 2, fire" and not "move 2 and fire."

In general, the aux is a somewhat complicated unit to apply the rules to correctly. It's a cross between a light and medium unit.

Yep. Being "dual purpose" they are maybe the most subtle units in the game.

It's easy to forget that they can't evade, which can be really ugly when heavy infantry comes calling.

But in several scenarios, they are one of the most important units (in terms of numbers and strength) that a side has.

I really like how this "simple game" has so much depth to it, as we learn over time. I guess that's why I've been so bitchy about all the quick variants folks have made up, within the first weeks of opening the box. There's a lot more to this game than meets the eye, and that doesn't get a chance to show up when folks start changing things around without really grasping how fine-tuned this engine is.

My most successful forays into enemy lines has been with two medium/heavy units with a leader attached that are screened by two light units. The recipe is quite simple and easy to execute as there are so many cards that allow you to pull it off and most of the scenarios offer lines that are vulnerable to an attack of this sort.

To put it simply, you use your leader supported heavy/medium units to cut into enemy lines at a place that is far enough from enemy leader supported units that they will not be able to hit back on the enemy's turn. The job of your light units is to protect the flank closest to the nearest enemy leader and prevent an encirclement maneuver. If engaged they always evade as it prevents the enemy from taking ground and closing in on your wedge.

Your light units never CC, even against enemy light units, as a flag rolled against your safety screen can be quite inconvenient.

your opponent will likely spend his turn trying to maneuver his leader's units towards the incursion to effectively deal with your leader. On your next turn you push with the remnants of the attacking heavy/medium against the remnant of the section you chose to dissect, always taking ground when possible away from the enemy leader units.

When done correctly a gap will form between the wedge and the enemy leader's units and this is where you place your light units, effectively preventing his most effective units from entering the fray. Because your attacking units are taking ground as they go (on the second turn of your attack there should be soft targets) there is little or no battle back and gaps will appear to allow your lights to evade if engaged.

I’ve done this a few times and even when the initial push goes awry and my heavy/mediums are down to 2 or even 1 unit because of initial battle back (very unlikely as you´ll pick the spot to probe and are sure that you´re wading into auxes and mediums at most) I´ve always found it worthwhile to push ahead as soon as the line is cut the opposing units are not only softened up but often loose the ability to ignore flags which is what you need for your leader to take ground and attack again. As you know, a leader led heavy unit at the strength of 1 is just as devastating, against an unsupported non-evading units, as when it is at full strength.

The most important element in this sort of an attack is the light screen which when used correctly prevents the enemy from responding with his leader-led troops or inconveniently placed heavies. Light cavalry can make an excellent, very flexible screen and are useful to have hovering around ready to be placed between your attackers and possible threats.



Through experience I found that it is very hit and miss to attack immediately with the elephants.

I found it much more rewarding to screen them with lights and then carefully maneuver them towards the enemy lines. Your enemy is unlikely to attack your screen with his heavies as then you can respond with your elephants after your screen simply evades away. Enemy lights are weak against your screen and give you time to pull off a maneuver. What you´re looking for to attack are Auxilliaries, medium or heavy units that are at least two away from a leader. In that way, if the unit is not routed, in which case you take ground and attack again, it will only hit on red on its battle back. The odds are against rolling two red and for rolling a flag which allows you to get free attacks on enemy units and withdraw surviving elephants out of reach of heavy units. The trick is to get the beasts into position and to lure away any nearby enemy leaders.

When it works, oh boy!

What's the difference between the archers and the slingers, or is there any?

No difference other than looks.

Thanks for the reply. I don't know how many times I read the rulebook thinking that I had obviously missed the part where it explained the difference until I just gave up. Now I know why I couldn't find it.