Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion Units

Would you like a detailed unit stat comparison table (attack, defense, morale, cost) for specific factions?

In Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion , units are defined by the era's transition from professional legionaries to more diverse, often Germanic, "barbarian" influences within and outside the empire. Elite & Game-Changing Units

Certain units are widely regarded by players at the Total War Wiki and community forums like Reddit as powerhouses:

Clibinarii Immortals (Sassanids): Frequently cited as one of the most "broken" units in the game. These heavy cavalry are nearly immune to missiles and can charge frontally into spears with minimal casualties.

Carriage Ballistae (Eastern Rome): A late-game artillery unit that is mobile and devastatingly accurate, often considered hilariously overpowered in the right hands.

Plumbatarii (Roman Empires): Unlike their mediocre counterparts in other titles, these heavy infantry are excellent, using armor-piercing lead-weighted darts (plumbata) before engaging in melee.

Graal Knights (Romano-British): The carry unit for the emergent Romano-British faction, providing heavy cavalry superiority where the rest of the roster may struggle.

Lombard Berserkers: Fearsome infantry that can rip through enemy lines, though they are vulnerable to missiles due to a lack of armor. Unit Comparison by Faction Type

Military rosters in the expansion generally fall into three categories: Faction Type Key Unit Characteristics Standout Examples Roman Empires

Heavily armored infantry; transition from Legions to Comitatenses. Comitatenses, Auxilia Palatina, Plumbatarii. Barbarian Tribes

High-offense infantry, often with unique cultural units like Berserkers or Druids.

Saxon Hearth Troops, Frankish Axe Heerbann, Celtic Gallowglasses. Nomadic Hordes Heavily reliant on horse archers and shock cavalry. Hunnic Elite Warriors, Sarmatian Armored Archers. Notable Faction Specifics Category:Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion units

The Western Roman Empire (WRE) and Eastern Roman Empire (ERE) share a similar "late Roman" roster that trades the early game's Hastati for defensive, heavily armored infantry.

Comitatenses: The standard heavy infantry. They are reliable line-holders designed to grind down enemy warbands. rome total war barbarian invasion units

Plumbatarii: An elite upgrade to Comitatenses. They carry lead-weighted darts (plumbata) with incredible range and damage, allowing them to soften targets significantly before the melee begins.

Limitanei: Low-tier border guards. Best used for garrison duty or as "fodder" to absorb charges while better units flank.

Carriage Ballistae: A late-game unit widely considered "broken" or overpowered. These are mobile artillery pieces that can devastate enemy formations while moving. 🐎 Nomad & Steppe Factions

Factions like the Huns, Goths, and Sarmatians rely heavily on mobile warfare and the unique Horde mechanic.

Horse Archers: The bread and butter of the Huns. They excel at "cantabrian circles," kiting slower infantry and depleting morale with constant harassment.

Noble Cavalry/Cataphracts: Heavily armored shock cavalry used to deliver the final blow. The Sassanid (Eastern) bodyguards are particularly feared for their automatic replenishment and high stats.

Sarmatian Virgin Cavalry: Unique to the Sarmatians, these are highly capable shock troops that can stand toe-to-toe with many male noble units. 🪓 Barbarian Tribes

Tribes like the Franks, Saxons, and Alemanni focus on aggressive infantry and unique specialized weapons.

Francisca Heavers (Franks): Infantry that throw heavy axes before charging, capable of shattering shields and morale quickly.

Saxon Keel: Specialized heavy infantry that provides a rock-solid center for the Saxon line.

Chosen Axemen: High-damage heavy infantry used to break through Roman shield walls.

Berserkers: Rare but terrifying units that, once "enraged," become uncontrollable and fight to the death with massive attack bonuses. 🏹 Specialty & Mercenary Units

Alan Horse Archers: Found in the North/Northwest, these are excellent "budget" versions of Hunnic horse archers. Would you like a detailed unit stat comparison

Graal Knights: Extremely powerful heavy cavalry available to the Romano-British (a late-game emergent faction).

Eastern Archers: Priority recruitment for the ERE to counter nomadic horse archers. 💡 Quick Unit Tips

The unit rosters in Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion focus on the shift from disciplined Roman legions to a world dominated by mobile, hard-hitting cavalry and specialized tribal infantry. Unlike the base game, this expansion introduces the Horde mechanic

, where displaced factions receive massive armies of maintenance-free "Horde" units to sack cities and find new homelands. Steam Community Major Unit Categories best units - Total War Heaven Forum

Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion is not merely an expansion; it is a fundamental shift in military doctrine. If the original campaign was about the polished efficiency of the Roman Legion, BI is about the fracture of that efficiency. It is a study in asymmetry, pitting the heavy, expensive, technologically superior forces of the Romano-British, Eastern Romans, and Western Romans against the teeming, mobile, and berserk hordes of the Germanic, Slavic, and Steppe peoples.

The unit design in BI tells the story of the Dark Ages: the twilight of the legionary and the dawn of the knight and the huscarl.

Light infantry units in BI can swim across rivers during battle.

Barbarian Invasion shifts emphasis from classical legion tactics to fast, aggressive, and often less-armored forces with high offensive capability or extreme mobility. Build armies around your faction’s strengths: Germanic tribes around heavy melee shock and numbers; Huns around mounted archery and maneuver. Counter disciplined Roman/Byzantine formations with flank attacks, missile harassment, and targeted charges by elite units.

If you want, I can provide faction-by-faction unit lists with exact unit names and recommended recruitment/order of build for each playable faction.

In Rome: Total War – Barbarian Invasion, the unit rosters reflect a world in transition. The classic Roman legion has evolved into defensive border guards and elite field armies, while barbarian factions range from traditional infantry-heavy warbands to terrifying nomadic horse-archer hordes. The Roman Empires: Evolution of the Legions

Both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires have moved away from the early Republic's "Marian" style. Their strength lies in heavy defensive infantry and specialized missile troops.

Comitatenses: The standard field army heavy infantry. They are well-armored and designed to hold the line against barbarian charges.

Plumbatarii: An elite upgrade to Comitatenses. These soldiers throw heavy lead-weighted darts (plumbatae) with greater range and lethality than standard javelins. These heavy cavalry are nearly immune to missiles

Limitanei: Low-cost border guards. While weak in a direct fight, they provide massive public order bonuses and can pin down enemy units due to high defensive stats.

Equites Cataphractii & Clibinarii: To counter Eastern threats like the Sassanids, Rome adopted heavily armored cavalry. Clibinarii (Sassanid/Eastern) are particularly formidable, featuring armor for both horse and rider that makes them nearly impervious to arrows.

Bucellarii: Elite Roman archers available to the Western Empire and Romano-British, often considered some of the best foot archers in the game. Barbarian Factions: Shield Walls and Axes

Unlike the base game, many barbarian factions now have access to advanced formations like the Shield Wall, which provides a massive defensive boost against frontal attacks.

Saxon Hearth Troops: Top-tier heavy infantry for the Saxons. They are extremely durable and serve as the faction's primary "hammer".

Frankish Francisca Throwers: Unique to the Franks, these axemen throw heavy axes before charging, dealing significant morale and physical damage.

Chosen Axemen: Common to Germanic tribes (Alemanni, Burgundii, Lombardi), these units have armor-piercing (AP) attacks, making them ideal for cutting through Roman legionaries.

Berserkers: Found in the Alemanni and Celtic rosters. They are small in number but high in damage, capable of ripping through lines once they go into a trance.

Gallowglasses: Powerful two-handed swordsmen unique to the Celts. They lack shields but can wreck almost any infantry or spear unit in a direct melee.

This guide covers the diverse unit rosters of Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion

, focusing on the major shift from the base game's professional Roman legions to a world of barbarian hordes, religious zealots, and evolving Roman field armies. Roman Empire Units (Eastern & Western)

Late-period Roman armies are split between cheap frontier guards and expensive, elite mobile field armies. Comitatenses

Infantry-focused, high morale.

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.