Romans
InfantryTeam Bonus
Scorpions minimum range reduced
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"The Romans are an infantry civilization with faster working villagers, doubled infantry armor upgrade effects, and cheaper scorpions."
Civilization Bonuses
- 1
Villagers gather, build, and repair +5% faster
- 2
Infantry armor upgrade effects are doubled
- 3
Scorpions cost -50% gold
- 4
Galley-line and Dromons +1 melee/+1 pierce armor
Unique Units
Unique Technologies
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Context & meta
The Romans are an infantry-focused civilization with strong economy and siege support. Their villagers gather, build, and repair 5% faster, giving them a smooth economic edge across all ages. Their defining military trait doubles the effect of infantry armor upgrades, making their foot soldiers exceptionally durable. They also field cheaper Scorpions at -50% gold and reinforced naval units, with Galley-line and Dromons gaining +1 melee and +1 pierce armor. Their unique units are the Centurion, a cavalry support unit that buffs nearby soldiers, and the Legionary, a tanky infantry unit. With unique technologies like Ballistas and Comitatenses, the Romans excel at infantry-and-Scorpion compositions and grinding, attrition-based engagements.
History & balance
The Romans evoke a disciplined, legion-based military identity, and their design leans into massed infantry backed by Scorpion firepower. Doubling infantry armor upgrades gives their Militia-line and Legionaries a survivability that few civilizations can match, turning prolonged melee fights in their favor. The Centurion adds a layer of support-unit depth uncommon among infantry civilizations, rewarding players who micro to keep buffs active. Their discounted Scorpions enable a distinctive infantry-plus-siege gameplan that punishes clustered enemy formations. Across balance changes, the Romans have been positioned as a methodical, composition-driven civilization rather than a one-trick rush faction, valued for their economic consistency and their ability to win drawn-out fights through sheer durability and combined-arms synergy.
In pro play
Roman players leverage the 5% faster economy to support early infantry pressure, often opening with a Men-at-Arms into Militia-line push backed by their doubled armor upgrades for durability. A strong line is transitioning into Legionaries and Centurions with discounted Scorpions to shred enemy infantry and archer masses. The cheap Scorpions make infantry-and-siege a viable core composition on open and closed maps alike, particularly effective on Arena where the closed start favors infantry timings. On water-adjacent maps, the reinforced Galley-line gives them an edge in naval skirmishes. Pros value the Romans for their flexible mid-game timings and their capacity to commit to a durable infantry ball that grinds through opposing armies in extended engagements.
How to counter it
Roman infantry is durable but slow, so kite it with mobile archers, Cavalry Archers, and Hand Cannoneers rather than trading blows in melee. Their doubled armor upgrades make pierce and melee chip damage less effective, so prioritize raw-damage answers and avoid feeding clustered units to their cheap Scorpions. Cavalry and Camel Riders can outmaneuver and run down their foot soldiers and snipe Centurions to remove the support buff. Watch for Scorpion lines and spread your army to neutralize their area damage. Raiding their economy is viable but their faster villagers repair and rebuild efficiently, so commit to decisive raids rather than chip pressure. Out-mobility and out-range them; do not let fights devolve into the prolonged melee grinds the Romans are built to win.