menu
HomeHome / Total War: Rome II / Masaesyli / Units / Desert Vigiles
Desert Vigiles MasaesyliMasaesyli Spear Infantry

Desert Vigiles

These spear-armed garrison troops are also the town watch, riot squad and firemen.

Numidia had a fierce warrior tradition, partly because the eastern Massylii and western Masaesyli had a history of bitter feuding and internal warfare. They took, and changed, sides in the Punic Wars to suit their own agendas, only emerging as a single state after the cataclysmic Battle of Zama in 202BC. The defeat of Carthage allowed the Numidians to expand their lands, eventually leading to the Jugurthine War of 112-105BC against Rome. Numidia’s king, Jugurtha, was only defeated when he was betrayed by his father-in-law, Bocchus. While the Numidians were famed as cavalrymen, their infantry forces were also quite effective. The historian Suetonius mentions that there were Numidian 'legions', a term reserved for Roman troops, when passing comment on Julius Caesar’s speech regarding Juba’s march to aid Scipio before the Battle of Thapsus in 46BC. This suggests that some Numidians were fighting in the Roman style, and were possibly equipped in the same manner. The Numidians also adopted other tactics and war gear, such as the thureos-style shield and hoplite-like spears.

Desert Vigiles

Unit Name

Desert Vigiles

Main Unit Key

dk_num_desert_vigiles

Land Unit Key

dk_num_desert_vigiles

Naval Unit Key

pel_transport

Soldiers

160

Category

Melee Infantry

Class

Spear Infantry

Custom Battle Cost

240

Recruitment Cost

240

Upkeep Cost

50

Melee Attack

15

Weapon Damage

25

├ Melee Weapon

rome_spear

├ Melee Damage Base

20

├ Melee Damage Ap

5

├ Armour Piercing

No

├ Bonus vs. Large

20

├ Bonus vs Elephants

20

└ Bonus vs Infantry

0

Charge Bonus

15

Melee Defence

52

├ Base Defence

22

├ Shield

scutum

└ Shield Defence

30

Armour

45

├ Armour

cloth

├ Armour Defence

10

└ Shield Armour

35

Health

45

├ Man Entity

rome_infantry_medium

├ Man Health

40

└ Bonus Hit Points

5

Base Morale

30

Abilities

Desert Vigiles
  • Square
    The unit moves into a close square formation.
    Bracing, morale, melee defence
    Can't move

Attributes

  • Disciplined
    This unit does not suffer a morale penalty when the general dies. It can also rally after routing more often.
  • Formation Attack
    The unit will try to stay in formation when in melee.
  • Hide (forest)
    This unit can hide in forests until enemy units get too close.
  • Resistant to Heat
    This unit tires less quickly in the desert.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Transport
  • Very poor hull strength
  • Very slow speed
  • Weak ramming
Desert Vigiles
  • Average defensive unit
  • Low damage but average armour penetration
  • Weak attack
  • Poor morale
Requires Buildings
Desert Vigiles Lv. 0 Roman Military Camp
Roman Military Camp
(dk_num_military_roman_3)
Level 2
Roman Barracks
Roman Barracks
(dk_num_military_roman_4)
Level 3
Faction Availability
Grand Campaign