Ultimate Aurelian

''The Boé, Port, Ciumesti and Coolus helmets are interesting but they are in use after the fall of Carthage (149 BC)'''. I guess it was just a typo, would that kind of eastern Montefortino (I was using Ciumesti as short hand term.) be appropriate for Carthage mercs ? Since you suggested it for Gauls in a older post.

The Ciumesti helmet dates from 4th century B.C i think; but i guess you mean that the typology did not become widespread until later. Is the Coolus Manheim (Bronze cap without cheekguards) accurate for the punic wars timeframe ? I think it was added to ingame Romans. Thanks for the help, will edit it. Using this picture as guideline, may be a bit too old.

Ionian shield with flying boar (Possible for Persian mercenary hoplite): Athenian marines with anchor shield: Possible flower Hoplon for Spartans (Too archaic?) EB Carthaginian general shields:

A idea for the ingame Celtic mercenaries: Ptolemies: Galatian Swordsman: Basic => No helmet / Trousers / Naked or shirtless/ no cape / Long oval shield without Advanced => Eastern Montefortino / Trousers / Cape /Naked chest or tunic / Long oval shield with boss Elite =>Bryastovets, eastern Montefortino or Thracian / Trousers / Cape or no cape / Linothorax or Mail/ Long oval shield with shield boss and orle protection Carthaginians: Gaulish Swordsman (Based on Narbonnian coast Gauls who traded with Greeks and Phoenicians): Basic => No helmet / Trousers / Naked chest or tunic / no cape / Long shield without boss Advanced => Montefortino / Trousers / Cape / Naked chest or tunic / Long shield with boss Elite =>Decorated Montefortino / Trousers / Cape or no cape / Leather Cuirass or Mail/ Long shield with shield boss and orle protection Celtic Horseman (Cisalpine): Basic => No helmet / Trousers / Naked chest or tunic / no cape / Long shield without boss Advanced => Montefortino, negau / Trousers / Cape /tunic/ Long shield with boss Elite =>Crested Montefortino/ Trousers / Cape or no cape / Leather Cuirass or Mail/ Long shield with shield boss and orle protection

For the new southern Africa map, it might be interesting to feature Rhapta as a neutral city (Using Kushite architecture as a placeholder) you can trade with and potentially capture. Also was Madagascar inhabited by that time ? Some sources say it was settled in 200 b.c but i am not sure if it that information is accurate

Persians villagers should be all slaves, since they are evil. Xerxes does not fight much, maybe he has low attack but a lot of health and serves as support for the ninjas ? Might be interesting to feature the war rhino (I think there is a Rhino in game, not sure if it has an attack). Athenians could have the weakest champion unit (They don't have the same awesome training as Spartans nor the dark magic of the persians).

@wowgetoffyourcellphone Been thinking of how should his chariot look like; maybe modified Seleucid chariot ? A possible inspiration could be archaic Greek chariots (Second one is Etruscan). Racing Chariots: Only images of regional chariots i could find date to the Bronze age: A four wheeled wagon was found in a bronze age Kurgan:

https://www.theoi.com/Ther/HusKlazomenaios.html

https://museum.wales/collections/online/object/bba3484d-6428-3bb9-8423-9342623ac868/Early-Iron-Age-bronze-helmet/?field0=string&value0=cerrigydrudion&field1=with_images&value1=on&index=1 Could be a champion helmet, i think it would fit the chariot unit (Would look out of place on the armored champion swordsman).

Maybe some Anatolian Greeks ? I feel they are a bit overlooked. @wowgetoffyourcellphone For DE (Who has both Greek and Kardakes hoplites), you could keep the Greek hoplite and replace the Kardakes with a Ionian/Phoenician marine mercenary (pictures bellow are a bit speculative):

There is also some bronze age discs who were worn on clothing. Indeed, looking at how early germanics migrated from the north; you'd assume the northern region would be the one with the least celtic influence. Tacitus described Suebian women wearing purple; possibly allegorical ? Possibly a more reddish shade (Like in the current civ emblem); my understanding is that there were purple dyes other than Tyrian but they lasted less and their shade was not as popular.

This is centuries after that description but there are some phalerae from Thorsberg, don't look like Roman ones. Possible face paint in ancient Scandinavians (From EB) ?

I'd say Lugii and Suebians would be more similar to each other than Britons and Gauls (Same buildings, similar roster except for night warrior and celtic swordsman champion). Also here is my draft for Suebi regional units (I choose to portray Batavians as mailed spear cav): I did not include the Rhine horse-stabber (Marhajagonaz ?) since you already plan it for the celts; maybe Gauls get mounted horse-stabbers and Germans have a infantry one ? BTW the Cimbri are described with shining iron breastplates (Maybe just the way the author described mail, some r2tw mods have then with Iberian esque plates but might be innacurate). The ''beast helmets'' could be either Celtic helmets with animal crests, or maybe fur wrapped helmets like the Geldubba find.

Choosing regions is a good way portray the diversity of germanics, without having to implement multiple factions (Cimbrians or Rhine tribes might be doable in the future, but a Lugii or Aestii faction would be very difficult to find material on).

Might be a interesting scenario feature; maybe a Ireland map ? With a few neutral hillforts, players can either capture them (Get territory and can use it as a defensive position) or destroy them for a big bonus (Glory bounty?).

Could also be like that for navies; unlock Nydam ship in empire phase, if only having the Hjortspring ship is too unbalanced. If my idea for regional mercenaries is implemented, you could have so the North Sea region unlocks a naval mercenary (Roman Patrol boat stolen by Batavian rebels).

Monarchy Romans would work best as a ''custom civ'', being slightly modified Etruscans.

Batavian regional mercenary unit, the heaviest cavalry avaliable to Germans (Cimbri have heaviest infantry). Or maybe the mounted slinger you mentioned; which i guess is based on this account by Hadrian: Although it says they mounted quickly, so it's possible they were mounted infantry who fired slings on foot.

That's a good question, i was wondering the other day how Aurelian could be featured as a hero (Possibly as Dominate hero, since he paved the way for it). Third century crisis fits between Dominate and Principate. A way to portray that time period without being too similar to the other two, is through a Palmyra civ.

@Genava55 Another headdress; Coincidentally from Cork, like the horns i previously posted maybe a cultural quirk of that region ? It had two horns (the second one broke off). https://arthistoryleavingcert.com/pre-christian-ireland-2/iron-age-la-tene-in-ireland/ http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-crafts/petrie-crown.htm

Posting some possible references for Suebian Heroes (Based on your Gaul hero post). Ariovistus: Maroboodus (Marobodwos ?): Ballomar (Reconstructed as celtic Ballomaros, possibly germanic Baldomarijaz ?) Arminius could be a fourth option (Mercenary hero?)

The presence of possible horns threw me off a bit; but i agree there is no evidence of nasal on ancient Celtic helmets. Giving the unit a chance of spawning with no headgear would be appropriate in my opinion, this way you can have it in game but still portray it's rarity a bit.

West Roman wonder could be the Old St Peter's Basilica; East Roman wonder is the imperial palace of Constantinople (Hagia Sophia is a bit late, and already used in Millenium a.d)

Possible helmet or leather headress for Irish chieftains:

He considered a Pergamene faction in another thread.