Ultimate Aurelian

For unit ranks i think you could have something like Basic: No shirt, pants or loincloth. Plain shield Advanced: Simple tunic without pants Elite:Simple tunic with or without pants, cloak, painted shields. Champions: Torcs, finer tunics with pants, finer cloaks, painted shields. Perhaps headdress or some kind of leather/cloth armor for champions too.

I like the shields and clothing. My understanding is those weapons existed in an earlier bronze age timeframe. I dont think there were any iron versions.

I was thinking of a somewhat realistic silver coin (perhaps similar to Ptolemaic emblem, but silver instead of gold).

Reconstructed Gallo-Roman boat from Toulon, with some reconstructed wooden barrels.

I was think it could be the reverse of the coin (i like the combinaition of a celtic shield with greek writing)

For a DE style wonder one of the palaces of the Neapolis could sort of potray a transition to a different cultural stage (which is interesting if the wonder is supposed to unlock phase IV). I think those towns could at least be used for buildings like walls and towers if the Scythians have them (IMO nomad civs could still have access to defensive buildings if they used them, but perhaps later ingame and only through a technology)

Modern reconstruction. 1940s reconstruction (Uses the term helmet, but they might actually be from a headress due to how thin the metal is) Drawing of similar horns from Runnabehy (ignore the helmet in the middle, it is Gaulish or Gallo-Roman)

In case of the Irish, archeology is perhaps the main source (due do the lack of Roman accounts and medieval epics not being very reliable). Perhaps champion units could be distinguished from clothing, scabbards and jewelry. Maybe a chance of having a horned headdress, but those might be better suited for heroes. EB2 gave some of the Irish cavalry leather armor: It's not entirely impossible they had leather/cloth armor that did not survive, although i'm not sure they would follow the same Gaulish style with shoulderpads (the leather armor of the Gauls seem to have been inspired by Greek examples).

There are also mentions of bows and armor which IIRC are not really found in iron age Ireland. I suppose chariots without scythes could still be included since there seems to be some evidence (even without finds of a whole chariot) .

They are apparently mentioned in epics https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T301035/text021.html https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T301021/text086.html Now those might just be exaggerations, which does bring into question how accurate other passages about chariots are. Although i think the Irish may have actually had chariots (but probably not with blades), as you have mentioned before in the thread there is evidence in some metal fittings and their word for chariot.

Is it possible they had blades on their chariots? I think scythe chariots show up in some Irish myths and Roman accounts about the Britons. But ive also read those only existed in the near east.

Some who argue for Irish using chariots believe they were used in a similar way to the chariots of the Britons (transporting elites to battle). From Caesar's gallic wars

Quise decir que se parecen más a picos o hachas.

Ive seen one blog even arguing monks copied chariot battles from Homer. Although if it was foreign addition by monks, i think we'd see more chariot battles in medieval literature outside Ireland; I think chariots are possible at least for heroes and champions (potentially able to fight on foot too).

https://www.danielkirkpatrick.co.uk/irish-history/irish-iron-age-chariot/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/246543302_Iron_Age_chariots_and_medieval_texts_a_step_too_far_in_breaking_down_boundaries I've found some articles arguing for chariots at least. Although i dont know if there is a consensus.

Maybe based on bronze age weapons? But they are outdated for this period (and more like axes, or picks than medieval halberds) https://www.mooregroup.ie/2012/05/galway-bronze-age-halberd/ https://www.academia.edu/6095439/The_Early_Bronze_Age_Halberd_in_Ireland_Function_and_Context

How accurate are chariots and halberds? My understanding is chariots show up a lot in early medieval epics, but there are not any finds from ancient times.

For Hibernians there is not that much material; althoug there are few things that could be used to set them apart. Ceremonial headdress (for heroes and maybe even champions. Originally had two horns, possibly sew to a leather/textile hat). https://arthistoryleavingcert.com/pre-christian-ireland-2/iron-age-la-tene-in-ireland/ http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-crafts/petrie-crown.htm Cork horns (probably attached to a headdress) EB2 Irish units (avoid EB1 units some were very innaccurate) https://europabarbarorum.fandom.com/wiki/Bodina_(Goidelic_Skirmishers) https://europabarbarorum.fandom.com/wiki/Kladibiakoi_(Goidelic_Swordsmen) https://europabarbarorum.fandom.com/wiki/Eqoreda_(Goidelic_Cavalry)

The Britons currently have an Irish wonder. If Hibernians becomes their own civ perhaps Britons could get a new wonder in the future (based on this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_Castle,_Dorset).

Perhaps it could unload them slowly. It would be cool to have battles on top of walls like in total war but that would take a lot of work.

Another option could be undermining. It was used by the more technologically advanced civilizations too. Probably easier to do than ladders (just a guy with a pickaxe).

Aside from the Helepolis at Rhodes i'm not sure armored siege towers were that common. i think some factions could be able to uprade them to have artillery and to have rams (current model could be used for artillery siege tower since it has the firing port) Helepolis could be unique to Macedonians, a heavily armored tower with artillery (very expensive and you can only build one).

As for their use, it does seem they were used more as archer platforms at first but starting in the Hellenistic period were ocasionally use to climb walls. Ladders would be perhaps more common for climbing (although probably more difficult to animate).

On that topic i think Romans, Carthaginians and most Greek civs could have Siege Tower too (current model as placeholders, maybe new ones later).

They seem to have acquired them from Romans (possibly built their own with Roman engineers). https://penelope.uchicago.edu/thayer/e/roman/texts/cassius_dio/67*.html https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/68*.html#9.5 Surviving evidence seems to point at bolt shooting light artillery rather than stone throwers. Page 86: https://whc.unesco.org/document/204934