The Boii

We are back with another DeI preview, once again brought to you by Q_Sertorius and CEMN! This preview features their Boii roster revision for the upcoming 1.3 update.

The Boii were a Celtic people from Central Europe, who, like many other Celtic people, migrated widely across Europe. Starting from their homeland near what is now Prague (modern Bohemia takes its name from them), they spread down into Slovenia and across the Alps into Italy. Like many other Italian Celts, they sided with Hannibal in the Second Punic War. At one point, they successfully ambushed and massacred an entire Roman army! In the 190’s BC, however, the Romans decisively defeated them and forced them out of Italy. They settled in northern Pannonia. However, in the mid-First Century BC, the Dacians forced them to migrate again. They joined the Helvetii in their attempt to migrate through the Roman Province, were defeated, and leave the historical record as clients of the Aedui. They fought alongside Vercingetorix in his great uprising against Caesar.

In terms of their roster, the Boii are designed to focus on melee troops, with strong archers in support. Although they are relatively weak in phalanx units and cavalry, which may make popular hammer-and-anvil army compositions less powerful, the diversity and quality of their melee troops more than makes up for these weaknesses. The Boii are designed to be able to form a melee unit mainline throughout the game. At the outset, they have surprisingly powerful and cost-effective clubmen. As they progress they also gain strong line-breaking units, due partly to having the strongest axe units among the Celtic factions, but also due to their unique Sword Masters. The Boii have the distinction of having the only two-handed sword unit in the Celtic playable factions. These units are based upon some interesting archaeological discoveries in the Czech Republic, where several swords of above average size have been uncovered. While speculative, this forms the basis for a unique and powerful unit. The Boii roster also includes excellent naked champions and other sword units.

Excellent two-handed sword units and naked champions, are, however, very vulnerable to missiles. Consequently, the Boii roster includes the best archers in the Celtic world as a means of quickly and efficiently countering enemy missile units. In keeping with the Boii focus on melee combat, the Boii Night Warriors are both excellent archers and solid in melee.

Aesthetically, the Boii are inspired by their historical migrations around and across the Alps, from Gaul to northern Italy and their in-game starting location in Germanic borderlands. Their units are inspired by these different sources and they are generally warmer clothed than most other Celts. The Freeman and Warrior classes primarily draw from their Germanic neighbors due to intermingling and trade between the two peoples, whereas the Nobles primarily draw from the Alpine and northern Italic regions, from which many have acquired equipment and fashions through raid and trade.