Creative Assembly released Attila on 17 February 2015 and set the Grand Campaign in 395 AD, the year Theodosius died and the Roman Empire split permanently in two. Ten factions are playable in the base Grand Campaign, and the Western Roman Empire opens with more provinces than it can garrison, more armies than it can pay and a treasury already sliding. A cooling climate drives fertility down across the north while the Huns arrive from the east. This is the Total War where burning your own city is frequently the right decision.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legio Comitatenses | S | Roman line infantry in any pitched battle where you need the centre to hold | The Late Roman field army infantry and the backbone of both Roman rosters. |
| Limitanei | A | Garrison duty and public order in provinces that do not warrant a field army | The frontier troops who historically controlled the border and acted as an early warning system against incursions. |
| Plumbatarii | A | Breaking up an enemy charge before it reaches your line | Legionaries carrying the plumbata, an iron dart that out-ranges the older pilum at the cost of penetrating power. |
| Scholae Palatinae | B | Flanking charges and killing enemy generals once the lines are engaged | The super heavy cavalry of the Western roster and the elite of the army. |
| Carriage Ballistae | B | Field battles against dense infantry formations, and defending walls in a siege | Mobile bolt throwing artillery available to the Roman rosters. |
S-Tier: Legio Comitatenses
The Late Roman field army infantry and the backbone of both Roman rosters. Comitatenses were the mobile strategic reserve of the period rather than border troops, and in game they hold a line against Germanic infantry that cheaper units simply cannot.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Roman line infantry in any pitched battle where you need the centre to hold |
| Key Mechanic | Razing, sacking and occupying settlements |
| Recommended Build | Western Roman Empire |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Legio Comitatenses: Pairs naturally with Western Roman Empire thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Limitanei
The frontier troops who historically controlled the border and acted as an early warning system against incursions. They are cheap, they are not good, and that combination makes them the correct garrison unit for provinces you intend to keep but cannot afford to defend properly.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Garrison duty and public order in provinces that do not warrant a field army |
| Key Mechanic | The migration and horde mechanic |
| Recommended Build | Eastern Roman Empire |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Limitanei: Pairs naturally with Eastern Roman Empire thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Plumbatarii
Legionaries carrying the plumbata, an iron dart that out-ranges the older pilum at the cost of penetrating power. In practice they soften an approaching shield wall before contact, which matters against Germanic infantry that wins prolonged melee.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Breaking up an enemy charge before it reaches your line |
| Key Mechanic | Climate cooling and fertility |
| Recommended Build | Sassanid Empire |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Plumbatarii: Pairs naturally with Sassanid Empire thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Scholae Palatinae
The super heavy cavalry of the Western roster and the elite of the army. Expensive, few in number, and decisive when committed against an exposed flank or a general's bodyguard rather than sent into the front of a spear formation.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Flanking charges and killing enemy generals once the lines are engaged |
| Key Mechanic | Sanitation, squalor and plague |
| Recommended Build | Huns |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Scholae Palatinae: Pairs naturally with Huns thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Carriage Ballistae
Mobile bolt throwing artillery available to the Roman rosters. Against the massed infantry that Germanic and Hunnic armies field, bolt artillery firing into a packed formation does far more work than the unit count suggests, and it redeploys faster than static siege engines.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Field battles against dense infantry formations, and defending walls in a siege |
| Key Mechanic | The family tree, gravitas and civil war |
| Recommended Build | Visigoths |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Carriage Ballistae: Pairs naturally with Visigoths thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Roma
- Limitanei → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Plumbatarii → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Legio Comitatenses → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Ten factions are playable in the base Grand Campaign: Western Roman Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, Sassanid Empire, Huns, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Alans, Franks and Saxons. Everything else on the playable list comes from a culture pack, so check what you actually own before planning a Langobard campaign.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Total War: ATTILA Guides
- Total War: ATTILA Total War: ATTILA Overview
- Total War: ATTILA Best Builds
- Total War: ATTILA Tier List
- Total War: ATTILA Walkthrough
- Total War: ATTILA Beginner's Guide
- Total War: ATTILA Tips & Tricks
- Total War: ATTILA Combat Guide
- Total War: ATTILA Boss Guide
- Total War: ATTILA Maps & Locations
- Total War: ATTILA Crafting Guide
- Total War: ATTILA Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Total War: ATTILA, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Weapons Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
