Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition Equipment Guide: Best Equipment Ranked

Q: What does Emperor Edition actually change?

It was a free September 2014 update that rebuilt the political system, revised building chains and public order, improved campaign and battle AI, and added the Imperator Augustus campaign. Every copy sold since is Emperor Edition.

Q: Which faction should a new player pick?

Rome. It starts with Italia almost secured, has clear objectives, gets Legionary Cohorts after the Marian reforms, and forgives the battlefield mistakes that would end a Macedonian or Parthian campaign.

Q: Is the Imperator Augustus campaign included?

Yes, it ships with Emperor Edition. It covers the Second Triumvirate period with Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus fighting over a Rome that has already fractured, alongside Parthia, Egypt, Armenia and several tribal factions.

Q: How large is the Grand Campaign map?

57 provinces built from more than 170 regions, running from Britannia and Hispania in the west to Bactria in the east, with Africa reaching down toward Kush.

Q: Do I need the DLC?

No. The Grand Campaign and Imperator Augustus carry hundreds of hours on their own. Culture packs add playable factions such as the Greek States and the Nomadic Tribes, while Wrath of Sparta and Hannibal at the Gates are separate campaigns rather than upgrades.

Complete Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition equipment guide. Every equipment option ranked with stats, best builds, and how to get them.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Emperor Edition is the free September 2014 overhaul that rebuilt ROME II's politics, building chains and campaign AI after a rough 2013 launch. It ships the Grand Campaign across 57 provinces stretching from Britannia and Hispania to Bactria, plus the Imperator Augustus campaign covering the Second Triumvirate's civil war. Turn-based empire management feeds into real-time battles of thousands of men, and these are the rules everyone still plays under.

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
Legionary Cohorts	S	Roman campaigns from the mid game onward, and any battle you intend to win by breaking the enemy centre.	Rome's line infantry after the Marian reforms, throwing pila before contact and grinding through sustained melee.
Pike phalanx	A	Anchoring a centre while cavalry decides the battle on the wings. Never for pursuing anything.	Sarissa blocks fielded by Macedon, the Seleucids and Ptolemaic Egypt.
War elephants	A	Punching a hole in a static infantry line early, before enemy skirmishers get a clean angle.	Carthaginian and Eastern shock units that break morale on impact and trample formed infantry.
Horse archers	B	Parthian, Scythian and Roxolani campaigns, and any battle you can afford to fight over distance.	The Parthian and Steppe answer to heavy infantry: fire, withdraw, repeat until morale breaks.
Scorpions and onagers	B	Sieges and defensive battles where the enemy has to walk toward you across open ground.	Field artillery that outranges everything and shreds packed formations and gates.

S-Tier: Legionary Cohorts

Rome's line infantry after the Marian reforms, throwing pila before contact and grinding through sustained melee. They hold against anything that is not a pike wall or a line of elephants.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	S
Best For	Roman campaigns from the mid game onward, and any battle you intend to win by breaking the enemy centre.
Key Mechanic	Province and region system
Recommended Build	Rome

How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.

Best builds using Legionary Cohorts: Pairs naturally with Rome thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: Pike phalanx

Sarissa blocks fielded by Macedon, the Seleucids and Ptolemaic Egypt. Frontally they are nearly unbeatable, and from the flank or rear they collapse in seconds.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Anchoring a centre while cavalry decides the battle on the wings. Never for pursuing anything.
Key Mechanic	Public order and food
Recommended Build	Carthage

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using Pike phalanx: Pairs naturally with Carthage thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

A-Tier: War elephants

Carthaginian and Eastern shock units that break morale on impact and trample formed infantry. Sustained missile fire panics them, after which they rampage back through your own line.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	A
Best For	Punching a hole in a static infantry line early, before enemy skirmishers get a clean angle.
Key Mechanic	Army traditions and generals
Recommended Build	Macedon

How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.

Best builds using War elephants: Pairs naturally with Macedon thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Horse archers

The Parthian and Steppe answer to heavy infantry: fire, withdraw, repeat until morale breaks. They win by attrition and by baiting slow armies into chasing them across the map.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Parthian, Scythian and Roxolani campaigns, and any battle you can afford to fight over distance.
Key Mechanic	Political parties and civil war
Recommended Build	Egypt

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Horse archers: Pairs naturally with Egypt thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.

B-Tier: Scorpions and onagers

Field artillery that outranges everything and shreds packed formations and gates. Slow to reposition and defenceless the moment cavalry reaches it.

Attribute	Detail
Tier	B
Best For	Sieges and defensive battles where the enemy has to walk toward you across open ground.
Key Mechanic	Combined land and naval battles
Recommended Build	Parthia

How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.

Best builds using Scorpions and onagers: Pairs naturally with Parthia 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 Italia
Pike phalanx → Your first real upgrade, available early
War elephants → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
Legionary Cohorts → 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.
Province edicts only unlock once you own every region in a province, so half-conquered provinces cost you unrest without giving you the tools to fix it. Finish one province before opening the next front.
Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.

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