You start with 60+ settlements but only a handful of elite units. Do not retrain Comitatenses—you lose the experience. Instead, disband them in key forts and retrain from Italy. Use Limitanei as garrison fodder and Foederati as field expendables.
Elite heavy shock infantry armed with the iconic francisca throwing axe. Their pre-charge missile attack bypasses enemy armor and shatters shields, devastating defensive shield walls. rome total war barbarian invasion units