Etruscan

The Etruscan faction group is located mostly in Etruria, except the North Etruscans, who inhabit the Po Valley.

Overview
Etruscan factions have the most diverse unit set of any faction group, fielding light and heavy infantry, archers, and some of the best cavalry in the game. Their late game units are swift, powerful swordsmen with excellent all-round stats. Etruscan early-game brigades tend to have superior stats to those of the nearby Sabellic and Latin faction groups, giving them a favourable match-up early on. "The Etruscans draw from their hierarchy of social classes to fill a diverse roster ranging from their unique axemen to the heavy hoplites and cavalry."

- In-game Description

Factions

 * Clevsin
 * North Etruscans
 * Veii
 * Velathri
 * Velch (Only in the smaller Etruria-only sandbox)
 * Etruria (Non-playable faction in the Pyrrhus Campaign of The Eagle King DLC)
 * Alalia (In the Invasion Sandbox of The Eagle King DLC)

History
Few details of Etruscan warfare are known, with most of our knowledge coming from inferences based on circumstantial archaeological evidence, such as surviving pieces of weapons and armour or depictions of soldiers in murals or sculptures found in Etruscan tombs.

The archaeological record makes it clear that the Etruscans adopted the usage of Greek armour and weapons early on and equipped themselves as hoplites, though it is often suggested that they fought with much less cohesion than the Greeks, owing to their less egalitarian social structure.

Additionally, there are notable depictions of archers, and remains of axes have been found somewhat commonly as well. This has been taken to suggest that the Etruscans made greater usage of archers and axemen than other peoples in the area, but no details are known.

Little is known of Etruscan cavalry. Chariots have been found in Etruscan tombs, but it is unknown if they were actually used in a combat role or were purely ceremonial, since Italy's hilly terrain is unsuited for chariot warfare. A brief description by the historian Dionysios of the Battle of Cumae in 524 BC states that the Etruscan cavalry and infantry were intermingled, suggesting that the cavalry may have been heavily equipped to handle close-quarters combat alongside the heavy infantry, but this remains conjecture. This may be the basis for the inclusion of the Heavy Cavalry brigade in-game.

It's possible that the incursion of the nearby Gauls caused the Etruscans to adapt more flexible infantry tactics and gradually and/or partially move away from hoplite warfare at some point in the 4th or 3rd Century BC, as happened in most of the Mediterranean in general at this time for various reasons. However, there is a lack of detailed knowledge, aside from the occasional find of Celtic-style equipment, and the late-game swordsmen brigades seem to derive mostly from speculation by the developers and gameplay considerations.