Historical games can turn rare units into national stereotypes

What is the most ahistorical national trait in a historical game?

Examples include missing British and Celtic archers, sword-heavy Vikings, and rare elite units represented as common troops.

Rome: Total War supplies a clear example: British and Celtic armies lose the capable archers they historically possessed, while games often portray Vikings as sword-heavy despite the greater importance of axes. The broader problem is unit prevalence. Visually distinctive elite troops can become common roster choices even when they were rare in the period. Some games also move units into the wrong era because the type fits a familiar national image. These simplifications make factions easy to recognize, but they distort what armies actually fielded and when.