Favorite shock units...

**Executor** · 11-13-2002, 05:56

I use my 14 valor Famous Warrior general as my lone shock troop. He's an ex-prince (hence immortal) and an 8-star general (7 base, +1 for Duke of Normandy, +3 when attacking). I send him in alone to attack the opposing army at the onset of the battle. The enemy will surround him after he engages them. This causes them to expose their flanks, since the units are all turning to try to face my general. The rest of my army then rushes in and finishes off whatever units my general has left standing.

**Dawood** · 11-13-2002, 12:55

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Inferno @ Nov. 11 2002,02:46)]Vikings for me. They are not the best on the list, but in terms of value for money they are unmatched.

Vikings are great mercs, throw in the barbarians in the fray and let them go to Valhalla as they wish. Dead mercs don't require pay.

**Orda Khan** · 11-13-2002, 17:45

Depends who is using the units

.........Orda

**muffinman14** · 11-14-2002, 04:16

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Michael the Great @ Nov. 10 2002,12:30)]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (muffinman14 @ Nov. 10 2002,12:27)]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Michael the Great @ Nov. 09 2002,14:39)]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Dawood @ Nov. 09 2002,13:24)]you gotta love mad fanatics...

No,let me correct,maces rule1

Fanatics using maces.?

They use clubs to bash the brains out of the enemy

Well,aren't maces clubs with spikes on them

Michael the Great, the picture of fanatics shows that they carry clubs with no metal heads on them but Gothic Kights have maces. Just look at the difference on each picture.

**NagatsukaShumi** · 11-14-2002, 14:10

Kataphrakatoi without a doubt, they can even hold their own against spearman and other spear units, so I'd go with them.

**Ktonos** · 11-14-2002, 14:33

Well, Kataphraktoi dominate the poll anyway...

3 zito for the Kataphraktous

Zito
Zito
Zito

**Ktonos** · 11-14-2002, 14:48

Well I have just made it for a Knight.
3 Zito for me

Zito
Zito
Zito

How many posts must I have for next level? Because I want to stay a Knight.

**G0THIC-Lobster** · 11-14-2002, 15:24

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Michael the Great @ Nov. 11 2002,16:31)]From my tests,seriously,Lancers are better as shock troops,and now with the patch,there's almost nothing they can't break...
Btw,spearmen do get broken now by heavy cav,even when charged frontally,right???

of course this is why they are so coursey. And when fighting kataphratoi, don't let them get into flanking position and remember to get yo knight and charge them head on...they are no match. HEY THEY SHOULD INCREASE THEIR TOUGHNESS and attack. And yes cavalry breaking spear formation is crazy.

**Michael the Great** · 11-15-2002, 13:07

I don't know why Kataphraktoi have such low attack values(3 attack),compared to the Lancers who have 5 attack,judging that boath troop types are very good trained, but indeed,Lancers are heavier armoured and get 7 defence...

**Ktonos** · 11-21-2002, 17:01

Nice poll, there is room for new votes.

Bump

**Hippolyte** · 11-21-2002, 18:20

Kataphrakts amd Lancers are impressive but the Vikings are tops in the way of cost-effectiveness. They are cheap but extrememly strong for "early" troops. For shock troops I favour any axe-wielding units. You have to love that anti-armour bonus

Also I have a HUGE

soft spot for halberdiers. When used correctly they are magnificent

**Teutonic Knight** · 11-21-2002, 20:16

do the Frenche get Lancers too, or are they Spanish exclusive?

**insolent1** · 11-21-2002, 21:44

The best shock unit cost wise & techwise in the game are gallowglasses. They are cheap & I have yet to see any flee the field even though they have low morale. JHI are probably the best all round shock troops. I have used JHI extensivly with max weapon upgrade & they are killdozers. I have seen them annilate every other unit in the game. I have only seen them take significant losses from the following units varangian guards, gothic foot knights & gallowglasses. All I can say if you are gonna build JHI make sure you produce them in an iron province. I had one JHI general that was rank 9 with the utterly fearless vice his attack was 19 anti cav attack was 21 & defence was nearly as high. Btw he actually by himself surpressed a rebellion. It was something like 1400 v 58 his unit got 900+ killz & only lost 14 men. JHI rule they have excellent morale(grand mosque aswell) excellent anti cav, armour piercing, armoured, disclipined & most important of all they are fast....they outrun peasants. Btw I never use double click to attack I double click the ground behind teh unit that I want to attack & they don't stop till they get to the point that I commmanded them to go to this normally leaves the unit that they are charging through obilterated. All I can say is try with them with max weapon & armour upgrade. I used to play catholic factions only now I only play as the turks. Btw the mongols are to scarred to attack my lands because of the JHI

**Spetulhu** · 11-21-2002, 22:13

I seldom use any of those

I just don`t like dragging along troops I can`t refill anywhere except my capital and, perhaps, one other place. Much better to stick to basic troops even if I have to bring along a few more.

**Doge Vitale** · 11-21-2002, 22:16

I prefer Kataprachts cause their kinda cheap, and if you get the armour smith up and going in constantinople they are easily the match of any knight.

**Katasaki Hirojima** · 11-21-2002, 22:20

Chivalric Men At Arms THey rule. *L* I use them, Halbariders and cavalry heavily. Except when playing Russia.

**Vlad The Impaler** · 11-22-2002, 01:04

1.vikings:D
2.gallowgases

**Hippolyte** · 11-22-2002, 03:16

Teutonic Knight, Lancers are exclusive to the Spanish.

Just curious insolent1, what difficulty are you playing? You provide some great advice but those casualties you reported for your JHI leader are absolutely ridiculous (I am not suggesting that you are being misleading just that I find such an outcome incredibly difficult on expert setting). You mentioned in another thread how the game has become too easy and I'm wondering if this will happen to me as well? I am playing on expert and am slowly grinding my way towards a domination victory, s-l-o-w-l-y.

**insolent1** · 11-22-2002, 07:25

I playedthe game on hard the first time I started a campaign, since then always on expert. There is very little difference between easy & hard(apart from quality of heirs, ship captains, starting money & morale). That JHI unit was valour 9, if you have ever used JHI's much you will know that it dosen't matter even if tehy are surrounded they are just killing machines with weapon upgrade & especially at that valour. If you really wanna try out the JHI properly over a long period try the mod by poorstudent its called medieval plunder you get JHI at teh very start & just mod rum to have Iron & watch the carnage. btw they even work well in the desert without armour upgrades as they start off with 5 armour

**insolent1** · 11-22-2002, 07:44

Actually i will descibe the battle

It was a sunny day in portugal the rebel army consisted of 2 saracen infantry & about 1200 peasants. I placed my general(the only unit) on a small hill. The enemy marched up in a very wide formation. THe AI gneeral was behind a unit of peasants in the centre. When they got close I double clicked the ground behind where the AI general was. The JHI charged down through the first unit of peasants(leaving only 1 or 2 alive) & smashed into the generals unit killing him instantly. All the surrounding peasants fled . The rest of the army put up a bit of a fight(it was very funny seeing 1 unit surrounded by mountains of white clothed peasants & afterwards the ground was covered in them) but not much the only real fight my generals unit got was off the saracens & only 1 or 2 of them escaped alive. I ahve suppressed countless rebellions(peasant ones) with tiny armies as all factions but probably the maddest ones where as the polish on expert late I took prussia first turn & suppressed 10 years of rebellions with just my kings unit, a heirs unit & a unit of polish retainers. Peasant rebellions are very very easy to suppress the only unit I hate to have in a peasant rebellion are muratibin infanrty as they are fast & take a long time to catch even with cav

**insolent1** · 11-22-2002, 07:48

btw my generals unit was in 2x30 formation for almost maxium killing power

**Hippolyte** · 11-22-2002, 08:34

They are a superb unit; obviously devastating against rebels.

**Rosacrux** · 11-22-2002, 10:29

Insolent

Are you talking post patch? Because post patch ALL the rebellions I am going through are hardly peasant rebellions: They have also many spearmen, militia, militia seargents and archers, sometimes it's like 50% spearmen, 30% peasants and 20% the other three unit types.

Pre patch most peasant revolts were just peasant revolts with a spear or two thrown in, so I guess your massive slaughter was pre patch.

**Michael the Great** · 11-22-2002, 14:30

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Vlad The Impaler @ Nov. 21 2002,18:04)]1.vikings:D
2.gallowgases

AAArghh...nice 2 see thy back here....

JHI are very nice..especially post patch,when they can maximize their charge bonus,right??

**Michael the Great** · 11-23-2002, 18:50

Yeah,I like Gallowglass too,they have a great charge.
Seems like Gothic Foot Knights are one of the best infantry in thy game....maybe even THE BEST...but still,i prefer them coz their heavier armoured and will put up much more of a fight than gallows...altough they're sooooo slow...

**The Last Emperor** · 11-23-2002, 19:43

For me the cheapest is the gallows coz i like to use the English and they can give u more than what they cost. For the expensive choice, its chivalric knight with golden plates on they.

**Vlad The Impaler** · 11-23-2002, 22:17

actually instead of those german heavy inf i like more the janiissaries ( all of them ) ; seems to me more versatile

**G0THIC-Lobster** · 11-24-2002, 02:20

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (insolent1 @ Nov. 21 2002,14:44)]The best shock unit cost wise & techwise in the game are gallowglasses. They are cheap & I have yet to see any flee the field even though they have low morale. JHI are probably the best all round shock troops. I have used JHI extensivly with max weapon upgrade & they are killdozers. I have seen them annilate every other unit in the game. I have only seen them take significant losses from the following units varangian guards, gothic foot knights & gallowglasses. All I can say if you are gonna build JHI make sure you produce them in an iron province. I had one JHI general that was rank 9 with the utterly fearless vice his attack was 19 anti cav attack was 21 & defence was nearly as high. Btw he actually by himself surpressed a rebellion. It was something like 1400 v 58 his unit got 900+ killz & only lost 14 men. JHI rule they have excellent morale(grand mosque aswell) excellent anti cav, armour piercing, armoured, disclipined & most important of all they are fast....they outrun peasants. Btw I never use double click to attack I double click the ground behind teh unit that I want to attack & they don't stop till they get to the point that I commmanded them to go to this normally leaves the unit that they are charging through obilterated. All I can say is try with them with max weapon & armour upgrade. I used to play catholic factions only now I only play as the turks. Btw the mongols are to scarred to attack my lands because of the JHI

ERR...i did see em flee the field in 1 game when i use em to shock attack a unit of chivalic knight...but after a while they flee