GOTHIC everything

[Michael the Great]

What do ye all think about Gothic Knights,Foot Knights and Sargents,and of course,how do u use them??
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[NateEngle]

They have impressive stats, but the structures required to build them are so expensive that the only times I've ever had them were in a game whose outcome was long past being in any doubt. Personally I prefer units that will be there for me during the long scrabble to the top of the heap.

To be more specific in answer to your question, I found that mounted Gothic knights are too slow to really be effective as maneuver elements, so in most cases I'd rather have a Hobilar or Mounted Sergeant - something that isn't out-run by fleeing foot soldiers. I did have one nice defensive battle where I got good effect out of them by dismounting them and putting them in a woods as a heavy-hitting (albeit slow-moving) fire brigade behind a line of halberdiers. My halberds sometimes have trouble with enemy swordsmen, but whereever the gothic foot knights waded in they were decisive.

Unfortunately Gothic sergeants impress me even less than knights because of their smaller unit size, and numbers that are only marginally better than Chivalric sergeants. This was another case where I'm not sure it would have been possible for the unit to live up to the expectations that were created for me during the decades it took to get the first one off the assembly line. If I'm going to have slow-moving foot soldiers in my army anyway, I'd rather have halberdiers. They're cheaper, and if you can arrange for the fight to happen in a woods (that's where most of my best battles are fought) the halberdiers would win it every time. At least gothic foot knights have an AP attack, but the sergeants are just understrength slow-as-molasses spearmen.

[Basileus]

they are some realy sweet units but i rarely use them..its do damn annoying to build up just to get them..

[DemonArchangel]

i gave gothic sergeants a 100-man unit size, problem solved

[A.Saturnus]

I think gothic sgts are cheaper than halberds. But halberds are more of an allround unit, so I would surely prefer them if I hadn`t made the sgts faster. Didn`t have a chance to use GFK yet, but from their stats, they are by far the best inf-killer.

[Michael the Great]

In fact,Gothiic Knights are perfect anti-cavalry units,perfect to attack heavy cavalry than triying to catch it with slow spearmen or halbs.

[Kongamato]

The Gothic army is an impressive array of heavy weaponry. Combining the power of the Sergeants, Knights, and Foot Knights will bring many victories if used right.

IMO, the Gothic army needs to be handled in a certain way. The Sergeants should be the backbone, filling up the front line. A second line should consist of any present Gothic Foot Knights, which should be used to plug any holes. However, the Gothic Knights need to be used in an atypical manner. They should not be used dynamically in tactics that one would employ Alan Cav or Chiv Knights in. They should stay behind the front line and destroy any flanking attacks. Your line should be able to hold out without any need for immediate flanking. Once all flanking attempts have been eliminated, flank with the Gothic Knights.

[Husar]

Gothic Knights are great, because they can stand nearly everything if used correctly. I used them with my best general(who had 9 stars and could have had 12 in attack, if there wouldn´t be a limit http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif ) they had all upgrades and valour 7 and so I could use them even frontally against spearmen. But even with less valour they are really good and can stand against every other cavalry, with high valour and upgrades you can use them against everything from every direction you want as long as you wont let them fight alone against 3000 enemies http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif .

[andy119]

gothics are good unit specially the cav. The foot knights are slow but when they engage they will normally win. I like the cav as my gen in l8 games although i think art ruins mp sometimes

[econ21]

I'm just wondering, as I tend to play mainly in the early period, do people get access to the Gothic units at a sufficiently early point in the late period? I'm asking, as I'm thinking of writing a mod that gives wider access to Gothic units and am wondering whether to stop giving the Chivalric knights halberds, as these came in more in the late period historically. If you have to wait too long for the Gothic units, I'd rethink.

I seem to get access to Chivalric knights a little way into the high period, which seems fairly historical, but am not sure if Gothic units are effectively late "late" units.

Thanks for any advice.

[Michael the Great]

I have 1 question here tough:
[I]Why were Gothic Foot Knights given AP abillity,coz they use a sword,and not even a Gallow-like sword? [I] http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Edit:gah

[econ21]

Michael, Gothic foot knights get AP because they ARE using the same sword as the Gallowglass - a two-handed sword. That's what the artwork and the CA xls file indicate.