NewJeffCT
04-24-2003, 21:00
OK, I will admit I was wrong. Pavise Arbalesters can be devastating in combat, if you use them properly. I had thought longbows were better due to the speed of the longbowmen, as well as their ability to get off more shots. However, after reading a bit on this board, I decided to take 4 of them for my initial 16 unit defensive battle as the Polish against the invading Almohads in the province just south of Denmark whose name I can’t recall this afternoon while I am at work.. I lined them all up 2 or 3 deep right next to each other and set them on Hold Formation. Behind each unit, I placed a group of pikemen in case any Almo cavalry decided to charge my PAs. Just behind the pikemen, I had 1 group of militia sergeants and 2 groups of FMAAs in the gaps, ready to rush up in case any spear units or AUM units made it through. On one side of the line, I placed 2 groups of mounted sergeants and on the other side, I had a group of mounted sergeants and my general’s unit of royal knights. The Almos had 2700 men, I had about 2300.
Well, my pikemen and other infantry units could have sat down and had a picnic. The Almo units would march across the screen, and then get whittled down so much by the PAs, that they would turn and flee before they could even engage my troops. Then, I would rotate two groups of cavalry to run down routers, keeping two back to stay fresher. The only time I had to do anything remotely offensive was when the Almos brought up a group of crossbowmen and archers at the same time. They managed to get in range of my pikemen and actually got a couple of them. So, I had to send my cavalry out early to run down the bowmen... but, while they were charging the Almo missile troops, the rest of the Almo troops started routing anyhow.
So, I ended up with a combined capture/kill amount of over 1,000 Almos and lost only 15 of my own men. Each of my mounted units captured over 150 men. Of course, it helped that often the Almo reinforcements would arrive in waves of two or three units at once, get blitzed by the PAs, retreat, then rally and march back, get blitzed again, rout, etc. I did not use any reinforcements.
Note - I just did this as a test.
Well, my pikemen and other infantry units could have sat down and had a picnic. The Almo units would march across the screen, and then get whittled down so much by the PAs, that they would turn and flee before they could even engage my troops. Then, I would rotate two groups of cavalry to run down routers, keeping two back to stay fresher. The only time I had to do anything remotely offensive was when the Almos brought up a group of crossbowmen and archers at the same time. They managed to get in range of my pikemen and actually got a couple of them. So, I had to send my cavalry out early to run down the bowmen... but, while they were charging the Almo missile troops, the rest of the Almo troops started routing anyhow.
So, I ended up with a combined capture/kill amount of over 1,000 Almos and lost only 15 of my own men. Each of my mounted units captured over 150 men. Of course, it helped that often the Almo reinforcements would arrive in waves of two or three units at once, get blitzed by the PAs, retreat, then rally and march back, get blitzed again, rout, etc. I did not use any reinforcements.
Note - I just did this as a test.