Your favorite \"dream army combo\" ?

[Draksen]

what is your favorite mix for army ?
- if u use unique units (longbowmen for example) ?
- if u don't use unique units ?

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http://www.saosnois.com/blasons/blason-normand.gif
"De gueules aux deux léopards d'or, armés et lampassés d'azur, passant l'un sur l'autre."

[Daevyll]

In a 16-unit army (not using special troops):

2 Center units : Chivalric Sergeants
6 Line units : Chivalric Men-At-Arms
4 Missile units : Arbalesters
2 Shock units : Chivalric Knights
2 Flankers : Mounted Sergeants

This is a nice, balanced army that can attack and defend equally well against all types of forces, which is important in SP since you never know what AI opponent will stab you in the back next :/
On the defensive, 3 or so catapults are really nice to have along as well.

Eventually you get better units (such as Swiss pikemen to replace the Chivalric Sergeants etc), but this lineup is usually my mainstay for a loooong time.

When using specials, I replace whatever is better eg Jinettes replace Mounted Sergeants

[Dragon]

I think the Italian army is "best" for my style of play:

Italian light infantry (pinning force)
Gothic knights (crushing force)
Arbalester (ranged element)
Mounted crossbow (skirmish & pursuit)

All of them reasonable priced upkeep-wise in the campaign.


If free to choose, I would replace the arbalester for longbowmen for short battles (higher ROF), and the gothic knights for lancers (faster, better vs unarmored).

Well, and if prize does not matter at all, the obvious choice would be to replace the Italian light with Swiss armoured Pikeman, but that would be boring imo.

[Rosacrux]

Mind you, I've never played MP, so my favorite army is a AI-knocker, I wouldn't know how it would perform against a human player.

Since I usually play the Byzantines, my favorite combo goes like this:

4 Kataphraktoi (they give the final blow, flank, hold their own in tough situations, stalmate the progress of enemy cavalry - all purpose units, scanted along the battlefield)

3 pronoiai allagion (in the initial stages they do the main flanking job, when things go well they hunt down routers and get zounds of prisoners)

4 Byzantine cavalry (my skirmishing archers, drive the poor AI towards my main force and when the ammo goes out, they make decent routers)

The rest belongs to byzantine infantry - they can hold the field against anyone, if properly managed, and they don't route easily (the great Byzantine generals do help in that of course).

That is allmost a late-era force (you don't get pronoiai allagion early, and even the byz cavalry comes kinda late) but they carry out 70% of the game and 90% of the fighting.

[Inferno]

I try to play the English whenever possible, and my favourite army so far is:

4 Order foot soldiers
3 Chivalric MAA
4 Longbowmen
3 Feudal MAA
2 Feudal Knights

(Obviously if money is not an issue then the Feudal knights can be upgraded to Chivalric or Templars, but as money is not unlimited and I like to give my general + 3 amour, this is usually my favoured mix.)

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It's getting warm in here...that must be one hell of an INFERNO!

[Yoko Kono]

3 Feudal Sergeants
3 Billmen
4 Gallowglasses
4 Longbowmen
2 Mounted Seargeants

[Vanya]

GAH!

4 Handgunners
4 Arquebusiers
4 Culverins
4 Peasants

Here is whacha do. Put peasants in the first row. Handgunners behind the peasants. Arquebusiers behind the Handgunners. Culvies behind the Arquebusiers.

Then, just sit back and blow the enemy to smithereens. If they get close, you send your peasantry to keep them occupied while your valiant standoff troops pump them full of lead. And, if the going gets tough, put the Handgunners and Arquebusiers into wedgie formation and have them charge into the fray and pistol-whip the enemy pig dogs while the culvies rain lead over the battlefield.

GAH!

It works like a charm! Its a solid all-around army, and works well against both AI and human opponents. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

GAH!

[Soapyfrog]

Vanya, I MUST see your army in action. You should post a replay of your most recent glorious victory http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Vanya]

Quote Originally posted by Soapyfrog:
Vanya, I MUST see your army in action. You should post a replay of your most recent glorious victory http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif[/QUOTE]

Soon, my suds-covered amphibian. Your patience shall not be in vain...

GAH!

[Jagger]

I like lots of cavalry!

4 Nubian/Muwadi spearman companies to form the front
2 Almohed Urban Militia/Militia Sergeants companies to plug gaps or flank
3 Arbalests
4 Armenia Heavy Cavalry for the crushing charge
2 Saharan light Cavalry to chase down routers

Extras that are nice-1 mercenary Kataphraktoi cavalry and 1 muribitan javelin company

Love big cavalry charges when the time is right!

[Mori Gabriel Syme]

I generally have two types of army, defensive & offensive. Frontier provinces will have defensive armies, while remote provinces may have only enough units to keep it happy. Then the offensive army can move around as needed. I'm currently playing as the English. Here's my lists:

++Defensive++
2 longbow
1 chivalric sergeants
1 billmen
1 gallowglass
1 feudal knights

++Offensive++
2 longbow
1 chivalric sergeants
1 billmen
1 gallowglass
1 chivalric men-at-arms
2 feudal knights

The mix can be doubled if necessary. The lists may look similar, but I use the units differently, especially the billmen. On defense, they function as protection for the longbows along with the chivalric sergeants, but have their own benefits. On offense, the chivalric sergeants hang back to protect the longbows while the billmen advance with the gallowglass & the men-at-arms.

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The King Who was Thursday

[Emperor Romanus IV]

Rosacrux,i play the byzantines as well,they r my fave civilization.i very much like yer combo,and will probably try to include it in my game myself.thanx.

[oZoNeLaYeR]

16 Peasants with full upgrades, behind them are 8 CMAA, 4 Archers, 4 Chivarlic Knights.

[KukriKhan]

I doubt it would work against a human opponent in MP...but I must say I'm having a ball in SP using only all-Viking armies.

As they tell you on the selection page, the age of the Vik's is almost past - so I thought I'd give them one last Hurrah! in a campaign. They're very effective early; now in the mid-1300's, they are less so. Just thought I'd see how/when the dev's planned the demise of these noble fellas.

So far, I (with the exclusive Vik group) and the ElmoHeads (with a much better-balanced army) have two-thirds of the map: me north, him south, generally.

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https://jimcee.homestead.com/files/bowman2_k_5.gif

[NARF]

so, ozonelayer, you use the other units as reinforcements?

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What is it that makes a complete stranger dive into an icy river to save a solid gold baby? Maybe we'll never know.

[Dark_Magician]

Here's special for river province Khazar where your polish/russian/byz empire keeps turks and (later) mongols at bay (opposite also true):

1 or 2 trebushet targets 1st bridge

1 or two catapults or ballists - some 4-5 spear units, some heavy cavalry or shock troops, ranged units (heavier than archers).

Spear-units cover before bridges (not too close) when you ranged units shoot who attempts to cross. If AI has any good general at least some units eventually does. Artillery better be close, so actually (depending on the respawn) fires across river. Trebushets are cool there cause they can be precisely pointed.

AI attacks bridge which is closer to respawn, so concentrate all but 3 units - one ranged, oner or two spears at this bridge.

If they manage to cross switch ranged units to more rear enemy units and throw your cavalry (and/or shock troops if any) to who crossed.

Don't forget to check artillery and switch it over to other enemy units other than who your troops engage and push "withdraw from combat" when they've used ammo -> also true for ranget units). Dont forget to call reserves then.

Used to crush enemy 1 to 4,5 that way, although terrain obviously the best defensive terrain available

[Cheetah]

Listed in the TC

[bosdur]

Quote Originally posted by Vanya:

It works like a charm! Its a solid all-around army, and works well against AI and human opponent with a 5-yr old mentality. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[/QUOTE]

I hear ya .... :P

[Cardinal]

16 Princesses.......phwooar! http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Magraev]

My usual stack setup (SP):

basic - most wanted
5 sergeants - chivs
1 swordsman - maa/vikings
4 shooters - arbs
2 HC - chiv knights (rarely play italy/HRE)
2 LC - Mounted sergants

Basic but effective

[Orion]

Here is my general purpose Turkish army (before Jannisaries, they change it alot http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif)

1 Futtuwas (shot & slash)
2 Ott. Inf. (range advantage & armour breaker)
2 Muhh. Foot Sold. (Charge & hold cavelry)
2 Sacaren Inf. (large num., hold cav. & good charge)
2 Ghazi Inf. (armour breaker, one of the best charge unit w low cost)
4 Horse archers or Turcomen horse(skirmish & flank)
2 Armenian HC (sometimes replaced w Ghulams)
1 Ghulam Bodyguards (general's unit)

Ofcourse specific battles changed this combo usually http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif


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So said the King
So it is written