Sarnaen
06-30-2004, 12:17
Whoa.
I recently edited my UNITPROD_11 file to unlock the Almughavars unit and make it available in the Mediterranian region, so long as you had both an inn, a port and a spearmakers workshop. (I figured the Inn alone would make it too easy to make them, and the spearmakers workshop alone didn't portray their mercenary status very well, so I added port and inn to make it realistic.)
Going on the background of the unit, it says ply their trade throughout the mediterranian or something along those lines, so I thought limiting them to Aragon was unrealistic. I made them available in Valencia, Sicily, Malta, Corsica and Sardinia too.
Damn, they're badasses.
I started a new campaign as the Aragonese on early mode, and customarily snatched Valencia and Navarre. I built up some low-tech units and went for France, and crushed the garrison they left in Toulouse. I instantly ligned a ceasefire because I was too weedy to fight the French in a drawn out conflict at this point. A few turns later on, I am informed that the French have invaded Toulouse and Navarre. Now, Navarre had a garrison of maybe 160 men. It fell like a brick in water. Toulouse seemed to be the herald of doom - A French demi-god Prince with 6 command, 10 valour, and 6 dread. This unit could take out all of my armies on its own. Then I remembered the Almughavars.
Anyway, Toulouse inevitably fell, tough it survived siege for 3 years - giving me time to pump out 3 Almughavars in Aragon.
The next turn, the Froggy antichrist and his band of merry men roll into Aragon expecting to be drinking a toast to evil (pinky to finger) in my palace before breakfast.
I was obviously defending. I had 4 units of spearmen, 2 units of basic archers, 1 Feudal man-at-arms, and 3 Almughavars. The French had their horsemen of the apocalypse, about 3 Feudal Sergeants, 2 Feudal Men-at-Arms, 3 archers, 2 Spearmen, 1 Hobilars.
I lined up on a low ridge, with my flank against some woods, forcing the enemy to attack through the woods, where they would be ambushed by Men-at-Arms; or up a slope, from where they would recieve a barrage of arrows and javelins before hitting a spearwall, albeit one made from the lowest rung on the spearman ladder. The Almughavars were deployed behind and to the flank of my spearwall, ready to deal with flanking Hobilars (Which I find rarely beat anything other than plain archers and crossbowmen in close combat), and then hopefully flank and throw their javelins.
The enemy, in all his 6-star glory, leads his men straight up the slope and takes rather heavy casualties from the archers. Despite this, he soldiers on up the slope and then pulls to the flank to allow his men-at-arms to engage my spearmen. The Hobilars predictably went for the flank of my spearmen, so I charged the Almughavars into them. They routed, as expected. Then the Froggy general of killy doom charges into the reformed Almughavars, and I pretty much expected to be filling in 60 death certificates.
I pretty much lost all hope at that point. I charged the remaining Almughavars down and flung a few pointy sticks at the knights. The results were pleasing - 3 casualties. Then I bombed them down into the knights and expected them to die, and maybe buy me some time to deal with the men-at-arms chewing their way into my spears, and somehow address the 5 enemy spear units waiting in reserve.
So, I pulled my men-at-arms out from the trees and rear charged the enemy men-at-arms, broke them, and ordered an advance down the hill towards the enemy spears with my spearwall, leaving the Almughavars to their percieved fate.
The two lines engaged, and with their technological and numerical advantage, the French began to gain the upper hand, despite my Men-at-Arms valiantly hacking into their flank.
Then I recieved a message that changed my outlook on what I thought to be an overpriced, mediocre unit that threw their spears as well as poked people with them - the enemy general was dead. turning the camera to view the Almughavar - Royal Knight conflict, I saw 2 Royal Knights racing back towards whatever hell had spawned them, and two units of Almughavar at about 40 men each. My rating for these swarthy sellswords went up, by a hell of a lot.
The Almughavar had saved me from an embarrasing end to my campaign, and killed the French heir - coincidentally... the only heir. A few years later, I cornered the French king and dealt with him in the same manner. Almughavar are invaluble, and a huge incentive to control the often overlooked Mediterranian islands when playing in the modified game...
I'm not looking forward to facing Italy, though. They have Corsica and Sicily. Italian Light Infantry backed up by Almughavars? Doesn't sound pretty.
Another worrying thing is, I've caught the modding bug...
I recently edited my UNITPROD_11 file to unlock the Almughavars unit and make it available in the Mediterranian region, so long as you had both an inn, a port and a spearmakers workshop. (I figured the Inn alone would make it too easy to make them, and the spearmakers workshop alone didn't portray their mercenary status very well, so I added port and inn to make it realistic.)
Going on the background of the unit, it says ply their trade throughout the mediterranian or something along those lines, so I thought limiting them to Aragon was unrealistic. I made them available in Valencia, Sicily, Malta, Corsica and Sardinia too.
Damn, they're badasses.
I started a new campaign as the Aragonese on early mode, and customarily snatched Valencia and Navarre. I built up some low-tech units and went for France, and crushed the garrison they left in Toulouse. I instantly ligned a ceasefire because I was too weedy to fight the French in a drawn out conflict at this point. A few turns later on, I am informed that the French have invaded Toulouse and Navarre. Now, Navarre had a garrison of maybe 160 men. It fell like a brick in water. Toulouse seemed to be the herald of doom - A French demi-god Prince with 6 command, 10 valour, and 6 dread. This unit could take out all of my armies on its own. Then I remembered the Almughavars.
Anyway, Toulouse inevitably fell, tough it survived siege for 3 years - giving me time to pump out 3 Almughavars in Aragon.
The next turn, the Froggy antichrist and his band of merry men roll into Aragon expecting to be drinking a toast to evil (pinky to finger) in my palace before breakfast.
I was obviously defending. I had 4 units of spearmen, 2 units of basic archers, 1 Feudal man-at-arms, and 3 Almughavars. The French had their horsemen of the apocalypse, about 3 Feudal Sergeants, 2 Feudal Men-at-Arms, 3 archers, 2 Spearmen, 1 Hobilars.
I lined up on a low ridge, with my flank against some woods, forcing the enemy to attack through the woods, where they would be ambushed by Men-at-Arms; or up a slope, from where they would recieve a barrage of arrows and javelins before hitting a spearwall, albeit one made from the lowest rung on the spearman ladder. The Almughavars were deployed behind and to the flank of my spearwall, ready to deal with flanking Hobilars (Which I find rarely beat anything other than plain archers and crossbowmen in close combat), and then hopefully flank and throw their javelins.
The enemy, in all his 6-star glory, leads his men straight up the slope and takes rather heavy casualties from the archers. Despite this, he soldiers on up the slope and then pulls to the flank to allow his men-at-arms to engage my spearmen. The Hobilars predictably went for the flank of my spearmen, so I charged the Almughavars into them. They routed, as expected. Then the Froggy general of killy doom charges into the reformed Almughavars, and I pretty much expected to be filling in 60 death certificates.
I pretty much lost all hope at that point. I charged the remaining Almughavars down and flung a few pointy sticks at the knights. The results were pleasing - 3 casualties. Then I bombed them down into the knights and expected them to die, and maybe buy me some time to deal with the men-at-arms chewing their way into my spears, and somehow address the 5 enemy spear units waiting in reserve.
So, I pulled my men-at-arms out from the trees and rear charged the enemy men-at-arms, broke them, and ordered an advance down the hill towards the enemy spears with my spearwall, leaving the Almughavars to their percieved fate.
The two lines engaged, and with their technological and numerical advantage, the French began to gain the upper hand, despite my Men-at-Arms valiantly hacking into their flank.
Then I recieved a message that changed my outlook on what I thought to be an overpriced, mediocre unit that threw their spears as well as poked people with them - the enemy general was dead. turning the camera to view the Almughavar - Royal Knight conflict, I saw 2 Royal Knights racing back towards whatever hell had spawned them, and two units of Almughavar at about 40 men each. My rating for these swarthy sellswords went up, by a hell of a lot.
The Almughavar had saved me from an embarrasing end to my campaign, and killed the French heir - coincidentally... the only heir. A few years later, I cornered the French king and dealt with him in the same manner. Almughavar are invaluble, and a huge incentive to control the often overlooked Mediterranian islands when playing in the modified game...
I'm not looking forward to facing Italy, though. They have Corsica and Sicily. Italian Light Infantry backed up by Almughavars? Doesn't sound pretty.
Another worrying thing is, I've caught the modding bug...