Druzhina Cavalry

[Marquis of Roland]

I am currently playing turkish early campaign. Built a couple inns and some druzhina cav show up. I remember they dismounted to feudal foot knights so I grabbed as many as I can, and let me say that these guys literally kill all in early.

Anything on foot is fresh meat to these guys. They even manage to give considerable amount of cav problems. AND they come in 100-man units (I'm playing large I think)

Anybody else love druzhinas? http://212.238.194.39/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[Despot of the English]

Yes. They're considerably better on foot that's for sure.

[Gith]

Staple cavalry when I was playing Russian (other than the light steppe). I thoroughly enjoy them.

[massamuusi]

Steppe heavy cavalry, now there you've got a bunch of mean buggers. I wanted to amuse my sultan by building 16 of them, and made just a straight charge into enemy army of 16 with spearmen in front. I won, I goddamn, I hacked them to pieces, the survivors were less than hundred. My early casualties from the initial charge didn't matter a thing since I killed the entire enemy army, and was able to get as many of these guys as I wanted from the several steppe provinces.
Guess which provinces got instant priority change from fortress/farm to cav? http://212.238.194.39/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Heinrich VI]

so true

i just had one of those rather unpleasant moments in my recent HRE game when my 3rd crusader army attacked antioch held by the egyptians.

the egypt army consisted mainly of peasants, 2x scar inf, 2x desert archer, the sultan himself and one of his heirs. while my army consisted only of various mercs and the crusader units (my army was led by a 4 star teutonic knight).

the initial attack went perfect. my 2 mounted crossbows started decimating the heirs gulams unitl they had to head back to my lines due to advancing archers. the main onslaught went completly in my favor. his heir was routed without a single loss by my teutonic knights and 2x mounted sgts enveloping him from 3 sides after he went a bit too far ahead of his army. when my 3 vinkings finally flanked him and charged downhill into the rear of his infantry force i thought - thats it the battle is decided. but no his sultan charges my general head on. no problem i thought 40 + the 2x sgts on the flanks vs his lousy 15 gulams. guess what my general died instantly and my whole army started to rout i was like WTF managed to rally a few bulgarian brigands and made a stand on a hilltop close to maps edge to give my reinf. time to march in.

sorry for getting OT but now im getting on topic ;)

the only unit i managed to get on the field in time to stop his onslought (led by the sultan with 2 gulams left - he killed almost all teutonic knights) was

a unit of Druzhina Cav holy shit those guys saved my day. they not only instantly drove off 2 deceimated units of sraracen inf but hold back his whole reinforcements until the living death aka his sultan was closing in and hi pulled em back to the hill joining my newly arrived forces for the final blow. thx to another effort by flanking the egyptians the druzis addede insult to injury for the egyptians by killing their sultan - finally

nedless to say that i was pissed by those massive 560 men casualtis against this clearly inferioir egyptian army and had to unleash a wave of assassins on any worthy egyptian in the next turn http://212.238.194.39/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[Seven.the.Hun]

indeed, tough dudes

http://212.238.194.39/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://212.238.194.39/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[Sarnaen]

Druzhina play a defining role in my early conquests as Russia/Novgorod. Against the steppes rebels they rack up masses of kills and valour points, leaving me with a core of high valour Druzhina cavalry convertable into FFK whenever required. When I make the push west into Germany and Poland, their low-tech spearman/UM/Archer armies don't stand a chance. I try and keep them out of dangerous situations, too. I like to have some ready for the Golden Horde. Nothing beats cornered heavy cavalry than Druzhina Cavalry with 4+ valour, weapon and armour upgrades.