Best Military Unit

[PittBull260]

I'd definently say Light Cavalry, quick and swift, can easily beat anything I think...well not really easily but hey

[bretwalda]

Good poll (I feared that the choices will be like, Kats, Billmen and Longbowmen ;) ) but you left out a very important genre: horse archer type.

My favourite is turcoman horse (v2 from Tripoli with master horsebreeder) or Szekely (v1`with master horsebreeder)

[edyzmedieval]

Heavy Cavalry and Medium Infantry....

Heavy Cavalry, because they can kill everything. The best example: Kataphraktoi. ~D

[King Kurt]

It has to Archers - as in longbows. For most of the period the English longbow swept all before them and via the Free Companies, all countries tried to hire them if they couldn't get them. They were professional, skilled and efficient - in total contrast to most other Medieval types. As for the Muslims - who can top the janisaries - so my case rests. ~:cheers:

[tigger_on_vrb]

Hosre archers for me, most fun by far and have the ability to win early battles without a casualty. Guess that comes under light cavalry

[Marcellus]

Heavy cavalry. You can just smash into stuff and kill it. ~:)

[Eternal Champion]

Heavy Cav = Irresistible Charge

[ichi]

Any good army has a variety of tools and the best generals use the combined forces concept - a combo of archers, infantry, and cav - to make life miserable for the enemy. Since each unit type there is another unit that can cause problems, so one needs to have a variety of capabilities.

That said, my favorite units are cavalry archers like Szekely, Boyars, Steppe Heavies, Faris, or Byz Cav

ichi :bow:

[Russ Mitchell]

Hrm... seeing as the Cumans did in both the Latin Empire and, under the service of Louis of Naples, numerous longbowmen/dismounted men at arms during the Neopolitan Succession Wars, I think I'll stick with heavy horse archers...

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Heavy infantry. They always hold the line well while I send heavy/light cavalry to flank the enemy.

[mfberg]

Horse Archers are best followed by the Heavy infantry SAPs, JHI, Billmen, even souped up Halbrediers.

mfberg

[BAD]

I'd say its a solid infantry unit type that's the best. Whenever I fight it's the heavy/medium Infantry that do the all the hard work, the other units just support them. Yup that's right, I count a unit Lancers flanking units a support role. :rolleyes:

Now if you said favourite unit, I'd side with Ichi and choose the brilliant Horse Archers, like Szekely, Byzantine Cavalry and Faris. ~:cheers: Oh yeah and I have a soft spot for Ghazi's and Futtuwa's.

[English assassin]

The good thing about the game is the combination of terrain and weather means there isn't a best unit. I'd say heavy infantry is the most generally useful all purpose unit. (Eg in VI there's Huscarls, and then there's the rest)

But where's the fun in that? bring on the javelin armed skirmishers, the horse archers, the heavy cav, I say...

[Patron]

Halberdiers in a forest or castle.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Janissary Heavy Infantry. My war winner in sieges and pitched battles, they hold my line against all comers and can be used as effective shock troops. When supported by Janissary Archers or Janissary Infantry some Sipahis and Armenian Heavy Cavalry or a similar heavy cavalry type they also cannot be whittled down by horse archers or foot archers.

[PittBull260]

Halberdiers in a forest or castle.
haldberiers own everywhere, that unit is amazing

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

While I believe in a battle line protecting archers and a cav flanking force, if I had to pick one unit to take out it would be Chivalric Knights, so Heavy Cav.

[antisocialmunky]

It REALLY depends on who you're playign as and what time period it is.

The only real generalization I can make is that Heavy Cav owns in Early. They will autorout all those crappy early era units.

[Roark]

For me it's heavy missile cavalry, like Sipahis of the Porte. Versatile as hell.

[BAD]

It REALLY depends on who you're playign as and what time period it is.

The only real generalization I can make is that Heavy Cav owns in Early. They will autorout all those crappy early era units.

Even Varangian Guard and Huscarles? O_o

[kiwitt]

I kind of wish "Chivalric Men-At-Arms" were stronger.

I have always had a sweet spot for them. I usually try to get them +4 armor, +4 attack and the highest bonuses for morale. (e.g. Cathedral, Monastery, Church, etc.)

However, as "ichi" says you need a balanced force or archers, calvary, etc.

[littlebktruck]

I've learned to appreciate archers and cavalry much more in my early Italian campaign. I'm still without cavalry (save royal knights), and I've found that the safest (and best) way of dealing with the enemy's royal knights is archer fire. Put a couple units on them and they go fairly quickly. I really miss having cavalry around, though.

[Martok]

I really enjoy light cav (Jinnettes and Hobilars rule!), but heavy infantry is still my first love. Halberdiers, JHI, Varangian Guard, Foot Knights, Huscarles.....they'll always have a special place in my heart. ~D

[Zarax]

Gimme a couple VGs and I'll conquer the world

[edyzmedieval]

Gimme a full stack army of Kilibanophoroi and I will conquer everything....

[antisocialmunky]

Even Varangian Guard and Huscarles? O_o

Byzantines, Danes, and Muslims don't count, two get really good units, the other gets camels.

[Advo-san]

Indeed.. The vikings are really effective and pretty cheap too.

[Advo-san]

The Best Unit (TBU)
Let us decide, will it be infantry or cavalry? I say infantry, because horses are fast but spears are sharper. Ranged or melee infantry? I say versatile! I believe TBU would be a heavy armoured infantry armed with bows and spears.. Is there such unit in MTW? How about an armoured Swiss pikeman armed with a crossbow..

[bretwalda]

The Best Unit (TBU)
Let us decide, will it be infantry or cavalry? I say infantry, because horses are fast but spears are sharper. Ranged or melee infantry? I say versatile! I believe TBU would be a heavy armoured infantry armed with bows and spears.. Is there such unit in MTW? How about an armoured Swiss pikeman armed with a crossbow..

Why not throw in a horse to the package? :wink: Like a Mounted Swiss Noble with irresistible charge excellent defence and attack that can dismount to the above unit...? ~D

[antisocialmunky]

It sounds like a Boyar when you stick him on a horse.

[Jihad2Death]

If you`re talking single units, JHI, Longbows, and Gothic foot Knights are the best IMO.

As a group, heavy infantry.

[antisocialmunky]

Ya know... You could say that the best unit is Naptha, if it hits something, it always dies.

If you have VI, load up one of those crazy steep Scotish Highland maps. Make a whole army of 4 valour Naptha and turn infinite ammo on. It's rather funny. :dizzy2:

[Gawain of Orkeny]

That said, my favorite units are cavalry archers like Szekely, Boyars, Steppe Heavies, Faris, or Byz Cav

ichi

Yup with enough valor these guys can do it all. Boyars are expensive but maybe the best unit in the game.

[squidums]

I think the most fun units are in VI. I love to use Welsh Bandits as a suprise attack from the side or rear. Great for taking out Generals, especially useful when your up against a high ranking General.
Lots of the Viking Units are great fun too, especially Berserkers. I bribe rebel armies of viking troops and send them in to cause as much damage as possible before a more traditional invading army. Having a unit of Berzerkers ravage through the enemy, not caring about the loses is great.

[Zarax]

I think the most fun units are in VI. I love to use Welsh Bandits as a suprise attack from the side or rear. Great for taking out Generals, especially useful when your up against a high ranking General.
Lots of the Viking Units are great fun too, especially Berserkers. I bribe rebel armies of viking troops and send them in to cause as much damage as possible before a more traditional invading army. Having a unit of Berzerkers ravage through the enemy, not caring about the loses is great.

Yeah, i put the bersekers in the main campaign with the ZXMOD for the Danish and the Sherwood Foresters for the English as as "crusaders"...

Best desert (and excellent overall) units you can get.

[Procrustes]

Yup with enough valor these guys can do it all. Boyars are expensive but maybe the best unit in the game.

Part of it is that Boyers generally have even better stats than are listed. In order to build them yourself (instead of just the royals you happen to get) you need a +3 armorer. Also, with just one more farm upgrade you can upgrade your Boyars (as well as your Druz, steppe, steppe heavy, HA and MXB) to +1 valor. Add a decent general and you are unstoppable.

[.:vVv:.Monkey]

Horse archers, if you know how to use them of course ;) Followed by Ghazi Infantry, two units of those loons will cut thru any infantry the catholics will throw at you

[Martok]

Horse archers, if you know how to use them of course ;) Followed by Ghazi Infantry, two units of those loons will cut thru any infantry the catholics will throw at you


Yeah, you gotta love Ghazis. They're probably my favorite medium infantry in the game; there's almost nothing they can't chew their way through, given enough time. ~:cool:

I've never been a big fan of mounted missile units (except for Jinnettes)--unless you count hybrid units like Faris, Boyars, Sipahi of the Porte, etc. Men on horseback who are good with bows *and* are effective in melee are very nice to have, as they provide your army with some great tactical flexibility.

I still hate regular mounted missile units (horse archers, Turcoman Horse, mounted x-bows), however. I don't like playing factions that have them, and I like playing against factions that have them even less. :dizzy2: This is a big reason why I hate playing as the Turks; it seems like my armies are made up almost entirely of horse archers until I hit the Late period.....

[ChaosLord]

You forgot another option, Hybrid Infantry. The Archer/Infantry units like Bulgarian Brigands and such. I love using these guys, they solve my problem at having space wasted by the need for archer support and serve as capable light/medium Infantry. This is especially so in the XL mod with Bohemian Bowmen. These guys may not be historically acurate, but I love using them in my early/late armies.

[Csargo]

I'de have to go with Swiss Armoured Pikemen
good at fighting any type of infantry or calvary

[voo]

Byz-inf, Boyars, LBs - all those bring the game out off balance.

[edyzmedieval]

I like the Kataphraktoi, but most of all, the Kilibanophoroi from BKB's Super Mod.....

I simply love those units!!!!

[ichi]

I like the Kataphraktoi, but most of all, the Kilibanophoroi from BKB's Super Mod.....

I simply love those units!!!!

Pumped up Kats are one of the hardest units to deal with, but they are slow and can be handled. Actually, every unit has a unit that can hurt them, its one of the neat things about this game. Here's some Turcos dismantling a unit of Kats

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/story/ichiturcokats.jpg

ichi :bow:

[Mithrandir]

One word for all noobs and vets alike...

CAMELS

:bow:

[King of Atlantis]

I would say the horse archers arnt that great in medieval cause they cant shoot and move at the same time.

So, i would have to say heavy infantry. My armies almost always consist of viking landsmen and highland clandsmen. Very cheap and very strong.

[BAD]

I like the Kataphraktoi, but most of all, the Kilibanophoroi from BKB's Super Mod.....

I simply love those units!!!!

+1

At first they just looked like Steppe Heavies with extra Armour and Defence. Great enough. But then I noticed, when accidently hitting F1 in a battle, they had an armour piercing HTH attack aswell! ~:eek: Which is great for the Byzantines as they lose their only AP HTH unit in Late. Now their AP unit is on a horse, has a bow aswell, and can get you where you need em fast.

:charge:

[L'Impresario]

ichi, those are jinetes, although turcos would be also ideal to deal with such cavalry.
HA-types can really make a difference most of the time and good router chasers they are as well. Ofcourse some mods like BKB's do 'em even more justice by having longer range and more arrows. But even in vanilla they good, provided they don't face large amounts of alans and other fast cav - archers can be dealt with;)

[antisocialmunky]

I like Kats, in early you can get away with using them to smack a formation before your BI hit so they don't wet themselves and run. Kats are pretty cheap compared to some other HC units too.

[Advo-san]

..I wish I could get my hands on a few necromancers from WIII.....or maybe to a druid of the claw.. Then I would have explained a thing or two to those damn Spanish imperialists....