What is the absolute worst unit EVER [Archive]

Budwise

09-17-2005, 10:16

I'm asking for either a screenshot of a really crappy general and/or a unit that is nothing but udder crap.

This weekend, I am sure to find a general that would rival the helmit wearing, snot nosed, one armed retard thats at the bottom of the learning curve in his special ed class. But right now, I want to talk about Balistas.

As far as I am concerned, Balistas are more useless than a paper hat during a hailstorm. I mean, even if you get their valor high (How the hell are you going to do that is beyond my comprehension) *I don't need another warning so I hope Hell isn't a bad word* I guess you could shoot peasants all day long while having spearmen keep guard, but who is going to do that. I mean I have a lot of free time, thats why I am writing this but still I can think of better things to do, like read useless post like this one.

Now, a peasant actually has a use. They are:
1. Arrow Magnet
2. Castle Door Opener
3. Flanker
4. Army Padding
5. Garrison Holders.
6. As one guy said before about them pooping themselves in battle - GREAT FERTILIZER!!!!!!
7. After Battles, WORM FOOD!!!!

p_nutter

09-17-2005, 11:25

Apart from shooting castle walls, Ballistas are useful for something: Killing enemy generals.

I once had a mercenary mangonel crew who got their mangonel smashed, then joined the fight (I was that desperate) , and actually routed an enemy unit! But half of them got captured, and because they were mercenaries, I couldn't put the unit back together when I ransommed them back :furious3: I think fragments of mercenary artillery which are too small to fire are pretty close to useless.

Arab Infantry: Worst. Swordsmen. Ever.
I have seen vanilla spearmen beat them.

Zarax

09-17-2005, 13:31

Nubian spearmen are on my bad list, I swear I've seen them retreat before peasants in battle!

Mount Suribachi

09-17-2005, 16:18

Peasants obviously.

But the worst non-peasant unit? I would have to say Slav Warriors. They're good for when you want to sit out a siege and don't want to waste your best units through siege attrition. And, er, thats about it.

Productivity

09-17-2005, 17:17

Disagree on ballistae, they are accurate, and one shot one kill for generals and kings. The ammount of times I've taken out a king with them - they are better at it than any other unit (maybe serpentines?)

antisocialmunky

09-17-2005, 17:30

As pretty much every AI launched projectile in MTW has some sort of general seeking property. AI controlled siege weapons are actually probably some of the best general killers in the game.

Uesugi Kenshin

09-17-2005, 17:58

Actually Arab Infantry are excellent! If you get them with a small valor bonus they are great for chasing routing infantry and taking down missile units. Also check out this thread for a unbelievable tale of one Arab's usefullness:https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=53674

p_nutter

09-17-2005, 19:40

Actually Arab Infantry are excellent! If you get them with a small valor bonus they are great for chasing routing infantry and taking down missile units.

I prefer something faster when chasing routers (I've been using desert archers and even camels for this) I'll see if I can get my Arab Infantry up to the enemy archers - their morale is reasonable so it should be possible.

ajaxfetish

09-17-2005, 19:46

Chasing routers is also something slav warriors actually do well, since they're fast and also cheap and expendable (in case they follow too far and run into reinforcements or a good rallied unit).

Graphic

09-17-2005, 23:27

Viking Thralls

Philippus Flavius Homovallumus

09-17-2005, 23:53

Actually I've used Thralls to hold the charge several times. If you need something to stick infront of your infantry to recieve the charge or bulk up your battle line they're your go to guys.

I'd say Slavs. I can't see any real use for them, I mean, cav are faster and any other infantry will hold better.

Eternal Champion

09-18-2005, 00:23

I'll add my "I must disagree" to the list.

Nubian spearmen are on my bad list, I swear I've seen them retreat before peasants in battle!

In my last Elmo campaign these guys were the wall against which the Horde broke. They stood tall and took the head on charges allowing what ever was handy to flank the buggers. The decent morale and disciplined status held them in place, sometimes taking brutal casualties. They're A-Ok in my book.

m52nickerson

09-18-2005, 01:16

If used right any unit can be useful.

NodachiSam

09-18-2005, 02:10

True, even peasants have their uses.

I actually like slav warriors for their speed so I use them a lot for flanking, especially if I am in such a miserable situation to need to rely on peasants to hold a line. Also, they are good for running down routers. They are like peasants with teeth really, they can almost be handeled like horses against lower infantry. They are also good for garrisoning.

I haven't played for too long so there are a few units out there I have yet to see and I can't think of something that reeks of waste though peasants are fairly uesless in battle.

antisocialmunky

09-18-2005, 02:16

There are always those crazy exotics like Naptha throwers and Arquebuisiers.

I'd say Arqs are the most useless since they outrange almost nothing and can't fight hand to hand like handgunners.

m52nickerson

09-18-2005, 02:20

Put them (Arquebuisiers) on a hill behide some spears, and they will rout units quick.

Naptha throwers with a cheap spear unit to protect them are great King killers.

Ironside

09-18-2005, 08:54

Zarax

09-18-2005, 10:32

And the most useless unit is....

Mamluk handgunners ~D

The only point of using them is in a sandstorm, after a few enemy waves. I haven't even used them for it yet, the only thing was that I wished for lighter armoured handguns in a desert battle, once.

That's why I gave them arquebuses and the speed of desert archers...
They still don't kill much, but at least you can annoy heavy inf with little fear of retaliation...

Graphic

09-18-2005, 10:36

That's why I gave them arquebuses and the speed of desert archers...
They still don't kill much, but at least you can annoy heavy inf with little fear of retaliation...You gotta stop dude lol

Zarax

09-18-2005, 10:43

Lol, the eggies were crying for an improvement... They got the weakest roster overall...

antisocialmunky

09-18-2005, 12:45

Put them (Arquebuisiers) on a hill behide some spears, and they will rout units quick.

Naptha throwers with a cheap spear unit to protect them are great King killers.

Well, I like Naptha first of all, I just mentioned them because they're one of those nutty units.

cutepuppy

09-18-2005, 13:48

lancers

Grey_Fox

09-18-2005, 14:06

Scurvy

09-18-2005, 14:13

Naptha- great fun but i'v lost count of how many times iv routed my own army with them

BAD

09-18-2005, 15:47

Ludens

09-18-2005, 16:38

If used right any unit can be useful.
Agreed, with the posssible exception of ballista.

Personally, I would like to find a use for ballista, because I really don't know why I should bother with them. Archers are better at anything than ballista's after the VI expansion. But for some reason the programmers put a lot of ballista's in the quick battles.

m52nickerson

09-18-2005, 17:04

Agreed, with the posssible exception of ballista.

Personally, I would like to find a use for ballista, because I really don't know why I should bother with them. Archers are better at anything than ballista's after the VI expansion. But for some reason the programmers put a lot of ballista's in the quick battles.

I think it was stated, ballistas are general killers. Or better KING killers.

Lancers outclass almost every heavy cavalry unit in the game. I fail to see how they are useless...

Mosty useless unit in the game? Plain Pikemen. They do nothing that other spear units can't do already. Well, maybe not useless, but certainly pointless.

Put pikes in any provence that has a bridge. Small front is perfect for them. Castle gates are there friend also.

professorspatula

09-18-2005, 17:11

Well I suppose on the rare occurence you feel the need to do a direct assault on a small fortification, ballistae do the job if nothing else is at hand. I find its often (although not always) better to let these battles be auto-resolved though, even on harder difficulties.

Regarding worst units ever, I wouldn't say for a player these are the worst units - but the AI is absolutely hopeless with any form of dart throwers. You only have to get within shouting distance of the dartmen and the skirmishing mode kicks in and they run, and if their entire front row consists of them, the formation falls apart fast. Your cavalry or infantry end up stabbing them in the back, thus are easy pickings. For the player, the dartmen can be useful against armoured targets, but they're tricky to use at the best of times.

Those Mamluk handgunners are really bad though. One of the worst. Doesn't their description say they are better than their European counterparts or something like that? Well they're obviously not.

antisocialmunky

09-19-2005, 00:05

Vanilla Pikemen do suck. Keeping those guys in line is a PAIN. They can't turn well at all. I'd take chivalric seargents over them in most cases.

However, they aren't the worst and I doubt there is a worst unit. Pikemen, even vanilla are great as static defenders when the opp's funneled. Though, arrows can screw them up fantastically well. But I can't stand them most of the time. Though, I think if you play under the assumption that spear(pike)men aren't really there to win, they're there to last, they play well.

tigger_on_vrb

09-19-2005, 00:06

The AI is awful with javelins too, it really overbuilds them as the Spanish for example and they are so easy to kill as the AI never protects them properly. For a human player I would say thralls or a ballista.

Budwise

09-19-2005, 02:06

Lancers outclass almost every heavy cavalry unit in the game. I fail to see how they are useless...

Mosty useless unit in the game? Plain Pikemen. They do nothing that other spear units can't do already. Well, maybe not useless, but certainly pointless.

I agree with this one. ALthough not the most useless - I have never been happy with Pikemen. I guess they will rock with a Bridgemap, I doubt they do well on the field due to the 2vs1 rule.

m52nickerson

09-19-2005, 02:13

What about Gothic sergeants. Just for that fact that they come into the game so late. By then you should have polearms or Swiss armored pikes.
Now in custom or muti player it is a different story.

Zarax

09-19-2005, 08:12

What about Gothic sergeants. Just for that fact that they come into the game so late. By then you should have polearms or Swiss armored pikes.
Now in custom or muti player it is a different story.

Gothic Sergeants are mostly penalized by their small number and the absurd requisites... Modding them to be a 100 men unit available with spearmaker4 makes them really shine...

On the illogical side, what about Bulgarian Bringands? Who ever will build them with the Byz?

m52nickerson

09-19-2005, 14:45

On the illogical side, what about Bulgarian Bringands? Who ever will build them with the Byz?

I don't know about with the Byz, but I use them as Poland. They are good on the flanks. They provide fire power and after the enemy is engaged with your line they make great flanker because of there speed.

Grey_Fox

09-19-2005, 16:28

I once saw a person who played online and his only infantry were Bulgarian Brigands. They gave a good account of themselves, and we won the fight, but I havn't seen them since.

Philippus Flavius Homovallumus

09-19-2005, 23:44

I've used pretty much every unit except Pikemen. The only pikes I use are Swiss Armoured, bow do they kick ass.

Mithrandir

09-19-2005, 23:48

Bulg Brigands are very decent..
esp when using the russians (small range of units). Get them at valour 3 and you have a decent hybrid unit.

Worst units ever ? ...peasants :p.

But I absolutely hate saracens, they run at the thought of that they might see an enemy in the next few hours. Gah! Weaklings....