Making the Polish Retainers more useful?

[m52nickerson]

I am thinking about moding my game in order to make the Polish Retainers more useful in the campaige. In early versions they were quite good because they were available right away in early. After VI they are only available after 1205. The problem is that Chivic Knights are better then then in just about every way, so there is no real reason to use them. Even more so since with Poland it is so easy to get Steppe Heavies that fill light cav role, and have bows. So any ideas on making the Retainers worth wild again.

There stats.

Polish retainers
Charge 8 Attack 3 Defence 3 Armour 4 Speed 9, 20, 22 Morale 4

Right know I'm leaning to just making then available in early once again.

[Weebeast]

Make them cheaper. Hey, at least you don't have to get bored using peasants as a missile shield. Plus, the name is retainer.

I don't know, maybe give them morale higher than anything else.

[antisocialmunky]

Make them available in early like AHC.

[ajaxfetish]

I agree. They're a competent unit, and don't really need any stat changes to fill their proper role. Just having them around from the beginning would make the biggest difference.

Ajax

[m52nickerson]

Well after thinking about this for a while I think instead of added then to early, I will give them a +1 valour bonus in Poland. That way they get a slights stat boost right off that bat.

What you you gentlemen think?

[ichi]

and that should be enough, V2 Polish Rets should able to give V0 Chivs are very good fight. Making them available in Early would also be a fair mod.

ichi:bow:

[m52nickerson]

I debated about making them available in early. I think it would make the start of my games a little to easy. Not to mention that I normally use Avar Nobles in early, and they reek havoc.

[BAD]

How about making them the royal unit in Early (leaving the high and late royal units as they are in Vanilla)? My housemate has messed around with the prod files and this one of the minor changes he made. It meant they came with those bada$$ virtues like Pride, Great Warrior and Killer Instinct and command stars too. But he didn't make them buildable in Early. Which meant eventually you ended up with true Polish Jedi's who you either had to be careful with until you got to High (to retrain them) or just :charge: !!! Guess which option I chose. ;)

[Mithrandir]

Slightly increase speed and increase charge a fair amount to give them more of a flanking/light cav role ? That seems decent to me :).

[m52nickerson]

What I did was to the Retainers the bonus in Poland, and increased there chances of being produced as a general unit. I also made Early Royal Knights available in all periods, and Late RK available in Late, and High. That way I can keep my Generals units numbers up. Its seems a fare mod. The Retainers get a boost with valor, and the chance for some stars but stay just slightly weaker then Chivic Knights.

I had thought about Mithrandirs suggestion, but I did not want to play with the units stats if I could avoid it.