The Ultimate Guide to Units and Buildings

[NagatsukaShumi]

MTW Information

Welcome to my post about Medieval Total War. Well i found all of this out when I was snooping about in the /Loc files in the Demo so some of you people may have found it already, but for those who haven't here you go.

Units

Here is a FULL list of the currently known units plus their description.

Units

Abyssnian Guard
Abyssinians have been guarding Egyptian rules for centuries. They are used on the battlefield as disciplined axemen, able to carve a path through enemies. Their lack of armour is a weakness, but their superb discipline is some compensation. They are best used to attack peasants, militia and spearmen.

Alan Mercenary Cavalry
The Alans are excellent steppe horsemen - almost as if they are born in the saddle! The Byzantines see them as the best light cavalry mercenaries available. They can be used to skirmish, ambush and act as a swift covering force for the flanks of heavier cavalry.

Alhomad Urban Militia
As Islamic Spain comes under pressure, its cities look to their own defence, and create urban militias. These men have plenty of opportunities for battle and are much more competent and aggressive than the usual run of militiamen. Well armed and trained, they are qualitatively almost a standing army, rather than a last ditch defence.

Almughavars
These lightly armoured Catalan mercenaries ply their trade all round the Mediterranean. They are shock troops armed with javelins that give them a fearsome missile attack to open gaps for a subsequent charge with their spears. Few others can match their professional determination and ferocity.

Arbalester
The arbalest is a heavy crossbow that can fire a bolt which will go through most armoured targets. It has a very slow rate of fire, and needs a small windlass to pull back the string. Properly protected by other troops, arbalesters can be deadly.

Archers
Archery is a survival skill: it helps put food on the table, assuming that the archer isn’t hanged as a poacher! Using the same skill in battle can bring down an armoured man, although short bows are not quite as efficient as true war bows.

Armenian Heavy Cavalry
Even in Roman times Armenian cavalrymen were often given a position of honour in an army. The Byzantines and others still know that they are disciplined, aggressive and capable. Armed with lances, their initial charge is powerful, and they are steady and reliable when compared to feudal cavalry.

Arquebuiser
The arquebus or matchlock is a relatively sophisticated firearm. It is easy to use, can be aimed with some accuracy and rarely explodes, killing the user! Arquebusiers can fire volleys at an enemy, damaging morale as well as frail flesh, but they cannot fire at all in wet weather.

Ballista Crew
The ballista design goes back to the ancient Greeks. A ballista can fire a spear-like bolt or stone missile hundreds of metres with killing force. Although crossbow-like, a ballista uses twisted bundles of animal sinew for its power and, like a spring, these give the weapon a great range.

Bedouin Camel Gun
Most early gunpowder weapons are rather cumbersome, so the Bedouin use a jezzail (a very small cannon!) fixed to a camel saddle. The camel must be still as the gun is fired, but the flexibility of being able to dash into a firing position, fire and then retreat to reload is a shock to many enemies!

Bedouin Camel Warriors
The Bedouin are hardy warriors but sometimes a little undisciplined when fighting in a group. Their shock value against troops unused to camels is considerable particularly when charging home, but they are vulnerable to spearmen in the same way as other cavalry. Horses usually hate the smell of camels.

Berber Camel
The Berbers are hardy desert warriors, and at their best when used as light cavalry archers to disrupt enemies. They are capable in hand-to-hand combat against similar light cavalry, and their camels are an advantage as many horses are unwilling to go too close because of the smell!

Billmen
The billhook was a farming tool: an axe-and-hook with a long handle. After it had evolved into a weapon, it could hack, stab or drag a man to his death. English Billmen are well trained in fighting against armoured and mounted soldiers, pulling knights or men-at-arms to their deaths!

Bombard Crew
Early gunpowder weapon, bombards are made of wrought iron hoops, and mounted on immobile stands. They are primarily siege weapons. Bombards fire stone balls that shatter on impact rather than piercing the target. Although prone to explosions, bombards easily unnerve enemies not used to gunpowder!

Boyar
Boyars are the landed, social elite in Russia. They are trained to fight as a heavy cavalry bodyguard. Heavy mail and a combination of sword and bow make them powerful, but when these are combined with rigorous practice for war, they are a very effective force indeed!

Bulgarian Brigands
The independent peoples in the Balkans have always been difficult for outsiders to rule. The Bulgar Brigands are organised - and tough - enough to be mercenaries. They are tactically flexible fighters, well able to use both bows and swords but may lack moral fibre in a crisis.

Byzantine Cavalry
The Byzantines have a state army as well as mercenaries. These cavalry are the disciplined, armoured successors to the Roman legions, armed with bows and swords. While not as fleet as steppe mercenaries, they can be relied on to give a good account of themselves in any battle.

Byzantine Infantry
The Byzantine Empire's military tradition dates back to Roman times, and its armies have always included professional soldiers. These men-at-arms have mail armour, large shields and swords and can be relied on to fight skilfully against most enemies. They are probably among the best heavy infantry in Eastern Europe.

Catapult Crew
The basic design of the catapult goes back to the Romans. The throwing arm is driven by twisted ropes or sinews, and can hurl missiles quite a long way. The small wheels help to absorb the shock of firing. Although easy to operate and quite powerful, the catapult will be outclassed by guns.

Chivalric Foot Knights
Chivalric Knights are a high point in the arms race between armour and killing weaponry. They wear superb plate armour and carry poleaxes - weapons intended to punch through any armour! They are an elite, trained from infancy in the art of war, and like any elite can be impetuous.

Chivalric Knights
Chivalric Knights represent a considerable improvement in arms and armour. They and their horses are well protected by plate mail and barding, their lances give them an advantage in the charge, and they are trained to fight from childhood. They are a true elite, but can be impetuous in battle!

Chivalric Men at Arms
Not all the very heavy infantry are noble. Most are professionals or gentry who make do with old or second hand armour. These swordsmen are good in both attack and defence, and often form the backbone of a battle line. Heavily armoured as they are, they can be slow moving.

Chivalric Sergeants
These heavy spearmen include professional soldiers and those hoping to be noticed and raised to the nobility. Their equipment may be a little old-fashioned or second hand, but it is always well cared for and their individual skill at arms is very good indeed, but they can be undisciplined.

Crossbowmen
Anyone can use a crossbow and a few weeks practice will make anyone a master of it (archers have to be trained for years). Once trained as a crossbowman, even the humblest peasant can kill the mightiest king. This weapon is often seen as 'unfair' - by the mighty.

Culverin Crew
Culverins are long barrelled guns on light carriages. The slim barrel gives a good range, and allows the use of less gunpowder per shot, making firing them safer. Culverins can fire balls up to 45kg, but most generals prefer light pieces, as these are easier to transport to a battlefield.

Cuman Mercenary Cavalry
The Byzantine Empire looks to various steppe peoples for its mercenary cavalry. The Cumans are expert horse archers, and fight well in the horse archers' traditional way: bombarding an enemy with arrows while staying out of reach. They are vulnerable in melee or if trapped by spear armed troops, something a wise commander avoids.

Demi-Cannon Crew
Demi-cannons are small siege weapons. 'Small' is a relative term, as demi-cannons are often very heavy! Thanks to the need to mount the weapons on sturdy carriages, demi-cannons aren't moved once in place. A demi-cannon might fire shot that weighs up to 30kg and can do substantial damage.

Demi-Culverin Crew
As the name suggests, demi-culverins are half the size of long-barrelled culverins. They have small bores, and usually fire a ball that weighs 3-4kg. They are usually well made and not too expensive, making them useful all-round weapons. Given that they are small, they can be emplaced easily.

Desert Archers
All desert peoples need superior skills and hardiness to survive, let alone prosper. As light archers they are generally superlative and their compound bows are excellent weapons. It is their role to pepper enemy troops with arrows and stay out of reach, for they do not fight well in melee.

Early Royal Ghulam knights
Ghulam - the word means slave - cavalry are the best available to the Sultan and form his bodyguard. In heavy mail and armed with lances, they are at least as good as other cavalry. The Sultan (and every Prince) leads Ghulams. Additional units can be trained at high cost.

Early Royal Knights
Royal Knights are an elite royal household guard. The combination of mail, armoured horses and lances makes them formidable enough, but their dedication in serving their King makes them fearsome indeed! The King and royal Princes command small groups of these Knights. Raising extra Royal Knights is possible, but costly.

Feudal Foot Knights
Feudal Knights begin their training in infancy, and are a military elite who rule by the sword, and hold land in return for their service. In combat, they favour lances that give them an advantage when charging opponents. Their mail coats and shields provide good protection against lesser troops.

Feudal Knights
Feudal Knights hold land in return for military service. Trained from infancy to be warriors, they hold political and military power in their mailed fists. They are adept at charging down opponents with their lances, and they are honourable and brave to the point of recklessness!

Feudal Men at Arms
Those seeking social position are often hardened warriors - war can bring wealth and social status. Because they are not rich yet, feudal men-at-arms wear second-hand mail looted from the dead, or that is just old fashioned. They carry broadswords and shields, making them equally good in attack or defence.

Feudal Sergeants
Feudal society is a hierarchy, and each rung of the ladder is expected to serve those above. Feudal Sergeants are a class below knights (but above landless peasants) and are often professional soldiers. Many lords will send these spearmen into battle as reliable medium infantry.

Futuwwa Warriors
Armoured by faith, brave to the point of death, Futuwwa warriors are fanatical in battle, particularly against unbelievers. They are armed with bows and swords making them very useful all-round soldiers, but rashness can be their undoing, as they may suffer heavy casualties during one of their typically brave attacks.

Gallowglasses
In some ways Ireland is a relic of earlier times - Gallowglasses are Celtic warriors. Armed with axes, they are loyal to a clan chieftain, swift and fierce in battle, and have an almost berserker-like rage. They also are reputed to take the heads of slain enemies as trophies.

Gendarmes
Gendarmes are high-quality militia cavalry, raised in the growing towns. They often have superb equipment and, unlike most part-time soldiers, are rather disciplined. The Gendarmes lack the dashing bravery and valour of real knights. Wealthy French provinces can excel at producing Gendarmes, thanks to their growing regional pride.

Genoese Sailors
Genoese sailors make very effective units of light archers away from their ships, acting as more than just hastily levied infantry. They are fast moving and lightly armoured, but not equipped to fight hand-to-hand except as a last resort.

Ghazi Infantry
Ghazi are fanatical warriors who think nothing of facing tremendous odds. Wild and brave, they can be difficult to restrain. In an attack, they can smash into an enemy force, as their maces do terrible damage. On defence they can rashly counterattack and therefore weaken a strong position.

Ghulam Cavalry
Ghulam Cavalry are useful heavy attacking units for any desert general. With mail armour and light lances, they can charge into an attack, and can fight well against other cavalry, but need to take care when engaging spearmen. Against missile troops, their best option is a swift attack.

Mongol Heavy Cavalry
These warriors have the traditional role of all 'nobility': the breaking of lesser troops through shock impact. All superb horsemen, these cavalrymen are heavily armed with spears and well protected by plentiful armour and shields. They are best in attacking infantry and in riding down units about to break.

Mongol Horse Archers
Horse Archers are primarily used to harass and ambush enemies, and are ideally suited to the battlefield hit-and-run tactics favoured by the Mongols. Their superior speed gives them the ability to mass swiftly, attack, withdraw and then repeat, as often as needed - and all without fighting in a melee!

Mongol Warriors
Away from their precious horses, the Golden Horde are formidable and highly disciplined warriors, expert in the use of their powerful compound bows and swords. They are not suitable for assaults against heavy infantry, being better at breaking formations with arrow fire, then moving in to crush already beaten men!

Gothic Foot Knights
While it may look cumbersome, gothic armour is a cunning system of smooth surfaces, all devised to deflect attacks away from the wearer. Armed with poleaxes, these knights are easily capable of smashing their way into most defensive formations. Their desire for personal glory can make them impetuous.

Gothic Knights
Protected by superb armour, Gothic Knights fear little, although archers and pikemen still have to be treated with respect. Complete with heavily armoured horses, these are fearsome warriors. With the Gothic Knights, personal armour reaches a peak of practicality and beauty, and their heavy cavalry tactics have been perfected.

Gothic Sergeants
Despite their old-fashioned plate armour, Gothic Sergeants are a mainstay of any army. Their spears allow them to stand in any battle line. They are well motivated, due to an emerging professionalism, and without the impetuous desire for personal glory and fanatical bravery that can make noblemen troublesome.

Halbardiers
The halberd is a terrible weapon. In the hands of a skilled man a blow from one can fell a horse or cleave a man’s head. It is a perfect weapon for assault troops, who have to break enemy formations and into fortifications. Halberdiers are armoured in plate mail.

Handgunners
Handguns are not accurate - or safe - and are useless in damp weather. But it is relatively easy to train troops to use them. Even though they are short range, slow missile troops Handgunners are useful, if only because of the frightening noise and smoke they produce!

Hashasin
The Hashasin are a sect originally from Persia, and they are masters of stealth, deception and murder. On a battlefield, they can hide in almost any terrain, and are ideal for ambushing enemy generals. When committed to action they can strike at their victims with both sword and bow.

Highland Clansmen
Clansmen are the last tribal warriors in Western Europe, raised by a chieftain from his extended family. While exceptionally brave by nature, they can also be stiff-necked and impetuous. Coming from lands where life is hard, these light infantry are usually not well armed and can rarely afford much armour.

High Royal Ghulam Knights
Ghulam - the word means slave - cavalry are the best available to the Sultan and form his bodyguard. In heavy mail and armed with lances, they are at least as good as other cavalry. The Sultan (and every Prince) leads Ghulams. Additional units can be trained at high cost.

High Royal Knights
Royal Knights are an elite royal household guard. The combination of platemail, barded horses and lances makes them formidable enough, but their dedication in serving their King makes them fearsome indeed! The King and royal Princes command small groups of these Knights. Raising extra Royal Knights is possible, but costly.

Hobilars
Hobilars ride small 'hobby' horses and are useful as scouts and pursuit troops. They come into their own when an enemy must be driven from the field or captured for later ransom. They are not heavily armed or armoured and can't put up much of a fight against nobility.

Horse Archers
Many eastern European peoples use horse archers, and their fighting style requires that they must be masterful horsemen and bowmen. They pepper enemies with arrows while staying tantalisingly out of reach as they are vulnerable in hand-to-hand fighting - something a wise commander remembers!

Hosptialler Foot Knights
The Knights Hospitaller have adapted to changing fashions in warfare. Rather than traditional fighting from horseback, they now take the field as armoured infantry elite, well able to cut their way into enemy formations. Tactical flexibility, combined with their traditional discipline and courage, still makes them formidable.

Housecarle
Almost eclipsed by newer feudal fighting men, the Vikings are approaching the twilight of their glorious history. They are extremely tough, handpicked warriors whose tactical strength lies in the 'shield wall', a formation that presents a solid front to the enemy. Vikings are only truly vulnerable if they break formation.

Italian Light Infantry
The Italians have spent many years fighting enemies such as Norman, French and Imperial armies and each other. As a result, their medium infantry are rather better than the average, and equipped with quilted armour, spears and shields. They may lack the 'edge' of hardened professionals, but they are reliable.

Janissary Bows
Yeni Cheri' - the 'New Soldiers' - are a new Turkish system for national and royal (not feudal) armies. Disciplined, drilled and professional, Janissary Archers are intended to break up and weaken enemy formations so that the other soldiers of the Janissary corps can move in for the kill.

Janissary Heavy Infantry
Janissaries are the capable, disciplined elite of Turkish armies with a fearsome reputation. These heavy shock troops are supposed to batter a way through enemy armies so that others can pour through the gap. They are heavily armoured, and armed with polearms that give them an advantage in close combat.

Janissary Infantry
The Janissaries are raised from provincial children taken into the Sultan’s service, and trained to do nothing but fight and obey. Janissaries do not fight for personal honour; they fight to win. These soldiers are armed with bows and swords, making them a tactically flexible and powerful unit.

Kataphraktoi
The fearsome, disciplined Kataphraktoi trace their origins to Roman times. Both man and horse are so massively armoured that they are almost unstoppable shock troops. This power comes at a price – the Kataphraktoi are slow and expensive compared to other cavalry - but this is little comfort to their enemies!

Kerns
The Irish keep to the Celtic way of warfare. Constant skirmishing between Irish warlords and English invaders gives even the peasants a warlike attitude. They fight as kerns - light, harassing javelinmen - rather than as untrained farm labourers, and bring their particularly bloody-minded savagery to the battlefield.

Khwarazmian Cavalry
Unusually for Islamic cavalry, both Khwarazmian cavalrymen and their horses are heavily armoured. This makes them very effective when charging lighter opponents, but means they are far from nimble! As shock troops, they are the equals of western knights but with more discipline - some would say more common sense!

Knight Hospitallers
The Knights of St. John were established to protect pilgrims and a hospital in the Holy Land, and they are a powerful fighting order. The Hospitallers are superb heavy knights, armed with lances and able to charge in devastating fashion on the battlefield. In battle they are completely reliable.

Knight Santiagos
Originally guards for Christian pilgrims in Spain, the Knights of Santiago are a fighting order organised along semi-monastic lines. They are reliable, excellent heavy cavalry, able to break many enemies when they charge, and are without the impetuous folly often shown by secular western knights.

Knight Templars
The Knights Templar are a warrior elite, more fearsome than many other knights in Christendom. On the battlefield, they may be the finest cavalry trained in Europe, able to charge home against tremendous odds and still triumph! But while they are brave, some express doubts about their religious purity...

Lancers
Lancers are very heavy cavalry, used to charge into and break the enemy. Their plate armour is cunningly designed so that extra pieces can be added. The shock value of their charge should not be underestimated, but against spearmen they should attack the flank or rear for best effect.

Late Royal Ghulam Knights
Ghulam - the word means slave - cavalry are the best available to the Sultan and form his bodyguard. In plate armour and armed with lances, they are better than many other cavalry. The Sultan (and every Prince) leads Ghulams. Additional units can be trained at high cost.

Late Royal Knights
Royal Knights are an elite royal household guard. The combination of full plate armour and lances makes them formidable enough, but their dedication in serving their King makes them fearsome indeed! The King and royal Princes command small groups of these Knights. Raising extra Royal Knights is possible, but costly.

Lithuanian Cavalry
These light cavalry are drawn from Lithuania's minor nobility, and wear light mail and carry lances and bows. They are excellent horsemen, but also have the ability to dismount before battle and fight as foot archers. Although they are noblemen, they are no match for knights.

Longbowmen
English and Welsh longbowmen are the finest archers in Europe, able to well create a storm of arrows against targets 300m away. Even knights are vulnerable thanks to the armour-piercing bodkin arrowheads they use. Longbowmen are often best when the enemy is forced to attack and then shot down!

Mamluk Cavalry
The Mamluks are warrior slaves with superb military skills. Their cavalry are well armed and armoured, highly disciplined and particularly good against armoured opponents, thanks to the axes they wield. These medium cavalry can be used for many tasks on the battlefield, and can give heavier cavalry a nasty surprise!

Mamluk Handgunners
Islamic science has allowed the Mamluks to produce better gunpowder than other peoples, and their handguns are also skilfully made. Their handgunners have greater discipline than their Christian counterparts, although they must still deal with the hangun's slow rate of fire and low accuracy.

Mamluk Horse Archers
The Mamluks are a slave warrior elite. Almost without exception, their troops are highly disciplined, motivated and organised. Their Horse Archers are both good shots and skilled horsemen, able to destroy slower opponents. They can fight hand-to-hand in their own defence, but should not be recklessly committed to such fights.

Mangonel Crew
The basic idea of a mangonel, or small catapult, goes back to Classical times. The throwing arm, driven by twisted ropes or sinews, hurls small missiles quite a long way. The frame isn't wheeled and once in place a mangonel doesn’t move. Mangonels are outclassed by gunpowder weaponry.

Militia Sergeants
Militia formations are supplied by the people of growing towns, drawn from amongst the apprentices. Armed with fearsome polearms, they can do significant damage to enemies, but their training is not always of the highest. They can do well against lesser troops, but will quail before more professional soldiery.

Mortar Crew
Mortars are short-barrelled guns that throw shots on a high trajectory over fortifications to plunge down on enemies. Firing mortars can be quite complex, as the angle of fire, amount of gunpowder and even the wind all affect accuracy. They can be used to terrible effect in sieges.

Mounted Crossbowmen
Armed with slightly smaller crossbows than their infantry equivalents, Mounted Crossbowmen are one response by western armies to eastern mounted archers. But while they have killing power, crossbows also have a slow rate of fire, so these crossbowmen need to use their cavalry mobility to stay out of trouble.

Mounted Sergeants
These cavalry are more lightly equipped compared to Knights, but they are fast and their heavy lances can be devastating when charging opponents. They are best used to charge home (to an enemy flank or rear, preferably) to cause maximum casualties. Their speed can help them disengage and evade pursuit.

Murabitin Infantry
The tough Murabitin are recruited from the desolate Almohad provinces along the North African coast. Armed with javelins, they are good for harassing enemy formations and can cause a surprising number of casualties. Their other arms are only sufficient for self-defence, so they are best used as skirmishers.

Muslim Peasants
Life for peasants is never easy. They are the lowest, tied to the land or living in hovels in the growing cities. When war breaks out peasants are sometimes forced into the army and then expected to fight. Peasants may see little reason to remain loyal when treated this way.

Muwahid Foot Soldiers
These spearmen in the service of the Almohads are lightly equipped to stand in a line of battle. They are hardy, desert men and carry only large shields for protection, but they are also swift and possibly (over) confident. Like all spearmen, they have an advantage when fighting against cavalry.

Naptha Throwers
Naptha is a fiery mixture of chemicals that is very difficult to put out. Contained in grenades (ceramic pots), it can be thrown so that it bursts open on contact. Naptha is dangerous, and it is possible for the thrower to set fire to himself rather than a target!

Nubian Spearmen
Nubian spearmen is a slightly misleading title. These men come from all over Africa, having made their way north and ended up in the Sultan’s military service. They carry the same kind of equipment as other spearmen, but they are often a little more disciplined and able.

Nizaris
The Nizaris are members of a sect who have been inspired by Faith to make war. They are armed with swords and bows, making them a flexible force for any Islamic general. Their fanaticism can sometimes make them impetuous in an attack, when they will ignore the odds against them.

Order Foot Soldiers
Not everyone has the social rank to become a Knight in a fighting order. Instead, these lesser men are taken on to fight in support of the Knights. Often, they do very well, as they are motivated by the prospect of salvation and are well armoured and equipped with spears.

Ottoman Infantry
Well armed and armoured, Ottoman infantry are tough enough to be in the vanguard of any Turkish army. They are well equipped with bows and axes (which give them an advantage against armoured enemies), and well trained and disciplined. Usually, they can be relied on to defeat most infantry.

Ottoman Siphai
Turkish Sipahi differ from many European troops in one important respect – discipline. They are professionals who can be relied on to obey orders. Deployed correctly, the only units the Sipahi need fear are spearmen or pikemen. Their equipment is fully the equal of any other heavy cavalry.

Pavise Arbalester
The arbalest is a heavy crossbow that can fire a bolt which will go through most armoured targets. It has a very slow rate of fire, as it needs a windlass to pull back the string between shots! While reloading, a Pavise Arbalester hides behind his large man-sized shield.

Pavise Crossbowmen
Anyone can master a crossbow in a few weeks - but it is not a perfect weapon. It has a slow rate of fire, and during reloading a crossbowman is vulnerable unless he has a pavise, or large shield, to shelter behind. The Italians are famous for their crossbowmen.

Peasants
Life is never easy for peasants, the bottom rung of a very long social ladder. When war comes, the levy takes them away from home and their crops. They are given few weapons, just expected to fight and die for their betters. Peasants are therefore cheap but unreliable units.

Pikemen
Pikes are very long spears. This length means that pikemen need proper training before they can act as a unit. Unlike other troops, the first four ranks of pikemen can fight against an enemy, presenting a wall of gleaming spear points to any foolish enough to charge them.

Polish Retainers
These minor Polish nobility are good medium cavalry, with both mail armour for protection and heavy lances to provide a real punch when charging enemies. While good attackers, they are not equals of Knights and will have trouble holding their ground when committed against such powerful foes.

Pronoiai Allagion
Even the coffers of Byzantium are not bottomless, so the mercenary Pronoiai Allagion are paid in land instead of money. These men are the Byzantine equivalent of heavy knights: part soldiers, part local rulers. With mail armour, lances, and horse barding, they are as good as many western knights.

Religious Fanatics
Simple, uneducated people are often willing to follow a charismatic leader who promises them Heaven. Existence for many is a hell of backbreaking work and grinding poverty. Fighting and dying with unquestioning, righteous faith is a chance of everlasting life in Paradise! And so religious fanatics are inspired...

Saharan Cavalry
In a desert, beneath the merciless sun, speed is better protection than armour that would roast its wearer! Saharan Cavalry are fast 'skirmishers' used to protect an army's flanks, keep archers away, and chase down enemies. Even armed their swords and shields, they are not suited to prolonged melees.

Sracen Infantry
Like many Saracens, these medium spearmen are well disciplined when compared to 'Frankish' or crusader opponents. Their spears give them an advantage when fighting cavalry, and they are lightly armoured so that they can move swiftly beneath the desert sun. They can also hold their own against comparable infantry.

Serpentine Crew
A serpentine is a light cannon with a very long barrel - the name comes from its snake-like proportions - that fires a 1 kg ball. A serpentine is light, transportable and quite accurate. It has a good range and a single shot can kill more than one man.

Seige Cannon Crew
Siege cannons are status symbols and a king wants these in his arsenal. Over time gunsmiths become more skilled and gunpowder also improves in quality. Gunnery is a science rather than a matter of luck. Big guns become practical: they won’t explode and kill the crew rather than the enemy!

Siphai of the Porte
The Sipahi of the Porte are the elite Turkish royal bodyguard. Their combination of mail, armoured horses, sword and bow make them formidable enough, but their vigorous training makes them fearsome indeed! The Sultan and royal Princes all command small Sipahi units. Raising extra Sipahi of the Porte is expensive.

Spanish Jinetes
Once Moorish soldiery, Jinetes are lightly armoured cavalry, both fast and manoeuvrable. They often manage to surprise enemies, as instead of using lances they hurl javelins before closing to fight hand-to-hand with swords. This double ability makes them handy warriors and a fine addition to any Spanish army.

Spearmen
Spearmen are useful in almost any army, particularly against cavalry and unlike other troop types the first two ranks can fight thanks to their spears. They aren't likely to stand for long against professional men-at-arms, but they can give cavalry a nasty shock as long as they hold formation.

Swiss Armoured Pikemen
Swiss Pikemen are very effective against cavalry. The first four ranks of any pike unit can fight, and horses will not charge into a wall of pike points. Swiss Pikemen are highly regarded, thanks to their professionalism, but their solid formations can make them an easy target for missile fire.

Swiss Halberdiers
Swiss Halberdiers are extremely well trained and disciplined - a product of the Swiss obsession with defending themselves. Although lightly armoured, their halberds are very effective against most enemies. Unlike spears that are good for holding cavalry at bay, halberds inflict heavy casualties even against heavily armoured opponents.

Swiss Pikemen
Using a pike - which may be anything up to 4m long - takes training, and Swiss pikemen are the best in Europe. They are superb against cavalry: no horse will charge against a wall of pike points, with four ranks of pikemen all capable of fighting at once.

Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Knights are an order of German warriors, committed to fighting against infidels and pagans alike. They are easily the equals in combat of the other Orders of Knighthood, if not quite so disciplined. This 'lack' of discipline is of no comfort to those facing the Teutonic Knights!

Teutonic Sergeants
The fighting Orders are socially exclusive, not taking men from the lower ranks of society into the Order itself. The Teutonic Sergeants are socially inferior men trained as heavy cavalry, but without the dash and valour of true knights. In battle, they are almost as effective as the Order's Knights.

Trebizond Archers
Compound bows give these soldiers an advantage thanks to their range, accuracy and penetrative power. Trebizond Archers are well trained and disciplined, and can act, at a pinch, as a light infantry. Although they can fight, it would be a foolish commander who used them to attack unbroken enemies.

Trebuchet Crew
The trebuchet is a huge weapon - so big that it is usually built on the battlefield! The throwing arm uses a counterweight to hurl missiles tremendous distances. This can be anything from heavy boulders to fire pots, or diseased animals, prisoners, captured spies, or corpses to demoralize the enemy!

Turcoman Foot Soldiers
The Turcomans, from Turkmenistan and North-eastern Persia, are adept in desert warfare. They are primarily archers, but can fight as light infantry if they need to do so. They are best used to weaken an enemy for others to attack. Their combat abilities are best reserved for self defence.

Turcoman Cavalry
These fast, light cavalry are ideally suited to desert warfare: lightly armoured with bows and swords. They can harass and weaken units with missile fire and then press home attacks. Against 'Frankish' crusaders, they have little trouble in staying out of range while wearing down the enemy.

Turcopoles
After fighting Saracen cavalry, the Crusaders realised that knights were not suited to war in the Holy Land. To counter the nimble Saracens, the Westerners recruited local mercenaries. These Turcopoles are lightly armoured and carry both bows and spears, making them a flexible unit type in combat.

Urban Militia
As cities and trade grow, so does the need for local defence. Some towns and cities can provide a locally raised force, recruited from among apprentices and journeymen. While they only have limited training, their polearms give them an advantage against armoured troops, and they are more disciplined than peasantry.

Varangian Guard
The Varangian Guard are part of the Imperial Household, a force of mercenary bodyguards. They have a history of being tough, loyal and resourceful men from the North. Over the centuries, their ranks have included Vikings (and a Viking King!), Saxons and Englishmen. Now, they are sometimes a ceremonial unit.

Woodsmen
Hardy woodsmen, superior to peasant levies, populate the vast forests of Eastern Europe. With their axes they can do terrible damage, even to 'better' troops and their light armour gives them some protection. They are still peasants, of course, and can run like any other peasantry!

Naval Units

Baggala
The baggala has the same basic design as a dhow but carries a catapult. This can be used to throw pots of Greek fire (an incendiary mixture of chemicals) at enemy ships. Pirates also use the baggala, but with rock missiles as they lack access to Greek fire.

Barque
The barque is a small, single-masted sailing vessel suitable only for short voyages across shallow waters, but it is cheap and easy to build. Away from land, a heavy swell could sink a barque. The crew is few in number and unlikely to mount a very effective boarding action.

Boom
The boom is a dhow-like warship. It carries a small cannon as armament to bombard targets and has sufficient crew to allow boarding attacks as well. It is strong enough to meet galleys on better-than-equal terms and handy enough under sail to attack from most quarters.

Caravel
The caravel is an oceangoing ship, capable of surviving some storms. Originally used in the Mediterranean, it is now used elsewhere. It is capable - rather than exceptional - in a fight as it has small catapults to bombard enemy ships, but it is not handy in light winds.

Carrack
The Carrack is a sleek, refined derivative of the Cog, able to withstand rough seas and carry a substantial tonnage. It also carries cannons, culverins and demi-culverins, a contingent of soldiers and a large crew. A Carrack can generally be relied on to defeat any other ship.

Cog
The Cog has come about thanks to shipwrights' experiments and gradual improvements in shipbuilding and rigging. A Cog is a sturdy vessel with a deep draft so it can carry a large crew and troops. With demi-cannons as well, it is a handy all-rounder in combat.

Dhow
The dhow is a small trading and military ship found throughout the Arab world. It is fast and manoeuvrable, able to use light winds to enter any fight and also stay out of reach of more powerful enemies. Dhows carry no weapons; their crews attack by grappling and boarding.

Dromon
The dromon is a small galley, with both a sail and oars. It is used as a scout and for coastal work, thanks to its shallow draught. It isn't a battleship, but in calm weather a dromon can out-manoeuvre and out-fight smaller ships and still have the speed to escape!

Fire Galley
The fire galley is an improvement on the galley of old, equipped with a catapult to rain Greek fire upon an enemy. This, plus soldiers and a ram, make the fire galley a potent ship. Greek fire is a fearsome concoction that burns when wet - the perfect naval weapon!

Galley
As a type, the galley is tried, tested and ancient. With oars and sail, it is suited to Mediterranean waters. The crew is mostly rowers with a small fighting contingent of archers and soldiers. A Galley has grappling irons and a ram to break an enemy's hull and oars.

Gun Galley
Cannons are the main armament of a gun galley, although it still has a ram and troops who can board enemy vessels. It is a formidable ship by any standards, with both sails and oars. It does have blind spots and is not very handy in a close fight.

Longboat
The 'Viking' longboat appears to be a simple vessel, but actually is the end of many generations of careful improvement. It is capable of long ocean voyages, can be easily beached and can carry large cargoes, but as a fighting vessel it is only suitable for boarding attacks.

War Galley
A War Galley is a large vessel equipped with several powerful catapults each capable of throwing Greek fire pots - on the basis that if one catapult is good, then more must be better! Although it also has a ram, it is relatively unwieldy under oars or sail.

Agents

Assassin
An Assassin kills people. When dropped onto another character, the Assassin will try to kill that character. His chance of success depends on his own skills and the importance of the target.

Bishop
A Catholic Bishop improves the faith of the Christian flock in his current province. He will only affect Catholic followers, not Orthodox Christians as well.

Cardinal
A Cardinal is a powerful figure in the Catholic Church hierarchy, and his mere presence does much to boost the faith of Catholics.

Emissary
An emissary is a noble- or high-born man trained in diplomacy and sent to deal with rival monarchs and other nobility. An Emissary acts as the eyes and ears of his master in his current location.

Grand Inquisitor
It is the Grand Inquisitor's calling to root out heresy and dissent wherever he finds it among the Catholic faithful. His presence in a province vastly reduces heresy and will usually cow any rebellious population, as he inspires dread - if not outright terror!

Inquisitor
It is an Inquisitor's calling to root out heresy and dissent in the Catholic flock. His presence in a province reduces heresy and can cow the whole population, thanks to his harsh reputation.

Mullah
An Alim is a learned, scholastic figure in the Islamic faith, and his presence in a province does much to boost the faith of Muslims.

Orthodox Bishop
An Orthodox Bishop improves the faith of any Orthodox Christian flock in his current province. An Orthodox Bishop will only affect his followers, not Catholics as well.

Priest
A Priest improves the faith of all Orthodox Christians in his current province just by his presence. Followers of other religions, including Catholics, receive no benefits from the Priest's presence.

Princess
A Princess is an asset to her family, acting as an Emissary of sorts. She can be married to a General to encourage his loyalty, or she can be married into another royal family to cement an alliance. Her new royal husband may then have a claim to her father's lands.

Spy
A spy discovers information about your rivals. A spy sees everything about the province and any armies where he is standing. A spy can also be used to find out about a character's hidden vices, and can plant evidence of treachery. He can also cause discontent in rivals' provinces.

Ulama
An Imam is a hugely learned man, one who has spent his life in studying the Islamic faith. His presence in a province does much to inspire faith among Muslims.

Buildings

Fort
A Fort is more than just a defensive structure. It is an important symbol of wealth and a base for controlling land. A Fort can hold a garrison of up to four units and, as the local centre of power, creates the security that allows all early buildings to be constructed.

Fort Motte
A Motte is a mound of earth that provides an improved defensive position for a Fort. With a commanding position on top of its Motte, a Fort is easier to defend and so the Motte reduces the losses that a garrison suffers during a siege and also aids defence against assaults.

Fort Motte Bailey
A Bailey improves a Fort's defences. It is a large courtyard surrounded by a stout palisade, creating an extra defensive 'layer' and a secure living area. Defenders can abandon the Bailey and still fight on. This ability to retreat even inside a Fort is useful during sieges and assaults.

Keep
A Keep is the strong centre of a fortification, a "pocket castle" in its own right and a powerful symbol of lordship. It can be garrisoned by up to eight units at any one time and can withstand long sieges. A Keep allows many advanced buildings in the province.

Keep Curtainwall
A Curtain Wall adds an extra layer to a Keep's defences, improving its ability to withstand a siege because in times of war many arms, stores and local people can be brought side the castle walls to support the defenders. This reduces the attrition rate of the defenders during a siege.

Keep Curtainwall Ballista
Protected by its own bulk and by a curtain wall, another layer of defences can be added to a Keep with ballista towers. These crossbow-like artillery pieces can shoot any besieging force, making any direct assaults risky! Besiegers are also kept beyond bowshot, reducing the losses suffered by the garrison.

Castle
A castle always dominates its landscape as a strongpoint and centre of the community. It needs many goods and services, and allows many advanced buildings in its province. It can hold a garrison of up to twelve units at any one time and can usually withstand sieges for long periods.

Castle Ringwall
A Ring Wall gives another defensive layer to a Castle, and surrounds a large area that can be used for workshops, stores, stables and barracks. Both of these effects mean that a Ring Wall greatly aids the garrison in withstanding long sieges, reducing the losses that they suffer over time.

Castle Ringwall Catapult
By mounting catapults on high towers, the defenders can bombard any attacking force with stones, and burning missiles. This keeps besiegers at a safe distance (often beyond their own missile range) and helps the garrison hold out during sieges. Catapults can also cause terrible casualties during the pitched battle of an assault.

Citadel
A huge and imposing structure, a Citadel looms over any landscape. It is the power of a kingdom made visible in stone. Sixteen units can be in a Citadel garrison and, when under siege, they can often outlast the foe. Its size and importance allows many advanced buildings in its locale.

Citadel Barbican
A Barbican is a hugely strengthened gatehouse in a Citadel's outer wall, often as strong as the central Citadel itself. Castle gates will always be vulnerable to attack, so a Barbican makes attackers pay dearly while trying to break through. It also helps house the garrison during a protracted siege.

Citadel Barbican Gun Towers
A Citadel, already guarded by a strong Barbican to protect its gate, can be developed further: strong towers can now hold guns that can sweep enemy attackers away before they can reach the walls in any assault. The guns keep a besieging army at a respectful distance, making their efforts less effective.

Fortress
With the Fortress, castle design begins to respond to the threat of guns. Hugely strengthened against gunfire rather than just assault, it is so large as to have a small town within its walls. A Fortress can hold a garrison of 16 units, and is a prerequisite for some advanced building types.

Fortress Artillary Tower
Artillery Towers are a defence against gunfire and a gun position for the Fortress's defenders. Cunningly built to deflect cannon fire from besieging armies and take advantage of advances in cannon technology, Artillery Towers can also bombard any assault troops that are foolish (or brave) enough to be in range.

Bowyer
A Bowyer is a craftsman whose skills are vital in the medieval world. In addition to warfare, bows are extensively used by all levels of society for hunting, and therefore for feeding people. A Bowyer is also required before any advanced archery buildings can be constructed in a province.

Bowyers Workshop
A Bowyer's Workshop puts the production of archery equipment on a more organised footing, and allows better craftsmen to make the most of their skills. This improves the weapon quality for all archers trained in the province, and makes a small contribution to improved trade in the area as well.

Bowyers Guild
A Bowyers' Guild - like all guilds - protects its members from cheap competition and makes sure that they are working to a high (and well-paid!) standard. Again, a Bowyers' Guild improves the weapon quality of archers trained here as well as, in combination with other buildings, allowing the training of some advanced troop types.

Master Bowyer
A Master Bowyer's makes weapons of superlative quality: all his products are literally "masterpieces" of their type. This improves the weapon quality of units that are trained here. A Master Bowyer allows the training of the most advanced forms of archer, providing other appropriate buildings are present in the province.

Armourer
An Armourer specialises in the production of good quality armour. This improves the armour quality of all units trained in this province, giving them a +1 bonus.

Armourers Workshop
High quality armour in large quantities is essential for the production of western knights. It is also useful even where knights are not produced, as it gives a +2 armour bonus to all troops produced in the province.

Armourers Guild
An Armourers' Guild (indirectly) raises the quality of armour by enforcing standards, as only by joining the Guild can a man be an armourer. Better quality, and newer, types of armour are the end result, giving a +3 armour bonus to all troops produced here.

Master Armourer
A Master Armourer is a craftsman beyond compare and rightly valued for the often very beautiful armour that he produces. His workshop supplies armour of the very best quality to units trained in the province, giving them a +4 armour bonus.

Swordsmith
Swords are among the most basic of all infantry weapons, but it needs skilled workmanship to produce battle-worthy blades, beyond that of an everyday metalworker. A Swordsmith allows the training of many basic infantry units and is also needed (along with stables of some kind) for basic cavalry forces.

Swordsmiths Workshop
As skills come to fruition, the quality of weapons supplied to troops naturally rises. The speed at which new blades can be made also improves, allowing the arming and training of new types of soldier, although sometimes these new forces require the services provided by other craftsmen and buildings.

Swordsmiths Guild
The move to Guild status usually comes about when craftsmen realise that they can be a profitable monopoly. They also police their own ranks and drive the less competent men out of the trade. The quality of products rises, and so does the demand, to the benefit of trade and unit production.

Master Swordsmith
A Master Swordsmith only produces the very best blades, often for only the most discerning of customers, who willingly pay the high prices his skills and quality command. The presence of a Master Swordsmith grants a weapon quality bonus to any unit trained here, and improves income from trade.

Metalsmith
The metalsmith produces good quality iron and steel which improves the quality of weapons for all troops produced in the region. This gives a +1 bonus to the attack of these troops.

Metalsmiths Workshop
This workshop produces very good quality steel which improves the quality of weapons for all troops produced in the region. This gives a +2 bonus to the attack of these troops.

Metalsmiths Guild
This workshop produces high quality steel which improves the quality of weapons for all troops produced in the region. This gives a +3 bonus to the attack of these troops.

Master Metalsmith
This workshop produces excellent quality steel which improves the quality of weapons for all troops produced in the region. This gives a +4 bonus to the attack of these troops.

Weaver
Weaving is a basic skill in all societies, producing cloth and clothes for everyone. Weaving is an easy cottage industry to establish, but needs a wide range of skills between the raw wool and cotton and a finished product. As a result, a weaver provides work for many, boosting trade.

Weavers Workshop
A Weaver's Workshop helps trade in the province, thanks to the more efficient use of labour by the weaver, his family and their labouring apprentices. Once the workshop has been established, small-scale "industrial" production gives worthwhile benefits to trade as the demand for cloth can be satisfied.

Weavers Guild
A Weavers' Guild promotes the interests of its members by making sure that local markets are not swamped by foreign goods, and that foreign markets are swamped by the Guild's own products! The Guild rigorously controls the cloth market of its home province, maintaining the lion's share of the growing trade.

Master Weaver
In an era when wealth is displayed ostentatiously, fine clothes made from the very best of materials are desired by the rich and powerful. Clothes, more than anything else, indicate a position in society. For the very best, a Master Weaver can charge what the trade will bear.

Spearmaker
A Spearmaker is needed before most basic spear-armed troops can be equipped and trained. Almost anyone can be taught to use a spear in a battle, even though they cannot be relied on to stand and fight! Apart from clubs and maces, spears may be the oldest weapons in history.

Spearmakers Workshop
A Spearmaker's Workshop contributes to the training of many cavalry units. Spears used by peasants and foot soldiers are one thing. The spears required by mounted men are slightly different, and need to be carefully made, so that they are strong and light, but also balanced for all kinds of combat.

Spearmakers Guild
As cavalry tactics evolve, so do the weapons of the cavalryman or knight. This requires the services of a Spearmakers' Guild to manufacture these new items. Instead of being a simple spear, the lance is highly developed, putting all the weight of man and horse into a single, killing point.

Master Spearmaker
The "puissant pike" is the ultimate development of spear technology, and requires both skill in use, and skill in the making of it. A Master Spearmaker has eye for wood and the skills needed to produce these extremely long weapons, making it possible to train all kinds of pikemen.

Glassmaker
Glassmaking is a skill that dates back to antiquity, but was lost in parts of Europe. The skills needed to make beautiful glass objects are, however, being rediscovered slowly, including the skill of blowing glass. A Glassmaker puts his skills to good use to increase trade in his home province.

Glassmakers Workshop
A Glassmaker's Workshop adds to trade in a province. Demand for glass, in particular window glass, drives forward the techniques of making glass; stained glass too needs its own special methods of manufacture, and all of these are labour intensive, involving blowing glass tubes and then carefully opening them out.

Glassmakers Guild
A Glassmakers' Guild is often concerned with protecting the market from outsiders. But it also increases the trade its members do, and hence profits, as they can act as a group to capture any market for their glassware by undercutting locals and then hiking prices, all in the name of trade!

Master Glassmaker
At its most beautiful glass has an ethereal quality that makes it an object of desire, especially when created and decorated by a skilled master craftsman. The very best glassmakers can charge almost any price for their work, and as a result they add greatly to trade in their home provinces.

Potter
Pottery is a vital skill in the medieval world. Potters not only make many household utensils, but also the storage jars needed to hold winter food. They also make tiles for flooring and roofing for the better off. As a result, a Potter adds to the trade in his province.

Potters Workshop
A Potter's Workshop gives an improvement to trade, thanks to the more efficient use of time by the potter, his many journeymen and their labouring apprentices. Once a workshop has been established, a form of small-scale mass production can be undertaken, giving trade and, perhaps surprisingly, some military benefits.

Potters Guild
A Potters' Guild is formed to protect its members' interests - and most of them are very interested in money! The Guild regulates who can - and who cannot - be a potter and the income of those potters. The Guild dominates and helps the trade grow in a controlled way.

Master Potter
At its most beautiful and expensive, pottery ceases to be an implement or utensil and becomes an object of desire in itself. The very finest potters can charge comfortably high prices for their wares, and as a result they add greatly to the level of trade in their home provinces.

Siege Engineer
The craft of the siege engineer is an old and important one. Many of the techniques and weapons he uses can be traced back to the mists of antiquity. And before the coming of gunpowder, the siege engineer also reigns supreme as a battlefield artillerist of no little skill.

Seige Engineers Workshop
Once a Siege Engineer has a Workshop, his skills have fewer limitations. He has the space, time and manual labourers at his command that he needs to produce fearsome engines of war. He also has the luxury of experimenting with new siege tactics, for both the attackers and defenders!

Seige Engineers Guild
The Siege Engineers' Guild serves to formalise and codify much of the knowledge of its members. Although it keeps its secrets from outsiders, the engineers can still use the collected information in their own work. Understanding of the larger siege engines means that they can now be constructed.

Master Seige Engineer
A Master of his craft is often worth his own weight in gold. A Master Siege Engineer is a peerless practitioner of the art of knocking defences down, and of using pre-gunpowder artillery too. His understanding of siege works is such that any engine may be constructed in his workshop.

Mason
A Mason is a master of working in stone for buildings rather than wood, although he will use wood for scaffolding and formers. His skills are passed by word of mouth from master to apprentice, keeping the secrets of the craft while making sure that his buildings are sound and strong.

Masons Workshop
Once a Mason has a Workshop, his skills can flower. He has the space, time and apprentice labourers at his call that he needs to produce magnificent stone buildings. He also has the luxury of experimenting with new techniques in stonework, bringing benefits to the craft of masonry.

Masons Guild
The Masons' Guild is there to protect the interests of its members, and this includes making sure that non-member Masons have to reach certain standards before they are accepted into the Guild and can work. This keeps up members' earnings, while making sure that buildings are high quality and economical.

Master Mason
A Master Mason is more than just a worker in stone. He has the eye of an artist for a pleasing line and he creates rather than simply builds a structure. His work is of such quality, speed and elegance that all the buildings he creates are economical in stone and labour.

Vintner
Wine is an important trading commodity. In the Christian world those with some aspirations to a social position drink it instead of locally made ale, and they drink it in prodigious quantities! This makes the wine trade very profitable, always assuming that the weather is good enough for the vines.

Vintners Workshop
A Vintner's Workshop allows the steady improvement of a province's viniculture, to the great benefit of trade. Although the Vintner concentrates on carefully developing and improving vines, there are those who would accuse him of only inventing new ways to water down the product or squeeze more from the grapes!

Vintners Guild
A Vintners' Guild is mostly concerned with increasing the profits of its members and making the entry of new merchants into an established market as difficult as possible. The Guild also has the effect of increasing trade, as its members act together to gain a bigger share in every market.

Master Vintner
A Master Vintner can use his connections with merchants in other provinces to significantly increase the value of the wine trade in his home province. His is capable of organising the shipping of fine wines to any land where parched throats and fat purses can be found!

Leatherworker
Leather is a by-product of meat production as no animals are kept just for their skins. The Leatherworker's craft has its own peculiarities - he can catch an amazing number of animal diseases, and generates a huge demand for urine (used to soften leather). His work does, however, increase trade.

Leatherworkers Workshop
Leather is not only for shoes, boots and clothes. Leather is, after all, one of the few vaguely waterproof materials available. It's also needed in the making of armour: chainmail and even plate need some kind of padded backing to cushion the wearer. A workshop improves trade in its province.

Leatherworkers Guild
A Leatherworkers' Guild is completely focused on increasing its members' profits, in making it impossible for non-Guild members to work and compete, and in making entry time consuming. All of this has the effect of making the trade of its members much more valuable than it would otherwise be.

Master Leatherworker
A Master Leatherworker can craft the finest items in leather for any customer, from ladies' kid gloves to elaborately decorated scabbards. His work commands a high price, especially for wealthy merchants and nobles who relish conspicuous consumption. A Master Leatherworker can significantly improve trade.

Gunsmith
Once its secrets have been unlocked, gunpowder is a significant addition to any royal armoury. But to make a real contribution to war, the skills of a Gunsmith are needed to make the many smaller pieces that an army requires. He is also often an expert in the art of making powder.

Gunsmiths Workshop
As the art of gunpowder weaponry advances, a team of workers is required to make the newer and sturdier types of firearm. The Gunsmith's Workshop allows the training of units that use these weapons, and a sufficient supply of gunpowder for them to function on the battlefield!

Gunsmiths Guild
Some guilds are not solely about profits for their members. The Gunsmiths' Guild protects their secrets from outsiders, making sure that their weaponry and gunpowder are of a high quality. And by raising standards in manufacturing, the Guild allows advanced units to be trained to make use of technical developments.

Master Gunsmith
The Master Gunsmith represents the pinnacle (to date) of the gun maker's arts. He is capable of producing guns of surpassing beauty and lethality, and can oversee the production of the finest gunpowder yet made. Once built, a Master Gunsmith allows training of the most advanced types of firearms-equipped troops.

Salter
Salting is the one way of saving many foodstuffs for safe long-term storage. Without a Salter, much of the fish caught or meat taken from animal carcasses will have to be eaten immediately, or simply allowed to rot. By storing some away for off-season consumption, trade in foods is encouraged.

Salters Workshop
A Salter's Workshop allows the preparation of greater quantities and greater varieties of salted meats and fish. This can be put in storage and eaten during the winter months, or used as supplies by armies. In either case, the benefit to trade in the province can be considerable.

Salters Guild
A Salters' Guild is concerned with protecting the market from outside competition, and in completely dominating the protected market. Once in place, the Salters have control of preserving all kinds of foods for out-of-season consumption, helping to boost trade (and the profits) in these once seasonal foodstuffs.

Master Salter
A Master Salter can use his skills to preserve foods for long-term storage and make sure that the foods' flavours are not lost in the process. His improved techniques help food storage for the winter months, and help generate trade in salted goods, which are easier to transport than fresh food.

Forester
Timber is one of the vital commodities of the medieval world. It is used for homes and palaces, ships and castles. It is the fuel that keeps people warm in winter and, as charcoal, is vital in metalworking. A Forester makes sure that this important trade flourishes.

Foresters Workshop
A Forester's Workshop provides a focal point for the work of felling trees and then milling the timber, organising the labour of foresters, apprentices and labourers in an efficient way. As a result, it helps this important trade to flourish and increase in the province.

Foresters Guild
A Foresters' Guild is usually concerned with protecting markets for its members. If it is any good, the trade the members control will increase substantially, as the Guild is usually in a position where it can shut down outsiders before they have a chance to eat into any profits!

Master Forester
A Master Forester can get the maximum amount of usable wood from any stand of trees. His eye is trained to pick out the best trees for felling, and his skills mean that no effort is wasted. His work helps generate trade simply by producing the timber quickly and economically.

Town Watch
The Town Watch is a group of men paid to act as a combination of firemen, nightwatchmen, wall patrol, thief-takers, linkboys, (in some cases) town musicians and even a visiting wake-up service for their fellow townsfolk. The job is not very well paid, but is vital to maintaining public order.

Town Guard
A Town Guard is a mark of prosperity in a province. When towns are independent enough to have their own soldiers, they are beginning to throw off the feudal shackles that can limit trade, growth - and ultimately - wealth. A Town Guard allows militias to be trained for the battlefield.

Town Militia
The Town Militia put the defence of towns and cities on a more organised footing. Rather than being an ad-hoc collection of citizens, the militias are trained bands of townsfolk and journeymen who practice some military drill in their spare time, but are far from being hardened, professional soldiers.

County Militia
The final expression of local pride in a province is the establishment of "gentlemen militias", based in the towns and cities. They owe no feudal loyalties and are independent of the old military system, and have no problems raising the money from wealthy members and sponsors for good equipment.

Trading Post
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Inn
An Inn is more than a place to stay for drinking to cheer up the locals. It is the centre of the community, where minstrels can sing songs of brave deeds and mighty battles, and where the doers of those brave deeds and mighty battles can be hired as mercenaries.

Tavern
A Tavern can have more uses than just drinking. It's a place to meet people: useful people. Tavern brawls produce useful fighters, perhaps not expert soldiers, but still reliable killers who can be paid to pick a fight or put a knife to good, secretive use in a back alley somewhere.

Brothel
Guards are dropped in a moment of intimacy, even in the paid intimacy of a Brothel. Secrets are confided in many a sleepy conversation, and sometimes-truthful boasts are made in the hope of impressing a "lady". In all these cases, a clever individual can listen and profit by the craft of spying.

Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is often a hotbed of intrigue among the lesser folk who seek the ruler's favour. In the atmosphere of petty conspiracy, it trains fine emissaries. Having at least one royal palace also gives the ruler the office of Chamberlain which he can confer on one of his generals.

Chancellery
The Chancellery is the palace and home of the Chancellor, the ruler's first minister and the man responsible for all government business except running the army. This role gives the Chancellor immense status and it is only fitting that this dwelling, a personal gift from the monarch, is truly magnificent.

Constables Palace
The term Constable is a derivation from "comes stabuli", the count or companion of the stables in Roman times. This office of high honour is concerned with a monarch's field armies, important tournaments and all other matters military. The magnificence of the Constable's Palace reflects his high and mighty status.

Marshals Palace
The Marshal gains his title from being a king's farrier or master of horse, but his rank is now far greater than that humble start. The Marshal's post involves royal ceremony, precedence and the maintenance of good order. The Palace matches the glory and honour of its occupant!

Admirality
The office of Lord Admiral gives its holder immense status as the "lord of the sea" and the leader of a nation's sea captains, although the holder may be only a honoured landlubber! The duties can be onerous, but the title's privileges and the handsome Admiralty building more than compensate.

University
A noble seat of learning is always an adornment to the land. A ruler who builds a University and endows it with sufficient lands to bring in an income gains influence and prestige, and may sow the seeds for further greatness in future generations as yet untaught.

College of Surgeons
Although looked down on by physicians as menial workers in medicine, surgeons are a vital and skilled part of the medical world. The College of Surgeons gives a home to part of the medical profession and helps, by spreading new knowledge and good practice, to mitigate the effects of disease.

Military Academy
As feudal armies give way to professional and "national" forces, the need for an educated class of leaders becomes paramount. Social rank - although useful to a commander - is not sufficient to entirely master the new ways of war. A Military Academy therefore allows the training of some very advanced units.

Farmland
As the population grows land must be cleared to provide food. While slash-and-burn clears large areas quickly, it is not sufficient for sustained farming. This needs improved organisation at the village level, with all the community working to see that crops are properly managed, giving an improved harvest.

Improved Farmland
As crops are taken year after year, there is a need for crop rotation: growing a sequence of different crops to put goodness back into the soil and allowing fields to lie fallow for a year. Although some of the land is not used, the gains outweigh the small loss.

Exceptional Farmland
Once in use farmland requires constant attention, but the techniques used are often age-old. The introduction of something as simple as a new deep-bladed plough, or even a change from using oxen to horses as draught animals can bring great improvements in the harvest.

Legendary Farmland
The final stage in getting the most out of a plot of land is to completely control its use, often by controlling the access to common lands and small plots. If these can be turned over to the local landowners productivity rises, even if the peasants suffer a little.

Horse Farmer
A good horse is valuable to a warrior. The rich soldier has a mount to carry him to and from battle, a pack animal for his heavy gear and a trained war-steed. The poorer man makes do with a nag. All, however, must get their horses from a Horse Farmer!

Horse Breeder
Heavier armour and weaponry carried by mounted men means that horses must be bred for endurance, speed and bravery in combat. Without the services of a Horse Breeder to produce such beasts, cavalry forces are hampered indeed and cannot be raised easily.

Horse Breeders Guild
The Horse Breeder's Guild raises standards in its craft or trade, putting the raising of bloodstock on an organised footing. The Guild aids in the training of some highly advanced and specialised cavalry units, and gives a general improvement in the quality of all cavalry trained in this province.

Master Horse Breeder
For the very best troops, only the very best horses will do. With strong, aggressive and fearless mounts the most powerful warriors have an advantage over humbler soldiers. As well as the improved quality of cavalry trained here, a Master Horse Breeder also aids the production of some specialised troops.

Royal Court
The Royal Court is the seat of power for the monarch, a law court, government, household, and army barracks and training ground for loyal troops in one place. It is also a seat of majesty, and reflects the power and prestige of the ruler, impressing his subjects with his wealth.

Royal Estate
The Royal Estate is the private holdings of the monarch: his home, civil officers, military and government all housed in a magnificent setting. He can raise units of Royal Knights here, but only by granting them lands at great expense.

Baronial Court
Power comes from the centre, but a monarch may allow authority to lesser lords and barons in return for obedience and duty. The Baronial Court achieves this.

Baronial Estate
The land holdings of a baron can be large and magnificent indeed, almost rivalling those of the monarch. But a Baronial Estate is only held on behalf of the ruler by one of his lesser lords, who is given authority over the lands, including the right of raising some troops.

Church
While a mighty lord might claim his people's loyalty, it is organised religion that claims their souls. Religion is a powerful force in everyone's life, and a Church building is God's presence given physical form. A centre of spiritual comfort, a Church renews and reinforces faith in a province.

Mosque
The Mosque is the spiritual centre of the Muslim faith, and usually richly endowed by its builders as a mark of faith. As well as being a place of worship, a Mosque is also a place of scholarship offering knowledge of the Koran and of the wider culture and science of Islam.

Monastery
A monastery is a spiritual powerhouse for the Christian religion, both managing Church property in the area and acting as a centre of learning where scholars can collate and copy sacred texts. The monks not only lead the faithful but can also seek out heretical thinking in the flock.

Reliquary
Miraculous objects and holy relics that provide a physical connection to the saints and the truth of the Bible are wondrous indeed, and entirely worthy of being housed in great splendour! Not only are the faithful uplifted on a daily basis, some are so inspired as to take up arms!

Cathedral
Often the most beautiful building in a province, a Cathedral is a hymn of praise in stone to the glory of God. Its riches and air of sanctity bring pilgrims from far and wide, and its presence is a constant reminder of faith and the Church's power in everybody's life.

Grand Mosque
Truly, a remarkable building constructed in praise of Allah the Merciful. More than just a house of worship, a Great Mosque is also a centre of learning and scholarship, and acts as a University in all but name, giving added influence to the one who richly endows it for the future.

Chapter House
While following many of the rules that govern monasteries, the fighting orders of knighthood are not made up of monks. Instead, the knights are an elite, and need establishments that reflect their unique status. These holdings also reflect the wealth, status and piety of rulers who so endow fighting orders.

Ribat
As a remote monastic fastness, a Ribat offers the Islamic faithful the chance to purge themselves of worldly desires and distractions through an ascetic life of piety. Such an isolated life can also lead its followers to see that it is desirable to pursue holy war in defence of their faith.

Watch Towers
This is not just a few watch towers, it's a whole network of watch towers along the borders and beacons to connect them. They keep an eye on military activity in neighbouring provinces, giving almost as much information as a spy would.

Border Forts
Border forts are used to control which individuals come in and out of the province. All border crossings are covered, giving a good chance of catching and killing enemy spies and assassins as they attempt to enter.

Port
A Port can be a window on the world, and a doorway to new wealth. Merchants bring in new and exciting goods from overseas and create an overseas market for your own produce, bringing home new riches. But a Port can also bring the danger of disease from foreign lands.

Shipwright
A shipwright builds ships, allowing naval power to be developed. Ships can be used to explore the world, to transport troops long distances quickly, and to set up trade links with other ports, allowing the import of goods that enable the development of new crafts and industries.

Small Shipyard
Ships are the prime tools of sea traders, and a source of wealth and power to all maritime nations. Without control of the seas, no coastline is safe, and no trader can make a (taxable) profit. A small shipyard constructs the first ships that a ruler needs to secure his coasts.

Shipyard
Bigger vessels demand better shipyards to build and maintain them. This shipyard allows all but the largest and most powerful vessels to be constructed. And although maintenance means no more than beaching a ship so that the hull can be scraped, the skilled men from a shipyard are needed.

Large Shipyards
As trade increases there is a natural tendency for ships to grow too. The greatest shipyards allow the construction of the largest and most advanced vessels, alongside the smaller craft. The very largest cannon-armed vessels do, however, require foundries nearby in the province, because transporting artillery is difficult to say the least!

Bell Foundry
While church bells are vital for regulating daily toil and summoning people to prayer, the skills of the bell-founder are of use in more violent ways. The same techniques used to cast huge bells can be used to make guns, although never in safety as molten metal is always dangerous!

Cannon Foundry
As the techniques needed to make guns are mastered, a Cannon Foundry is a sensible specialisation to produce nothing but weaponry. The drop casting of large tubes takes skill and patience, or else the end result will be flawed. A rushed job also has its risks for the workers.

Master Foundry
A Master's Foundry can produce not only the largest cannons and guns, but also the most technically advanced. Size isn't everything, as the weight and size of gun barrels can be reduced without reducing the pieces' firepower. Working with molten metal is still dangerous, of course, even for a Master.

Copper Mine
Copper is one of the main ingredients in bronze that, while no longer used for hand weapons, is still vital in the making of guns and cannons. A land blessed with copper not only gains riches, but also has an aid in creating military power, providing the Copper Mine is working.

Copper Mine Complex
There is more to mining than simply digging a tunnel and taking the ore out of the ground. With careful work on the surface much of the spoil and lesser quality copper ore can be sorted, crushed and smelted, making a Copper Mine Complex an altogether more profitable operation.

Silver Mine
Silver is the basis of much coinage, and a universal medium for trade. Finding silver on one’s lands is therefore a road to wealth and the prestige wealth brings. But in order to exploit this wealth, a Silver Mine must be built and kept running, regardless of risk to the miners.

Silver Mine Complex
There is more to mining than simply digging a tunnel and taking the ore out of the ground. With careful work on the surface much of the spoil and lesser quality ore can be sorted, crushed and smelted, making a Mine Complex an altogether more profitable operation.

Gold Mine
Gold has always been the basis of wealth. Gold ore in a province promises untold riches to the land's master. Building a Gold Mine delivers those riches in abundance, but at a terrible cost in lives as mining even near the surface is dangerous work, even for experts.

Gold Mine Complex
There is more to mining than simply finding a vein of gold. With extra workers in the Mine, the spoil heaps can be washed, sorted by hand, crushed and smelted, making a Gold Mine Complex an altogether more efficient way of extracting the precious metal.

Salt Mine
Salt is a vital food preservative. With little chance of keeping every farm animal alive over winter, slaughter is the only way of getting the food they represent. The meat must be salted away or it will rot. People starve without salt, making Salt Mines profitable where salt is found.

Salt Mine Complex
While a Salt Mine can be profitable, with extra work much of the rubble and spoil can be processed to extract even more precious salt by washing and allowing the salt water to dry in pans. No more digging than before is needed, but the production rate of a Mine Complex is higher.

And there you go, the ultimate guide to both Units and Buildings. Any questions about anything here please don't hesitate to ask.

[Mithrandir]

nice...long... but nice.

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untouchable, unbreakable,elven spirit,Elven soul

[Nobunaga0611]

Does anyone know how many different types of buildings can be created in any one province? I hope its a lot more than in Shogun. I really can't wait to see all of this in play. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Mithrandir]

I can wait...

once the game is here, I'll won't be able to up my post count as much as I currently can http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/tongue.gif.

but I'd like to play it nonetheless though, even shogun get's boring after a while...

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untouchable, unbreakable,elven spirit,Elven soul

[Vanya]

GAH!

They forgot the guillotine!

GAH! To cut heads off! GAH!

And enforce the peace!

GAH!

http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/tongue.gif

[NagatsukaShumi]

You never know Vanya, they may release a Decapitation : Total War just for you and the rest of the beheading obbsessed.

[w00tage]

How long did that take you to compile?

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"A warriors death in battle should be bloody"

[NagatsukaShumi]

About an hour.

[MiniKiller]

thx for the info m8

[NagatsukaShumi]

My pleasure, now if someone made this sticky so everyone could see it.....

[Darkmoor_Dragon]

...Best bear in mind that if you're pulling this from text files in the demo that (a fair bit of) it may no longer be valid... indeed it may be Pre-May info. Sorry ;-(

[fubi]

maybe you could give us the new file darkmoor http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif

if this is old info would they (CA) have added anything?

[Darkmoor_Dragon]

Added and removed at the same time.

Im not allowed to utilise file content from the game version i have sorry. I can say though that a number of buildings listed are not in the version i have (been removed0 and a number not listed are, as wella s changes to them and unit details etc etc.

[NagatsukaShumi]

Not evryone has the same advantages as you Darkmoor.... http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif