Heavy Billmen

[TeutonicKnight]

I'm playing an English campaign, and I'm closing in on the late phase. I'm now able to build plenty of heavy billmen to replace my spears.

The thing I've discovered is that heavy billmen are not able to take a charge any better than regular billmen, and both are still worse than a regular spear unit.

I really thought that the heavy billman was the final spear unit. Did I spend a lot of money for nothing? I think I need to go back to my golden Spears. I deliberately teched up for these guys because I thought they were the English version of Obudshaer. :(

[Mad Mac]

Billman aren't spears, or even halberds. They don't have any sort of charge reflection or anti-cav bonuses. Your only options for stopping charges with England is your weak spearmen, longbow stakes, or intercepting with Calvary.

What Billmen are is basically cost effective two-handed axemen. They don't have the best stats, but they're decent, affordable, and will do huge damage to anything on foot or on horse when flanking or charging.

[TeutonicKnight]

Bah. I need to go back to my Danes, but Longbows are nice.

Well, that answers that anyway. Thanks for the reply.

[Furious Mental]

If you want spearmen in the late game I would say hire some mercenary pikemen on the continent somewhere.

[TeutonicKnight]

I think I'll try that.

I'm on the edge of gunpowder (1239), so I might try and hold out a bit longer with the levy spearmen. At least I hope it shows up in 1240 in patch 1.2...

My only saving grace is that H. Billmen do wonders against Mongols when they storm through a battered gate. A mob of these guys will really hold the breach, though the casualties are pretty high too. Once the Mongol charge is stopped, horses vanish like tears in rain.

On the field though I really need a solid spearwall.

[HoreTore]

Can't really see why you want levy spearmen when you have stakes? Set up a nice front of stakes, and place the bills behind. The stakes will kill the cavalry dumb enough to charge and the bills will absolutely destroy any infantry. Place your own cavalry at the flanks to take care of any cav trying to flank you and avoid the stakes.

If you assault a city with a lot of cavalry in it, you'll probably want some spears though, but merc spearmen can do the job well enough.

Just remember that bills are a CHARGE unit, and not hold unit, and they'll do good.

[TeutonicKnight]

I prefer levy spearmen over stakes when the enemy won't be bothered to come to me. Spearmen have a bit more mobility. :)

I discovered this whole issue when I fought a battle and the enemy didn't want to come over to my nice line of stakes. When I moved out to engage, they smashed my line.

[DVX BELLORVM]

I prefer levy spearmen over stakes when the enemy won't be bothered to come to me. Spearmen have a bit more mobility. :)

I discovered this whole issue when I fought a battle and the enemy didn't want to come over to my nice line of stakes. When I moved out to engage, they smashed my line.
Sometimes the enemy refuses to cooperate and doesn't get themself pinned on your stakes ~D

[Budwise]

Can't really see why you want levy spearmen when you have stakes? Set up a nice front of stakes, and place the bills behind. The stakes will kill the cavalry dumb enough to charge and the bills will absolutely destroy any infantry. Place your own cavalry at the flanks to take care of any cav trying to flank you and avoid the stakes.

If you assault a city with a lot of cavalry in it, you'll probably want some spears though, but merc spearmen can do the job well enough.

Just remember that bills are a CHARGE unit, and not hold unit, and they'll do good.


I have to agree, many battles won with nothing but Billmen and Longbowmen. Just don't forget the stakes and stay put. Billmen are nice but they are either Winning Easily or Losing Badly, their isn't any middleground at all for that as far as I can tell. Personally, I usually only play the English and I love the billmen.

[Marquis of Roland]

Can't really see why you want levy spearmen when you have stakes? Set up a nice front of stakes, and place the bills behind. The stakes will kill the cavalry dumb enough to charge and the bills will absolutely destroy any infantry. Place your own cavalry at the flanks to take care of any cav trying to flank you and avoid the stakes.

If you assault a city with a lot of cavalry in it, you'll probably want some spears though, but merc spearmen can do the job well enough.

Just remember that bills are a CHARGE unit, and not hold unit, and they'll do good.

What if you're attacking?

[Budwise]

I prefer levy spearmen over stakes when the enemy won't be bothered to come to me. Spearmen have a bit more mobility. :)

I discovered this whole issue when I fought a battle and the enemy didn't want to come over to my nice line of stakes. When I moved out to engage, they smashed my line.

Then move out of the stake area but stay within running distance to the stakes. The CPU will move and come to you.

[Furious Mental]

I find the enemy is prone to charge a mostly longbow army regardless, probably because it figures that is the best way to deal with archers.