Arbalesters don\'t work for me

I have heard quite a few discussions about the best ranged unit and the consensus seems to be arbalesters. I have tried this technique and they just don't work for me.

I always play GA at Late on expert and I always use low level archers throughout the game.

I have tried using the other ranged units, but I find archers are the best due to the fact that the majority of my engagements are very short.

Yes, I have fought off 6,000 units before but this occurs infrequently.

I find that 1.5 chivalric seargents (or equivalent) to every archer plus at least one light and one heavy cavalry always does the trick. I line my archers behind my seargents and the cavalry on either side.

If I have enough seargents to avoid flanking, I create a line. If I have too few I create either a concave curve or a box.

If I'm on the defense, I just wait for the enemy to come to me. They engage my seargents, while I poke holes in them with my archers. I use the heavy cavalry to flank persistant units and my light to hunt down routing units.

If I'm on the offense, I use the same technique, but move towards the enemy. I set up close to them, and start shooting them with arrows. This usually provokes them into attacking.

90% of the time, my archers don't run out of arrows and I seldom lose a battle.

I have won every GA game except one (I wanted to see the ending when you lose).

I have yet to see any reason to change my techniques.

The most important thing is to find a tactic that works for you and that you ENJOY!

Everyone has different styles. Some people love seeing naptha throwers do their thing. Others love a cav charge.

I love the longbows and I use them to great effect. I also like regular archers.

The appeal of arbies is that they do a high ratio of damage to the number of times they fire, and they have a long range.

This is useful when attacking across a river. The computer moves out of range of missile units EXCEPT for arbies. Little bug, I guess.

It's amusing to me to set up a long double line of arbies - like 6 units of them - and have infantry on the wings. Goad the enemy into approaching into your center and let the arbies fire a few rounds, then envelope them with your infantry. The enemy will flee quickly.

Then move your infantry back to the wings for the next wave. (This is when you're defending.)


This tactic is useful against a massive wave of enemy that outnumber you. Also good against heavy cavalry - esp. Royal Knights since they're only 20 in each. A row of arbies will cut that down by half.

However, if the enemy has a lot of fast moving cav - like boyars or ghulam - then your arbies will get creamed cuz they fire too slow.

I will build arbies if I know I'm going to face a lot of heavy infantry that move slowly, or if I need to defend for many years while I build up my provinces.

Now that you've perfected your technique with regular archers, you might want to try other units just for a change of pace.

I just use heaps of handgunners/arquebusiers because it's fun.

I like your name by the way.

What goes wrong with these tactics (which seem good) when you use arbalesters?

I like the arbs myself. Defensively I use a large amount of them (up to half my force, or more if I can keep them as reinforcements) up a hill, hidden behind spears or chiv. serg. - they tear large holes in enemy units, especially those damn camels. Offensively I'm moving away from taking archers at all in favour of light/medium infantry. However your tactics seem interesting (no shock troops?) and I'm gonna give them a try 'cos doing different stuff is fun!

Arbalests are the best missile unit in the game. Use pasive arbalests when you have to defend & don't want your missile units taking many casulties(if the province is cut off from main missile producing province). Use normal arbalests for attacking & they even work well in desert if they have NO armour upgrades(never bring pasive arbalests to desert).
When I attack I normally bring 4 arbalests. I put them in front of my spear/pike. March them up to enemy in formation stop when they are in range & watch the kill ratio go green, focus fire on his better units for even better effect. If the enemy charge leave your arbalests on skirmish & they will run behind spear/pike(you might have to direct 1 or 2 units asthey tend to run off in the wrong direction). When arbalests are out of the melee area switch to manual fire & direct their fire at the enemy units that aren't in melee.
For defence I always have 4 to start with maybe a reserve of 4 if their is going to be a big battle. line them up same as for attack. When defending I prefer to switch control to manual & to put them on fire at will so they won't move when the enemy gets real close. I normally concentrate fire on the missile units first then switch to the better units. Keep spear/pike right behind them so you can fire right until the enemy is about to enter melee with the arbs(this last volley can be devasting & will route a a depleted unit,arbs & pasive arbs have good defence so dontworry about them to much especially if they are high valour). Then charge spear/pike forward, once spear/pike are engaged with enemy units pull arbalests back to behind spear(with room to fire over the spear/pike) & begin concentrating fire on enemy units not in melee(or go for AI general as the arb's will kill him quicker then any of your melee units). the slwo rate of fire is overcome by with a bit of micromanagement you can make them last for a long time.

In my Camp Pavist Arbs are slowly taking over for my Desert Archers. The biggest difference right now is the damage they do to those AUM. Archers really dont hurt AUM because of their High Armor. But Arbs kick thier butts enough to actually give my Sarcarns a chance.