Billmen or Halbardiers?

Since, as England, you can get both Billmen and Halberdiers in the High Age, and they're both escentially the same unit, which is better and why?

I opt for Billmen. Cheaper, less tech needed and they just feel better. Plus they go through cav like nothing on earth. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

billmen have better speed, so they're my favourites

I use both. Billman=The ULTIMATE anti-cav. I once tried billmen against infantry, and they were rocked off the field. maybe it was a fluke, bt I've never used them against infantry since. Thats what the halbs are for.

Generally speaking I'd go with billmen. However for those times when you need someone to be a big, heavily armoured target I go with halberdiers because of their higher armour and defence. Halberdiers are good for drawing fire from archers (not the armour piecing types though), holding a defensive line, crossing bridges and being first into a castle wall breech. A halberdiers lot is not a happy one

Billmen.

Billmen are great as fast flanking troops, specially against Cav and high armoured troops. English best troop against mounted Knight (+5 to +7 att bonus).

Halb are great when defensive strenght is needed. They will generally do well against all non-AP troop providing that they can get there in time.

Halbreds, Bills? Who needs those when you've got massive swarms of longbowmen? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...ons/tongue.gif

Billmen obviously.... Halbs have a bad tendency of routing when you need them the most..... any routing unit is a bad unit....

i need to play SP

Billmen, but that's just because I am an Anglophile.

billmen, played as english not to long ago, and they did great, they even was able to hold other inf units. they saved me a dozens of time. and as posted above, use lots and lots of longbows http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cg...cons/smile.gif

Billmen, better againsrt cav, can hold theiur own against the inf that the AI will throw against you, but HAlbs are better all rounders and defensive units

Billmen all the way... trained in Mercia with a Master Spearmaker your looking at Valor 2 Billmen, and I'm afraid that normal valor Halbs are less useful in my opinion.

Billmen, Longbowmen and Chivalric Men at Arms make up the core of my High period armies, with a Mixed force of cav to round it off.

I seldom bother with the Militia tech Tree (except when dealing with the Swiss for their Pikemen).

Billmen. Not only are they fast and fight well, they also collect money for you in their spare time http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

I have a REAL problem, since i have both mercia and Switzerland i can make bills and swiss halbediers. The swiss have silver (soon to be gold) shields, but the billmen get that +1 to valor (soon to be +2 because of master spearmaker.)

My Solution: Make them both and liberally sprinkle some of each on all the front lines.

Can't wait for those pikemen...pikes pikes pikes pikes....