Okay, so I've been playing MTW for what, four years now? But I've always been so engrossed in the Early era (and, since leaving uni, the shorter campaigns of the Viking era)...
I only really started playing my first Late campaign last night... And it's like a whole new game!
Never before have I played so many sieges with such large buildings! Or had such accurate weapons as canons with which to break into them! And what is this, units so different they do not fit in with my old tactics!
I refer in particular to Handgunners... They have about enough range to get one shot off at the enemy before combat (or skirmishing - something I very very very rarely did, before), and using them against cavalry looks particularly deadly! True, they seem sturdy (and armoured) enough to receive an infantry charge and hold without too many losses until allied units can aid them, but... I don't know, I just can't find a use for them! (A shame to be sure, as I really like the look of them! :D )
I did actually stumble upon a tactic that seemed to work last night - four units of Handgunners in front of six Longbows, with my general and the only one remaining foot unit behind. A couple of cavalry for protecting the flanks and charging down routers, and a sole serpentine firing across from the side... I was attacking (can't seem to use these buggers in defence, enemy always waits for rain!) and I marched the entire formation up to the enemy.
The Handgunners are the best unit I've ever seen for keeping attackers away from my Longbows! It was as if they emitted a force field to the extent of their range within which the enemy would not dare tread, whilst the longer range famous Welsh units picked off everything with their death from above.
I'm sure this is not the intended way to use these units, nor the only way... But I've been thinking about it all day and I'm damned if I can come up with anything better!
I look forward to playing with other diverse (and loud!) units... I wonder if the longer-range Arquebusiers will prove as intriguing?
