Portugese Jinettes

As I know it, the Portuguese's(sp?) special unit is the Jinette, but I think Spain can produce them to. So how exactly are they special?

well, you get the Aventuros (better than Tercios), Portugese Arquebusiers (spain doesn't get anything equivalent), and Grande Carracks +1 (with the Admiralty building, which Spain doesn't get)

so you're still sittin pretty... then you add in Knights of Santiago and Conquistadors and Bull Rings too... and you could flip the question and ask - what does Spain get that Portugal doesn't?

What does Spain get that Portugal doesn't? Spain gets musketeers which Portugal doesn't, and Gendarmes, and Tercio pikemen. Aventuros are better pike, but they're impetuous. Musketeers outrange every other missile unit in the game. Gendarmes are knights recruitable in cities, which you can do if you have a Santiago chapterhouse there but otherwise not. Also, the Spanish line of military academies has an undocumented side effect. It eventually grants a +2 command bonus to any general who stays there long enough to pick up the traits.

Portugal does get Musketeers, actually.

And the get the portugese arquebisers, mentioned above.

They have higher attack, defense and missile attack. Shorter range though.

lol, wordems

and Gendarmes shamendarmes... if an Iberian wants city made cavalry there's plenty of Jinetes around... they're better anyway

anyway - they're both very similar... which only makes sense really... so to flip the question a third time, What does the rest of the world get that an Iberian doesn't?

Jinettes are the best missile Cavalry availible to any Western European faction. They are recruitable from turn 1, and still just as good (perhaps even better because of all the dismounted Knights appearing late) at turn 200. Their armour piercing ability and allround usefulness makes them special.

The Portuguese get most everything that the Spanish get, including the Spanish special unit - Conquistadors. The Portuguese lack the "Military Academy" and "Royal Military Academy" buildings leaving them without Tercio Pikemen and Gendarmes. Instead of these buildings they get Naval Academies which makes the Portuguese Navy not only better than the Spanish, but the best out of any faction.

The fact that the Portuguese and Spanish get similar units is due to the fact that the two Iberian nations had very similar tactics at the time. Historically, they were both extremely fond of Jinettes in the Reconquista.

Yeah, Portugal doesn't need Gendarmes... They're not meant to be a heavy cavalry faction. They're meant to be a light cav mobile force in the early game, and a pike and shot faction with jinetes for EXCELLENT light cav support in the late game.

not to mention that Conquistadors and Knights of Santiago while not neccesarily easy to get, are def available for anybody who likes a heavy cav contingent... also Portugese Knights aren't half bad themselves

and Jinetes can never get enough praise - i mean, you pretty much literally get Jinetes from everything... Walls, Castles, Stables & Bull Rings - in both cities and castles you'll have an abundant, cheap supply of fast cavalry who are more than capable at harrying AND melee...

Yeah thats one of the things I like about Jinettes! Every city can get them easily.