New unit at the .COM - Trebizond Archer

Medieval Total Realism intends to start MTW2 in the year 1066, at this stage, Byzantium's cream of the crop Tagmatic troops hadn't been wasted at Manzikert and the civil wars afterward.

So Kataphraktoi will still be important but restricted more to the Tagmatic Schools and the provincial Tagmatic retainers of the frontier Ducates. They would mainly be lancers, but would also carry bows and quivers (albeit in small numbers as the lancer-archer cavalrymen is a rarity in the 11th cent. and not representative of Kaballarika Themata troops).

Byzantine heavy cavalry sometimes carried lead weighted javelins called Marzobarboulon into battle. This will make for interesting modding in the future.

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Originally Posted by Ibn Munqidh

A fight where all that mattered was martial skill, was hattin, where Saladin was pushing up the hill through the crusader lines. They werent able to stop the saracens, although thirsty and demoralized, they still had the advantage of a better ground, and numbers. Also, you've got all the reconquest of the remnants of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by Baibars. The saracens were unstoppable, and retook every city from the crusaders.

The mongols at Ain Jalut were the same mongols who destroyed the hashashin fort at alamut, the same mongols who subdued western iran, the same mongols who defeated the 10,000 strong caliphal guard who rode out of baghdad to meet them, the same mongols who destroyed baghdad, the same mongols who defeated all the ayyubid principalities. The same mongols who defeated the knights hospitaller of Acre, and the same mongols who faced Qutuz and Baibars. Most of it had left to Kara Korum, but there was still a formidable, fully experienced force, which equalled the saracen force of egypt, where both numbered close to 20,000. They were defeated at Ain Jalut, then a year later at Homs, and never tried to challenge mamluk power in Syria again.

It is difficult for many to believe, since so much is written about the supposed Mongol invincibility, yet the Mamluks are hardly even known, except to historians and readers of Islamic history. but thre fact is that the Mamluks were an extremely powerful and tough, and immensely well-trained force. To put it simply, these were not the kind of guys you screwed around with, no matter who you were, something even the Mongols learned rather quickly.And they do deserve respect for their victories, against the Mongols, the Crusaders, and other enemies.

The mamluks were way better organised and disciplined than any mongols, due to their training on the arts of 'furusiya', an almost 11 year training course all on horse-archery, horseback riding, and mounted martial skills, which made them the finest horsemen of their time.

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You sure do love your Mamluks, I'll give you that!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ibn Munqidh

It is difficult for many to believe, since so much is written about the supposed Mongol invincibility, yet the Mamluks are hardly even known, except to historians and readers of Islamic history. but thre fact is that the Mamluks were an extremely powerful and tough, and immensely well-trained force. To put it simply, these were not the kind of guys you screwed around with, no matter who you were, something even the Mongols learned rather quickly.And they do deserve respect for their victories, against the Mongols, the Crusaders, and other enemies.

The mamluks were way better organised and disciplined than any mongols, due to their training on the arts of 'furusiya', an almost 11 year training course all on horse-archery, horseback riding, and mounted martial skills, which made them the finest horsemen of their time.

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Mongol force, I must agree with Kraxis here, was mostly made up of Turkish slaves and would not have been a match (morale-wise and skill-wise) for Baibar's mamluk army (Baibar incidentally was of Turkish origin too).

The mamluks were undoubtedly very well organised and trained.
But you really aren't doing mamluks any favours pitting tham against Mongol war machine in a square fight.
Overall military success and tactical experience of the Mongols outweighs pretty much anyone on the planet by far.
Tactical innovations and incredibly deep understanding of how army should work displayed by Ghenghis Khan and Kublai Khan beats the likes of Baibar hands down, sorry to say.
Tough and respeced they truly are but think Alexander, Hannibal, Kublai Khan.
Take macedonian phalanx, Cannae, and scaling the Great Wall for an achievement.
Now think Baibars and mamluks - no offence but not quite there for sheer effectiveness and overall impact.

Trebizond archers again....
There wasnt particular unit like this.and his costume is ridicilus.
Take a look at ByzantiumTotalWar mod for some real units..
i really hope that i wont find "byzantine infantry" and "byzantine cavalry" in MTW2 as in MTW1...

[Moderator edit: edited for language]