The Best Nations

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Originally Posted by katank

Actually the English really only get one viable type of infantry (armoured swordsmen). The dismounted English knights and billmen suffer major bug when fighting cav. Other dismounted types cost too much upkeep.

However, using stakes on longbows is good area denial tactic and stops cav charges. Retinue longbows are also amazing in melee as well as ranged combat.

Then again, troops matter little compared to command. I'm currently demolitioning most of Europe with my English spear militia/longbow/arty/mailed knights armies (distinctly low tech but effective).

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Thank you Katank.

The english swordsman unit, either dismounted knights or armored swordsmen, is the only viable type of infantry unit for the english. Their spear units are so terrible that they have no lifespan in game terms, the billmen get chopped up by cavalry and the higher tech billmen get chopped up by higher tech units from other nations (so unless you can catch everyone in the stone age with your armored billmen, they aren't going to be effective enough to include for anything but roleplay value)

I've yet to try all the faction, but Spain is a definate favorite, mostly because of the sheer variety of units. From castles you get the regular assortment of knight-unit - mailed, feudal and chivalric, and dismounted versions, PLUS infantry and cavalry skirmishers with armor-piercing missiles. Then you get alot of good units from spanish cities, as well - tercio pikemen, militia swordsmen, gendarmes, and - most of all - musketeers. It just feels like a very mixed bag of competent units. The strategic position is nice, too - once you deal with the Moors and Portugal you'll have a great base to expand wherever you like, and the closeness to muslim lands will let you train cardinals fast.

I also like Turkey alot, for pretty much the same reason - variety of units. Lots of great cavalry and missile cavalry from castles, and the wonderful janissares from cities. I haven't played them as much, but I really like them so far.

So far I have only played England and Portugal and both are very different but equally entertaining.
I will most likely play them all soner or latter :laugh4: but the next on the list will be the Moors so I can see the other side of things :2thumbsup:

The MOORS are a great nation if you use them right.

They have good units EARLY game... so if you start out strong, you will end strong.

The resources they start around are AMAZING... I forget the name of the city, but the southernmost part of africa has multiple things of ivory, and many gold mines... Put a bunch of merchants on those and I guarantee you you will be the wealthiest nation for many many years.

England's not too bad even with bugged billmen, I just exploit the passive AI and cut down all their infantry and cavalry with longbows before charging in with billmen to insta-rout the unit. Billmen can still kill cavalry while charging, and they do have a rather massive charge bonus.

Spain is my second favourite faction; up-armoured javelinmen are dirt cheap and simply slaughters enemy infantry. It seems as if units with swords have a bonus against spears just like in MTW. Against cavalry, I simply use my own cavalry to charge, and then pin them, while javelins flank and throw, or charge.

I hope all the muslim cavalry's charge bonus is a bug though, they all cost a bomb, but they aren't really too good.