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Thread: What units are good for each faction?

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    The Tame Berzerker Member Age's Avatar
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    Default What units are good for each faction?

    What units are good for each faction and the best to use?I would just need to know early,middle and late.I already know the Viking era.

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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    That's hard to answer, since it depends on the era and play style. Your "best" late era Spanish units would definitely be different from your choices for early. Here is a list of some good units, which you might want to use.

    Almohads:

    Almohad Urban Militia. Line of battle infantry. Very nice, especially in early
    Bedouin Camel Warriors. Very nice for countering the Spanish Jinettes. Not the best for anything else, so don't make too many.
    Desert Archers. Best infantry missle Almohads get in early. I don't remember if they can get crossbows/arbalests later on or not, but if they do, then you can consider Desert Archers superceeded. They've got a couple of other interesting infantry units, but I don't remember anything about them. Sorry.

    Byzantine
    The Katphractoi give the Byzantines deadly heavy cavalry in early, though you'll find them less effective in high/late. The Trebezoid archers are a fine early unit too, but in high they are superceeded by crossbows. The Varangian Guard are very powerful, but expensive and hard to replace (difficult to tech up to) so use with caution. You really don't want to lose half of them to pesky javelin men. Not available in late IIRC, the Byzantines don't have any good spear units. The Byzantine infantry are OK sword infantry, but put them with a good general and keep him nearby. They haven't the best morale IIRC.

    Danes: The Viking longboat gives them a trade boost as it is a quick-and-dirty easy to build unit. The Viking unit is very helpful in early, an acceptable all round infantry unit which is cheap and only requires a fort. Later, they are less good as they can't compete as well against units that come out in the high/late era. Other than that, the Danes use the typical Catholic faction units: feudal or chivalric sergeants, feudal or chivalric men at arms, mounted sergeants, various knights, archers (replaced by crossbows and arbalests later on)

    Egyptians: Sorry. Don't remember much about them

    English: Typical Catholic roster described under Danes, with the addition in high of longbowmen (armor piercing archers with improved melee ability) and billmen, a nice polearm unit.

    French: Typical Catholic roster

    Germans/ HRE: Typical Catholic roster. Also, they get mounted crossbows.
    Sorry, I don't remember which other factions get them. They can be handy as the only early era long range armor piercing missle. They get Gothic units. Too expensive and slow for my tastes, and only available in late, but powerful.

    Italians: Typical Catholic roster. Also, get Genoese archers which are moderately improved archers, and Italian Infantry, which are very good spearmen for early, and still quite a nice unit in high/late. You definitely want to use them. Italians also get the Gothic units.

    Polish. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Typical Catholic roster, but not much else. Their Polish retainers aren't that great.

    Russians. Boyars are great. Since you will find yourself facing the dreaded Mongol hoarde, (if you play high) get yourself some halbardiers, upgraded if possible, and some crossbow or arbalalest guys. Bring plenty. You will need them. Try to arrange for river crossing defenses. Surprisingly, you may sometimes find woodsmen useful. They are a cheap junk unit, but can give enemy cavalry a headache if they have to go into the woods to get them.

    Spanish: Typical Catholic roster. Also, don't miss out on the Jinettes. Eventually you can tech up to Lancers, (late only) which are one of the best heavy mounted units around.

    Turks: Bow units. They have a fine variety. Ottoman give you a high/late bow unit that is easy to get and has at least some hand to hand value. Any unit with the word Janissary in it is a killer, though I'd go for Janissary infantry rather than Janissary archers. Either way, you get a missile unit, but Janissary infantry are decent flanker/reserve infantry as well. They also get Nizaris (sorry, I don't remember if the other Muslim factions do). I was never crazy about them myself, but lots of people like them, so I really do have to put them in.

    Those are the ones I can think of. I'm sure there are others, but its been a while since I played. I've left out mounted archer units, because there are a lot of types and I don't remember who gets what kind. Definitely worth learning to use them, though.

    Edit: I probably should have mentioned that any unit with the word Swiss in it is worth having. Only available in high/late in Switzerland. I can't remember which factions.
    Last edited by Brandy Blue; 04-28-2015 at 05:23.
    In those simple times there was a great wonder and mystery in life. Man walked in fear and solemnity, with Heaven very close above his head, and Hell below his very feet. God's visible hand was everywhere, in the rainbow and the comet, in the thunder and the wind. The Devil too raged openly upon the earth; he skulked behind the hedge-rows in the gloaming; he laughed loudly in the night-time; he clawed the dying sinner, pounced on the unbaptized babe, and twisted the limbs of the epileptic. A foul fiend slunk ever by a man's side and whispered villainies in his ear, while above him there hovered an angel of grace . . .

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    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    Quote Originally Posted by Age View Post
    What units are good for each faction and the best to use?I would just need to know early,middle and late.I already know the Viking era.
    I think you should consult the Unit guide. Perhaps Drone can give you a link.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

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    Needs more flowers Moderator drone's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    I think you should consult the Unit guide. Perhaps Drone can give you a link.
    The reason I joined the Org, Frogbeastegg's Unit Guide to STW/MTW.
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    I think you should consult the Unit guide. Perhaps Drone can give you a link.
    Good thinking. It counts as a Glorious Acheivement IMO. Don't be put off by the first part, Age. The Shogun Total War units are at the start. The Medieval Total War units are later.
    In those simple times there was a great wonder and mystery in life. Man walked in fear and solemnity, with Heaven very close above his head, and Hell below his very feet. God's visible hand was everywhere, in the rainbow and the comet, in the thunder and the wind. The Devil too raged openly upon the earth; he skulked behind the hedge-rows in the gloaming; he laughed loudly in the night-time; he clawed the dying sinner, pounced on the unbaptized babe, and twisted the limbs of the epileptic. A foul fiend slunk ever by a man's side and whispered villainies in his ear, while above him there hovered an angel of grace . . .

    Arthur Conan Doyle

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    The Tame Berzerker Member Age's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    I guess what I am getting at.What are in your face units a llot like the Vikings in MTWVI?

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    Needs more flowers Moderator drone's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    Quote Originally Posted by Age View Post
    I guess what I am getting at.What are in your face units a llot like the Vikings in MTWVI?
    The Viking units in VI are overpowered, the main campaign is a little more balanced. There are some really nice units, but most are balanced by either counters or expense/build reqs. Most people use a combination of line troops, flankers, missiles, and cav in their armies, the proportions vary based on faction and play style. I'm not very good with missiles, and useless with mounted missiles, so my style is more grinding. But some can use mounted archers like Rembrandt and that's pretty much all they use.
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    The Tame Berzerker Member Age's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    I like the Vikings that way but in anyway it would seem like I am a lot like you.I am ok with 1 set of archers but horse archers not that great.I just skirmish those and some others like crossbows.

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    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    Lots of archers (and arbalesters) are indispensable in bridge battles and when you are defending on a high hill.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
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    The Tame Berzerker Member Age's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    I am getting use to horse archers just let them do there thing.There seems like there isn't a lot of good melee type warriors in the mid east.

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    Member Member LordK9's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    So easy to defeat though if there are any woods available for your troops.

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    Ja mata, TosaInu Forum Administrator edyzmedieval's Avatar
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    Default Re: What units are good for each faction?

    When playing with northern factions, use woodmen - very cheap, good attack, can really do the job well, particularly if you're backing them up with sufficient archers/crossbowmen.

    Southern factions - pavise crossbowmen are your boys.

    Eastern - cavalry archers. Light cavalry as well (Alan Mercenary Cavalry, Byzantine Lancers)
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