Secondary Attack

[Vincent Butler]

When a unit has a listed attack, such as the base 9 attack for Armoured Hoplites, is that also their attack with the backup weapons, such as an AH's sword? I know missile units have both listed, but regulars do not. Also, I would imagine that a spear unit using swords loses their bonus vs cav.
Also, do Forester Warband get a bonus vs cav when they go to their backup weapons, which are spears? I was chasing a retreating (not routing) unit of FW with a pretty good unit of Macedonian Cav, so I did not really get a charge bonus when I hit them, but the FW toasted my MC, so that I had to pull them back so they wouldn't rout. Regular Warband are not listed to have an anti-cav bonus as a trait, and don't seem to do that well against them. Eastern Infantry fare somewhat better.

[ReluctantSamurai]

You need to consult the "export_descr_unit.txt" file to see both the primary and secondary stats. Indeed, a spear unit using swords against cavalry lose their bonus, and conversely, a backup weapon that is a spear gains the bonus [and IIRC, Foresters are the only unit with a spear as a secondary...one has to wonder how they wear it while using the bow)]

This is a pretty damn good summary of what everything in the descr_unit.txt file means:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...lete-EDU-Guide

[Vincent Butler]

You need to consult the "export_descr_unit.txt" file to see both the primary and secondary stats. Indeed, a spear unit using swords against cavalry lose their bonus, and conversely, a backup weapon that is a spear gains the bonus [and IIRC, Foresters are the only unit with a spear as a secondary...one has to wonder how they wear it while using the bow)]

This is a pretty damn good summary of what everything in the descr_unit.txt file means:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...lete-EDU-Guide

Thought there was one more unit who had the spear as a backup, but that may have been EB. Come to think of it, I am pretty sure it was EB. I will also have to check if the spears of cav are a bonus against enemy cav. I typically now have my cav use swords on infantry and spears on cav.

[ReluctantSamurai]

In Shogun, Yari Cavalry use spears and are the best cavalry unit to use against other cavalry. Don't know if that translated to RTW. I do know that Lancers, Companion, and Sarmatian Cavalry do very well against other cavalry

[Vincent Butler]

In Shogun, Yari Cavalry use spears and are the best cavalry unit to use against other cavalry. Don't know if that translated to RTW. I do know that Lancers, Companion, and Sarmatian Cavalry do very well against other cavalry

Companions are freakin' awesome anyway. They are the Macedonian unit that can turn a battle. I try to avoid having my lancers get involved with other cav. They get wasted in melee combat, that is where I use my Greek Cavalry, if I have to use my light cav against other cavalry. I prefer hit and run with lancers, or hitting an already-engaged enemy. Preferably I use my Macedonian Cav to deal with the enemy cav. Or infantry. A good MC can make short work of even Legionary Cohort, at least on M/M.

[ReluctantSamurai]

I try to avoid having my lancers get involved with other cav. They get wasted in melee combat

Very true. The trick is to tie up an enemy cavalry unit with infantry or another cav unit. The Lancers have a very high charge bonus, so a flanking/rear attack almost always breaks the enemy cav. In my own Macedonian campaigns I keep my best Lancers well into a game for chasing routers especially enemy generals. Lancers are one of the top three cavalry units in speed (only Arab Cavalry in desert conditions are faster, in my experience).

Companions are freakin' awesome anyway. They are the Macedonian unit that can turn a battle.

Yep. Someone at CA studied Alexander's campaigns well