Italian Light Inf and Genovese Archers

[Ueriah]

My single player Italy campaign is faring quite well. It's nearing 1200 and I've managed to dominiate the seas for plenty of maritime trade income, which has allowed me to build huge armies and battle the Muslim factions quite successfully.

Italy's unique troops are quite effective. I've been mass building Italian Light Infantry and Genovese Archers and they seem very effective in leapfroging lines as they advance. With a tradititional "line of engagement" they can work well either in center (where they will be able to turn back a calvary charge) or to the flanks.

Although it hasn't happened yet, I'm pretty sure that Italian Light Infantry will get wrecked by other heavy infantry. What sort of things should I be watching out for?

[Cooperman]

Italian infantry hold their own pretty well against most enemies, good melee infantry with high morale like varangian guards, chivalric men at arms or abyssinian guards will be your biggest problem. Use arbalasters to wear them down and attack them from the sides with heavy cavalry while your italian infantry secure the center and you should do ok.

[Exile]

Ah, I used the same troops when I played Italy a few weeks ago. Everything was peachy until I fought a battle against a French army with many Halbrediers and FMAA. I thought everything was great, my Italian infantry had their units engaged and my calvary was charging repeatedly into their flanks and rear, but my Italtian Infantry was decimated by the FMAAs and especially Haldrediers. It turned into disaster

I suggest some Halbrediers or CMAAs to back up your Italian Infantry - all spear units are a lot more vulnerable to heavy infantry post-patch. I learned the hard way

[Saki]

Italian spears are one of the best spear units in game imo.In the late period u could if you want back them up wiv gothic seargents (only a 60 man unit tho)


The sailors are none to shabby either,decent morale and attack for there class.I was quite suprised when I used them for the first time in a flanking attack when they wer out of bullets.

The thing I do when I play Italy is to try and get hold of switzland as early as i can so I can develop it for the swill untis later on.

You seem to have developed your navy so movent should be quite easy for you.Ireland is always a nice provence to get for the galowglasses.It might be just me but I love those irish swords.

Easier said than done but saxony is a tempting provence for Italy as it gives +1 to gothic nights.The prob is it needs a hell of a lot of developing to get em.

Another thing I so as italy is when I have a kick ass general and im well developed I put him i charge of rome.You can get some nice valour on your untis defending against the huge armies that popeye brings.

[Foreign Devil]

Don't forget about Kerns, either. They are fun

[LordKhaine]

Getting Ireland or Scotland is a good idea, that way you get Gallowglasses/Clansmen. Then you have melee, spears and archers. I find Gallowglasses are a far better melee troop than Men at Arms.

[Michael the Great]

baaaaaaaaah all u ppl r considering them on center,but who's gonna protect thy poor flank???
R Italian Light Inf Good for protecting flanks aswell?
I use haldbardiers(correctly written) to protect flanks

[SmokWawelski]

Heh, don't forget about the charge done by Clansman I love these guys and use them as a shock unit even in the later periods, but you have to be sure to give them bonus to armor, as they die quickly when engaged.

In my current Italian campaign the ILI is the workhorse of my armies. I back them up with some Xbows and heavy cav to round it up. Somehow I prefer to use not the most fancy units but the ones that can be bought cheaper. It has to be that Wal-Mart mentality of my wife

[Sir Chauncy]

I have never seen the efectiveness of Italian Light Inf. Before I start I should point out that I have never had the chance to use Genoan Archers.
I remember having a fight between two italian light and some Alan Mercenaries. I had real issues because the Alans charged all the way across the map at full pelt, where they were counter charged by some Khazawkisamiwhowho cavalry and then sandwhiched between two whole units of Italian Light. All units were valour Zero.
Guess what the outcome was, go on guess...
Well I lost all but 2, thats 2, of my counter charging cav and about 50 men were lost (each ) in both of the flank charging italian light, the Alans broke and ran with 13 men remaining. This was just after the patch and I would have thought that even though Cavalry have been boosted, surely my Kick ass rock hard Kazwhiranim would have knocked their blocks off?
Still I could have done something really dodgy like charged them backwards up a hill and made the Italian Light fall on their own Spears with the hidden "stab yourself in the eye with a rusty toothpick" button.