What type of armies to you lead into battle

[MiniKiller]

Also mention why, and if you use them for attacking or defending. All are mostly, so like its not a full unit of archers but mostly got it?

*Edit* I love archers, I love to widdle down the enemie before they come close. I use most of my archer in defence battles but always have plenty with me, I'll just place them as a reinforcment if I am attacking and dont need em.

[Dimeola]

I like the Saxons....good Huscarle foot and Heavy cav.....also enjoy a Viking foot army....no bow, just move right in.
Croaker

[DDogwood]

I like to have a core of dead 'ard infantry (Huscarles, Varangian Guard, Order Foot Soldiers, Gothic Foot Knights) supported by fast cavalry. I find I can usually distract archers and heavy cavalry with horse archers or light cavalry, so that my heavy infantry can clean up the core of the enemy line. Then my light cavalry can chase down fleeing archers and help lure the heavy cavalry into a trap. Doesn't work as well in MP though.

[The_Emperor]

I like to lead a balanced army into battle, one that has something of everything... But as a rule I tend to have a lot of spearmen (at least 5 units) and a smaller number of archers (4 units generally), and then I have 3 or 4 units of Cavalry. The rest (about 3 or 4 units) tends to be Man at Arms units.

If I was fighting as an Arab Side or as the Byzantines, I would have a couple of Naptha Throwers in the mix as well... probably replacing 1 spear unit and 1 Man at arms unit.

That is my basic stack configuration, and such a force I feel is well balanced and can handle most battles.

[Magraev]

Depending on the faction I'll often go with 4 missile units, 4 cav. units (mixed types) and 50/50 spear/sword infantry for the rest. Some factions get less spears (danes, byzantines) and some get more archers (tyrks).

Quality assault troops are absolutely essential. I've modded the game to include foot-knights (substitution horsebreeder for swordsmith in the building requirements) and this unit-type is often included in my lineup.

[A.Saturnus]

I depend on well balanced armies. I use to have 3 spearmen as the core of the army, 2 crossbows or arbs, 2 heavy cav, 2 light cav/horse archers, at least 1 halberdier and some heavy inf. The rest are often faction specific units. Skirmishers mostly.

[some_totalwar_dude]

My fav army is

4 units of civ knigts
3 units of billmen
2 units of civ maa
2 units of civ sergeants
5 archer units (3 longbows 2 albs/ 5longbows)

[pdoan8]

- 3 spears.
- 4 missiles (if on offense: prefer half foot and half mounted if possible).
- 3 sword melee (non-AP weapon)
- 2 polearm or AP weapon.
- 2 med/hvy cav.
- 1 fast cav (prefer mounted missile)
- The General (prefer med/hvy cav)

[frogbeastegg]

Mostly various types of infantry with a couple of units of cavalry to support. I play Catholic a lot.
E.g. my defensive army for important borders early era
4 spearmen
4 archers
2 knights or other heavy cavalry
2-4 men at arms
+ what ever else I feel I need.

[khurjan]

i prefer heavy inf based armies in wooded parts of europe and more calvary based armies in african and mid-east terrains

[HopAlongBunny]

Usually:

4spear
4missile
4inf ap preferred
4lt or heavy cav depending on situatuion

If I am facing the AI with a missle heavy army, I tend to load up on the lt cav_usually at the expense of my spears.

Desert changes all that: camels and ha If I am playing a christian faction: vikings if i can get them, highlanders, hobilars/jinettes.

I like to have a mix of troops to deal with all those little "details". Nothing is more frustrating than smashing the enemy....and being unable to chase them off the field

Each unit type/class has its uses, and I can usually find something for everyone to do on the day of the battle

[Crash]

In order of priority:

1. 2 or 3 archers
2. 2 or 3 spearmen
3. 3 or 4 swordmen
4. 1 or 2 light calvary or horse archers
5. 2 or 3 heavy calvary

A lot depends on the terrain the battle will occur in. Most of the time I prefer a combination of elite spears/polearms and archers/crossbowmen to swords and calvary. I look at swords as protection for my archers & spears against other good attacking infantry. Calvary is convenient for pursuing and flanking, but not absolutely necessary when compared with infantry and archers.

Most people prefer a mixed force in order to be able to deal with a variety of situations, terrain, and opponents. In the real world, the military calls this doctrine "Combined Arms" operations. You have a combination of artillery, infantry, armor, and air power in constant coordination to deal with every situation and enemy. Rocks, papers, scissors...

[Mechstra]

I use archers extensively, backed up by light cavalry and some good infantry, usually billmen, Italian infantry, or similar. I'm a great fan of Longbowmen, and I use Highland Clansmen when I can get them.

[Erik Blackbeard]

I like to have sort of mobility in my armies, but usually i have a basic infantry army 3-5 spear 3-5 men-at-arms, couple assault infantry like halberdiers and some light cavalry to keep enemy archers at bay. Ideal army for me would be 6 heavy cavalry, 4 light, couple HA's and maybe some heavy infantry to take care those spearmen.

[Red Emperor the Invincible]

7 culvin crews, 4 pavise arbelester, 4 order foots, 2 FFK, 2KFK, 4lancers.(9 star gen.) :rolleye
after finishing ammo siege withdraw... attack and defence alikke

[Leet Eriksson]

I voted for horse archers,but thats only when i play the turks,byz or egyptians(or a modded mongol campaign).since the byz,pagan and arab factions lack heavy cavalry the only substitute are horse archers,and lots of horse archers make a very effective counter-cavalry force.here are my army setup when playing:

Al Mohads:

2 Faris
4 Almohad Urban Militia
2 Desert Archers
2 Arab inf
2 Ghulam cav
2 Saharan cav
2 Nubian spearmen

The Byzantines:

3 Kataphraktoi
4 Byzantine cavalry
2 Byzantine Lancers(pretty fast,good charge and really good flankers and routers)
4 Byz inf
2 Terbizond archers or Bulgarian brigands

The Egyptians:

2 Mameluke archers(faster than faris)
2 Faris
3 Mameluke cavalry
4 Arab infantry(abyssinians or ghazi's if AP is needed,and that means cutting down the arabs to 2)
2 Nizari(if possible,else desert archers)
3 Saracen infantry(Nubians in early period)

The Golden Horde(modded):

4 GH horse archers
2 GH heavy cavalry
4 mongol warriors
3 steppe heavy cav
2 steppe cav
the rest are naptha if needed

The Turks:

4 Turcoman Horse archers
2 Ghulam cav
3 turkoman footsoldiers(janissaries in high&late if possible)
2 ghazi(more if possible)
4 saracens

It gets boring with the turks later on,becuase they get pretty powerful units making it pretty easy to finish the SP game.The modded mongol campaigns are interesting,and their cavalry rock,but their unit selection is poor.at least those steppe heavy cav and GH horse archers are good at breaking units and letting the heavy and steppe cav take over the rest,mongol warriors are much like turkomen,except they are disciplined and are good anti-spear units(if the situation was right).

[Beirut]

Lots of pikemen to protect lots of archers with two to four units of cavalry. Defense of course.

[DemonArchangel]

Byz: Byzantine Cavalry/ Varangians/Kataphraktoi/ Pronoiai Allagion/Byzantine Infantry/Lancers

Catholic: Arbalesters/Knights/ Spears or Pikes
Crusaders= Crusader Knights + Order Foot + Turcopoles + Arbalesters + Archers

Turks: Janissaries/ Turcoman Horse/ Saracen Infantry

Egypt: Nizaris/ Saracen Infantry/ Mamluks

Almoravids: AUMs, Desert Archers/ Nubian spears/ Arbalests/ Murabitins/ Muwahids

[Vanya]

GAH

Vanya only uses peasants... whether they be strapped to a beast, or herded on foot in front of the enemy by able steppe cowboys.

Vanya just buys up tons of grubby peasants... at only $37 a pop, Vanya can buy many peasants for little money. No enemy will stand by as 10,000 peasants peel the fields dry of resources. No army can stand up to the sheer numbers

The People's Crusade for the Liberation of Man from the Opression Freedom marches onwards... 'till no foe remains standing... and all worthy heads decorate the Horseman's necklace

GAH

[HopAlongBunny]

Thank you Vanya I almost pee'd myself laughing at the image that passage calls up

Then I realized....It's a TRAP

Finding myself strapped to a pony and being knocked senseless as I'm herded into battle, all I can say is "Clever...damn clever"

[a_ver_est]

uhm ... well I don't have a specific mixture. Usully I get all people that I found around and go to combat.

I use a non stop tactic, that is, not let time to enemy to regroup/reinforce ... affter some turns my army is mainly composed of units that I can produce with captured buildings and if I have fortune, a couple of good units that come from my in deep contry.

I try that my armies allways have some archers, and ( if posible ) some kind of caballery.

[pyhhricvictory]

It is not one that I use regularly, but last night as the English, I had Wales and started pumping out Longbowmen. I end up with about 12 units in the province and am getting ready to move them out to join the army that they will be parts of and I get attacked by the Frenchies. I lined up all 12 Longbows in 8 single lines flanked by two boxes on each side and waited for the attack. The French never got close enough to cause a casualty. They would get within range of the bulk of the archers, have 1000 arrows raining down and then run away, regroup and try it again. It was purty .

I may have to try this as a defensive army a little later just to see what they can do.

[Doug-Thompson]

I go for early-era attacks from the opening move, so I like anything with armor.

Armored troop hold all the advantages in the early age. Primitive archers don't bother them much, while your own archers are devastating to unarmored troops.

In melee, unarmored peasants and lightly armored militia suffer greatly against armored infantry backed by archers. Even good cavalry can be overwhelmed by armored spearmen supported by cavalry of your own.

That's why I don't mind paying for mercenaries in the early game -- but only the mercenaires that are well-armored.

I'm playing a game now as the Byzantines and have been vastly outnumbered in a couple of battles. I've had to be careful a couple of times, but my mix of armored Byzantine infantry, mercenary armored spearmen and men-at-arms, and archers to kill things like camels have routed the initial army and kept up the pressure before reinforcements could make a difference.

[bighairyman]

for mongols:

3 0r 4 mongol horse archers

at least 4 mongol heavy cavalry

5 mongol warriors

1 steepe cavalry for pursing fleeing enemies, never attack

2 artilley(if possible)


for everyother faction.

4 or 5 best heavy cavalry possible

5 to 6 best heavy infanty

2 to 3 artilley

1 or 2 best missle troops(not vital).

and all these units (if possible) gets best weapons(+4 attack) and best armor(+4 defense)(except in desert)


hi everyone. just got promoted to senoir patron(sp?)