Peasants and Pitchforks

[DisruptorX]

Actually peasants are the only unit which actually makes your army worse by their inclusion. They always end up breaking, and panicking the rest of your army.

I think the unit picture when you right click on them on the overmap is holding a pitchfork, not sure why they have sticks/spears in the game, though.

[eadeater]

Actually peasants are the only unit which actually makes your army worse by their inclusion. They always end up breaking, and panicking the rest of your army.

Exactly, I've seen them break without taking a single casualty, or without anyone else routing, they were "worried about flanks", well, that makes it alright then.

[Sir Chauncy]

Actually having Peasants in your army is very important for the role playing aspect of the game, to quote the Simpsons:

" There is no Justice like angry mob justice "

It is quite possible that the leaders of your army 'encouraged' those peasants to join on the basis that they could deal out some retribution on those who actually stole all of the decent Pitchforks and Hoes. Or it could be that down at the local DIY store they had a special offer

" Trade in your pitchfork and get a Dodgy Spear that you don't know how to use Half Price "

Could all just be a lazy artist doing the drawings though, but I doubt it, a conspiracy is definately more likely.

[Doug-Thompson]

Exactly, I've seen them break without taking a single casualty, or without anyone else routing, they were "worried about flanks", well, that makes it alright then.

I gave up on peasants when a unit failed to attack. They just stood there, quivering.

The only reason to make peasants is for garrison troops. That's the one thing they excel at.

Sometimes, I have a few peasants with the army for garrison purposes, then get attacked. I deploy the troops and then order the peasants to withdraw.

[DisruptorX]

God I hate Peasants, I remember the very first time I played the game, I played as the Mercians in VI and built peasants because they were cheap. My armies were utterly and completely crushed. I have never used them since.

[Oaty]

Anyone up for a 4k florin game. I'll use em and show you they can be useful on the battlefield. Now if the A.I. actually knew how to use a 1000 peasant mob along with 600 professional troops early on in the game there might actually be a challenge. The trick with using them early in the game is make 1 massive line with the professional soldiers in the middle and engage the A.I. and once the regular soldiers have them pinned bring the peasants around and engulf them. When peasants(or anyother unit for that matter) hit a unit that is already engaged they get a morale boost this allows them to stay and fight for a while but it still wo'nt stop them from dropping like flies.

Another good use for them is to tire elite cavalry. As you are marching towards there army, threaten the A.I. with a major flanking maneuver with peasants. This will usually draw out there cavalry and get them chasing them down. All the while they have been lured out of battle and been tired some. Oops did my peasants kill 2 of your kataphracts oh well I guess I will have to take the rest of my army and smash them to bits since they routed the rest of your army.

Of course they misnamed the unit, I think there unit name should be castle gate siege engineers.

[USMCNJ]

the peasants have their use
like oaty metnion, they are great for breaking down gates and atracting the enemy out of the castle.

they are the best way to bring the enemy to you, send in two units of peasents towards the enemy. the second the enemy moves towards them the peasents will start running away. the enemy will move forward a bit. by this time you can convince the peasents to go back. repeat until the enemy gets close to your army.

they are also good agains missle strong armies. well not to fight them, but to use up their ammo and energy.

[Doug-Thompson]

Everything mentioned here can be done better by other units.

If the AI knew how to fight a peasant mob, they'd all die miserably.

Peasants have two advantages: they're cheap and have low tech requirements.

But how cheap are they, really?

Suppose you had one unit of peasants that you make for 100 florins (huge unit size.) After ten years of warfare, you've spent the original 100 florins to get the unit and another 750 florins in upkeep -- if you suffered no casualties.

That's absurd. Of course any peasant unit that does any fighting at all will suffer casualties. I'd argue that at least some members of a peasant unit will die of fright whenever they're on a battlefield, whether they get involved in any combat or not.

Let's say that a peasant unit losses 10 percent of the men every turn, which I consider extremely conservative. Over the course of those 10 years, the actual cost of that (huge size) peasant unit is 100 florins to produce it, 675 florins in upkeep at an average of 90 percent strength, and another 100 florins to build replacements. That's 875 florins.

That's a rock-bottom estimate. I'd argue that it would easily cost 1,000 florins or more to keep a fighting peasant unit at full strength over the course of 10 years. Others can argue that peasant units can be merged as casualties are suffered. It doesn't matter. Whether the cost is in fewer units or florins, a cost is being paid.

There are other, far better low-cost options for most factions. Ones that require only a fort include: Slav Warriors, Vikings (Danes get a big price discount), camels (Egyptians get a big discount), woodsmen (Russians get a discount) and Scottish highlanders. Other factions start the game with the extra buildings needed to produce better units.

Highlanders in particular are an outstanding value. They're relatively cheap to make and their maintenance cost is minimal.