What to do with AUM

[Tricky Lady]

Hmmm, when reading all these (interesting) posts, I'm starting to feel that I am using my AUMs horribly wrong in my Almo campaign. I had a feeling that (now that I'm in the high period) they were becoming pretty much useless (but kept them because I didn't find a good replacement for them).
Grrr, feel a bit silly on tactics now.

I should relaunch Almo campaign before I get stuck on RTW...

(thanks for the tips guys)

[Doug-Thompson]

Russians get Vikings. They'll still die, but will do some damage and cost even less than AUM. I'd suggest getting the valor bonus from Norway then upgrade them in Sweden, an iron province, for weapons.

AUM are a great unit, definitely one of my favorites. They're showing their age by the middle of the high period but by then they've built up lots of valor and are getting a valor bonus in Grenada and, for the human player, weapons upgrades in the iron provinces of Spain.

Another option is Steppe Heavy Cavalry. People think of them as horse archers but their melee stats are very good. Almohads tend to have lots of Desert Archers, a very good anti-HA unit, but Steppe Heavies are a tougher target for archers than most. So, you might get to fire off enough arrows before charging to seriously cut down the AUM's.

[katank]

AUMs are still very powerful even late into the game due to the valor bonus which keeps them on the level of CMAA and plentiful Iron in Iberia.

the rest of the almo roster is also good.

the murabitin inf in particular is very effective jav which can also melee and works as pursuit inf.

I usually get Cyrenacia to produce v2 Saharan cav and upgrade them instead of using ghulam cav.

sure, you don't have as much of a punch when charging but you get higher attack and can pursue better.

DAs are also good but lose its appeal a bit when compared with arbs for raw killing power.

[Fragony]

Russians get Vikings.

They do? I have never been able to build vikings as Russia Which provinces get them? This makes Russia a specacular faction!

[Oleander Ardens]

Aren't the Vikings just in "early" and the Russians just in "high" and "late" ?

IIRC they are buildable in Finland and Novgorod, but has been a long time since my last Niv. game...


Cheers

OA

[Doug-Thompson]

They do? I have never been able to build vikings as Russia Which provinces get them? This makes Russia a specacular faction!

Re: Russians and Vikings.

Don't pay any attention to me. I've gone senile.

No, they don't. Sorry for the confusion.

[katank]

whatchya talking about? Danes and Novgorod get viks in early with a fort.

doug, I hope you aren't going on technicalities of Russia not being Novgorod. they are the same faction.

[Doug-Thompson]

Danes get Vikings all the way through the game, not just in early, and the original post was about Russians.

[Mount Suribachi]

Those who think the AUMs aren't that good aren't using them properly

Despite what others say, the rest of the Almohad roster is weak, especially once you get out of early, and the lack of a decent spear unit is a real weakness.

In the Almohad PBEM, during the reign of one Caliph, I managed to conquer Italy, The Papacy (twice), France, England and the HRE, using an army that was approx 50% AUM. The only units that put up a decent fight were Order Foot and Swabian Swordsmen (who chopped them to pieces). And for a sword unit, they can put up a decent stand against cavalry too, certainly long enough to try and get help there.

[katank]

hmm, novgorod get viks. I'm dead sure of that.

ok, Russians don't. Now I stand corrected.

thanks, doug.