English Billmen

**NobodyExpects** · 10-13-2004, 02:28

OK I've read the FAQ and the manual, and perused the MTW build charts... Is there something that I require for the building of Billmen? I've got a castle and the Spearmaker's Guild in Mercia in 1150, but no Billmen :-(

Is there an unwritten time requirement (does seem reasonable)?

**Khorak** · 10-13-2004, 04:20

Can only be built in High and Late periods. Twiddle your thumbs till 1205.

**el_slapper** · 10-13-2004, 16:04

and them enjoy the best machine ever invented to transform horseriders into sheesh-kebab

The lone reason to play the english, maybe with the longbowmen(but I've never found those SO important, even if they're cool).

**TN[ KrAzY!** · 10-14-2004, 00:11

yeah you gotta wait unfortunately, i remember getting very frustrated when i first played MTW cos id developed my tech but the tech chart you get with the game doesnt mention specific time periods.

**Khorak** · 10-14-2004, 00:55

That's because when the game was first released before any patches, anything could be built in any time period. I used to piledrive my province production straight towards an uber unit of my choice. Halfway through the Early period the poor computer would get a faceful of longbow arrows before a rampaging horde of Billmen whaled on them. By the High period, the comp would be facing down armies of Pavise Arbalesters backed up by legions of Swiss Armoured Pikemen (another mistake meant any Christian nation could build them anywhere, anytime). Halfway through the High period after the availability of gunpowder, you've loaded yourself down with Serpentines and are giggling like a schoolgirl as you try to goad enemies into attacking on bridge maps.

**lugh** · 10-14-2004, 15:13

Yeah billmen kick serious ass. Though I find Longbowmen more useful, especially where there range helps, like when your assaulting over a bridge, line your longbow along the shore to soften up the enemy. Or if your attacking uphill, you dont get cut up nearly so much by enemy archers.

**Ldvs** · 10-14-2004, 16:52

Originally Posted by lugh

Yeah billmen kick serious ass. Though I find Longbowmen more useful, especially where there range helps, like when your assaulting over a bridge, line your longbow along the shore to soften up the enemy. Or if your attacking uphill, you dont get cut up nearly so much by enemy archers.

Billmen are aces but I find longbowmen run out of ammo way too quickly. I much prefer the arbalesters.

**lugh** · 10-14-2004, 19:41

They have the same amount of ammo (28) but I know what you mean, the xbow units tend to have some ammo left, its just they reload a lot slower.
I just checked their stats, apparently the arbalest is more accurate and lethal and has the same range, at least if Im reading the stats properly.
I'll have to re think my unit training.