How do I combat Varangian guard???

**Shahed** · 09-01-2005, 21:52

Originally Posted by fester

So how do I combat these unstopable killing machines, Every time I go up against them I suffer massive losses and only beet them by wieght of numbers.I play with a typical catholic army

Which faction are you playing ?

**fester** · 09-06-2005, 10:34

Originally Posted by Sinan

Which faction are you playing ?

the english

**econ21** · 09-06-2005, 13:02

Originally Posted by fester

the english

Longbows might be good - you probably have 3 bribed from Wales even in the early game. Arbalests are better once you get to the the High period.

Another thing to do is not to combat them. Try to avoid contact, focussing on killing the rest of the army - e.g. get them to chase one of your units to the edge of the map. If you can wreck the rest of their army, their morale should become low enough that they will rout when you turn and gang up on them. (Rear charges by cavalry have a particularly negative effect on morale, IIRC).

But yes, they are formiddable fighters. I remember fighting a confused action with a big Byzantine army. We kind of blundered into each other and then I noticed it had a solitary VG warrior spearheading its charge. I threw 60 woodsman at him and the VG warrior routed them single handedly. It was funny having to get my whole army to out of the way of this one man. Must have been a real berserker!

**ah_dut** · 09-06-2005, 13:28

Originally Posted by Simon Appleton

Longbows might be good - you probably have 3 bribed from Wales even in the early game. Arbalests are better once you get to the the High period.

But yes, they are formiddable fighters. I remember fighting a confused action with a big Byzantine army. We kind of blundered into each other and then I noticed it had a solitary VG warrior spearheading its charge. I threw 60 woodsman at him and the VG warrior routed them single handedly. It was funny having to get my whole army to out of the way of this one man. Must have been a real berserker!

I like longbows a lot as at the last resort (when they're out of arrows) they can sort of fight and also, they shoot their arrows a lot faster. They run out of arrows faster but I'm not the best player and often find that I never get to use up all of my arbalest bolts before the battle ends...

And on the note of the VG, they are norsemen

**Mithrandir** · 09-06-2005, 20:33

Don't VG's also have AP ?

That'd mean they'd get a bonus vs cmaa, but not vs mil sergs :)

**antisocialmunky** · 09-06-2005, 21:25

You can treat VG like JHI in the early game.

**Geezer57** · 09-07-2005, 01:51

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

You can treat VG like JHI in the early game.

I'd rather compare them to Viking Huscarles with an extra point of armor/defense - they're identical. VG don't get any anti-cav bonus, aren't as fast as JHI, and have 2 points less morale, so that comparison is less exact.