Creative ways to use and abuse your priests!

**Kekvit Irae** · 11-15-2005, 23:47

Indeed, the only units capable of conversions are Spies, Diplomats, and Generals.

**KRALLODHRIB** · 11-16-2005, 02:19

You have no idea what your talking about

?

Preists have 0 ziltch nada effect on religious conversion

Jeeze, they're even less useful then I assumed. I know that characters have a conversion effect as well as the religious buildings, adjacent regions, etc, but I assumed that priests would have this effect as well. So, the only benefit of having priests is for morale boost on the battle screen.

the whole Roman empire was christian by 364 AD.

Apparently. But wouldn't it have been grand if it hadn't been overrun by the barbarians? This is what I meant above, that there was a Western Roman continuity unbroken by the disruption caused by invasions. How would have Rome developed?

**lars573** · 11-16-2005, 04:13

Take the Eastern Romans and replace Greek with Celtic influence.

**Kekvit Irae** · 11-16-2005, 06:39

Originally Posted by KRALLODHRIB

Jeeze, they're even less useful then I assumed. I know that characters have a conversion effect as well as the religious buildings, adjacent regions, etc, but I assumed that priests would have this effect as well. So, the only benefit of having priests is for morale boost on the battle screen.

I find the morale boost a welcome addition to my armies on Hard and Very Hard battles, when you NEED the extra morale to prevent your frontline troops from breaking.

A useful army would be...

First line (spearmen and infantry)
Second line (priests for morale flanked by cavalry)
Third line (archers flanked by low-grade infantry)

This way, when your infantry engages the enemy, your priests will sit back and do their thing, while the cavalry protects them (and flanks any unit that looks like it might break through your infantry line), while the archers rain holy hell (fire arrows) on anyone stupid enough to try and flank your army (fire at will turned off). It's basicly a more expanded version of what Count just stated.
This works for me. I used to think using priests were stupid because you could add in an extra combative unit instead, but they have saved me from breaking (and losing) on more than one occasion.

**KRALLODHRIB** · 11-16-2005, 20:36

I have been using them behind my comitatensis/spears line with flanking cav and mayber one or two missle behind-more to mop up roaming horse archers than any offensive role.

You do make a good point kekvitirae in terms of the subtlety of their usefulness. I am playing my campaign on H/H and find that their chanting may very well be giving me the added morale boost during the battle climax.
The comitatensis are rather tough to begin with but paired with the chanting they are even meaner than usual and seem to resist envelopment better.

Still, a strat map convesion effect would be more redeeming.

**Trithemius** · 11-22-2005, 07:56

Originally Posted by KRALLODHRIB

Still, a strat map convesion effect would be more redeeming.

Maybe if they converted family members? I tried this with the Franks to see if I could effect conversions within the family. Alas, no.

**Trithemius** · 11-22-2005, 07:54

Originally Posted by kekvitirae

I find the morale boost a welcome addition to my armies on Hard and Very Hard battles, when you NEED the extra morale to prevent your frontline troops from breaking.

I realise that priest units are available earlier than First Cohorts, but are their morale effects comparable? If they are, I can see sound reasoning behind phasing priests out in favour of First Cohorts once they become available.