I’ll take a “weapon +3”…

[elbasto]

After building any of the blacksmith’s upgrades in a province, the description says that doing so provides a “weapon +X”.

What does this mean? Does it add up X points to the melee attack of any unit built in that province?

If so, for instance, if I train a let’s say a Halberdier in a province with the maximum blacksmith upgrade (weapon +3) that means that would mean that such unit will be as effective as a Chivalric Foot Knight but with more men?

Thanks for the heads up.

[Grey_Fox]

A weapon upgrade increases the attack bonus of a unit by 1 point.

[ShadowMagnet]

In simple words, yeah, upgrading a blacksmith by a level (i.e. workshop to guild) gives any unit produced in the province one more attack point. And if/when you finally build Master Blacksmith it really gives your units (any tactical unit!!) +3 attack or so. I honestly struggle to find anything more devastating in high and late than gold armour/weapon woodsmen. For, like, a hundred flo's a piece and upkeep is something hilarious too, 37 for a full unit, he he. Vikings would be even better but they disappear when 1205 rolls in.
Happy hacking!

[elbasto]

Does this mean that range attacks also receive the bonuses?

[Grey_Fox]

No, the missiles do not become more powerful, only the melee attack.

[antisocialmunky]

Valour is better, for every point, you get +1 Attack, +1 Defense, and +2 Morale.

[Geezer57]

Valour is better, for every point, you get +1 Attack, +1 Defense, and +2 Morale.

Valor gains are better than equipement upgrades, due to the associated morale bonus. Keep in mind that valor helps not one bit against missle fire. But to clarify, valor gains come only from province bonuses, master level buildings, or combat experience (kills!), not from weapon/armor upgrades.

[elbasto]

So valour is better but harder to get... thanks for the stats.

[ShadowMagnet]

That is exactly why you should be very, very afraid of those 7-star generals. Just think they give everyone under their command something like +3 att/def and ridiculous morale boost. Slap weapon/armour bonuses on top and you'll appreciate every single command star your general gains.
But when the general falls in a hail of bolts/javs your generic upgrades is all you can rely on, mind.
And getting a unit to rack up +3 valour just through fighting is hard work. And I mean hard work.
Hence building-related bonuses are always really handy to have IMHO.

[antisocialmunky]

General related valour only gives 1 morale.

[elbasto]

That is exactly why you should be very, very afraid of those 7-star generals. Just think they give everyone under their command something like +3 att/def and ridiculous morale boost. Slap weapon/armour bonuses on top and you'll appreciate every single command star your general gains.
But when the general falls in a hail of bolts/javs your generic upgrades is all you can rely on, mind.
And getting a unit to rack up +3 valour just through fighting is hard work. And I mean hard work.
Hence building-related bonuses are always really handy to have IMHO.

Yup, I've just realized how hard gaining valour on the field is and keeping it, after all, every time you retrain the unit (to fill the casualties) its valour drops.

That won't seem to be a problem right now though, I'm about to be able to build an army of 4 lancers, 8 halberdiers and 4 passive arbalesters with maxed out upgrades and valour every 4 turns thanks to the Spaniard iron :D

[antisocialmunky]

The easiest to level up units are long range missile units. That being said, the Longbow is probably the easiest to level up one due to its range and parabolic fire.

[cutepuppy]

I honestly struggle to find anything more devastating in high and late than gold armour/weapon woodsmen.

what about valour 2 (ireland+master swordsmith), gold armoured gallowglasses?
They have 7* attack, 6 defense, 6 armour, 8 charge.

[Ludens]

General related valour only gives 1 morale.

Actually, it is a little more complicated. Valour derived from a general's command ability does not give morale. Instead, units close to the general get a morale bonus based on the command ability: IIRC +1 morale for every star within 25 m and +1 morale for every two stars within 50 m (I am not sure about the distances). So a unit at some distance from his nine-star general may have awesome stats; its morale is still at basic level.

[antisocialmunky]

what about valour 2 (ireland+master swordsmith), gold armoured gallowglasses?
They have 7* attack, 6 defense, 6 armour, 8 charge.

Eh, good luck finding Iron in Ireland. And I'd skip more than one armour for them since they are the best desert units in the game and I don't like the idea of them getting killed by AP units.

[ShadowMagnet]

That is seriously weird. When you press F1 at any given time during combat your soldiers' morale is listed on the far right. I have never seen it actually change depending on how far away units are from the commander. But then again I can't be absolutely sure. Hmm... Odd.

[antisocialmunky]

It changes depending on distance form commander. 1 for each star if they are close and 1 for every two stars if they are far away.

[Ludens]

And I'd skip more than one armour for them since they are the best desert units in the game and I don't like the idea of them getting killed by AP units.

Indeed. Therefore, I usually have a special province for training desert armies, only giving them weapon upgrades. Incidentally, the AP bonus is never greater than the defence bonus conferred by the armour upgrades. In effect, AP-ability confers +1 attack against 3/4 armour, +2 against 5/6 and so forth against infantry. So the first two armour upgrades for Gallowglasses won't affect AP bonus while the third and fourth only give +1 AP bonus. But then the Gallowglasses have +3 or +4 defence due to these upgrades, so they are less vulnerable, not more. And the effect of 2 or 3 armour in the desert is not exactly great.

AP bonus for missiles works a bit differently, but still more armour equals more protection, even if the protection is not as great as against non-AP missiles.

[ajaxfetish]

I'm not sure why that misconception (giving units armor making them more vulnerable if they go against ap) keeps coming up. It simply doesn't make sense. Even though an axe may do more damage vs. armor than say a sword will, it's not going to do more damage vs. armor than it will vs. bare flesh. AP makes armor less of a bonus; it doesn't make it a weakness (though the desert sure can do that).

Ajax

[Abdel Hakam]

I have heard it said that armor bonses gained by means of metalsmithing does not cause the detrimental effects of default armor. I have also heard the reverse. Has anyone seen evidence supporting either possibility?

[Ludens]

I have heard it said that armor bonses gained by means of metalsmithing does not cause the detrimental effects of default armor. I have also heard the reverse. Has anyone seen evidence supporting either possibility?

I have done some test in old Shogun where uparmoured Naginata's tired faster than normally armoured ones in a snowstorm. As for the AP bonus, Froggy reports that it includes armour upgrades and I have seen no evidence to the contrary, so I assume this is the case.