your main playing faction and armies?

[Lanemerkel1]

for me it's the byzantines and I have 2 army types

Garrison Army:
9 Units Byzantine Cavalry
7 Units Byzantine Infantry

Invasion Army:
7 Units Varangian Guard
3 Units Kataphraktoi
3 Units Pronoiai Allagion
3 Units Steppe Cavalry


each province I own I make sure it has enough income to pay for it's own armies, if it doesn't I use cheaper units, each province also has only 1 of each army unless it's a high income province (see: Antioch)

unfortunatley I am an idiot in Total War games when it comes to naval power to me their expensive they take forever to build and you need hordes of them to do anything

[elbasto]

One of those armies in every province should get you bankrupt, unless of course you only own Constantinople, Venice, Flanders, Sweden, Antioch (after Marco Polo), Egypt, Portugal and Sicily and all of them are fully developed.

[Roark]

This is my current favourite Turkish army:

3 Sipahis of the Porte
3 Turcoman Horse Archers
2 Armenian Heavy Cavalry
3 Janissary Infantry
4 Futtuwas
1 Hashishin

[Ash]

For me it's the English, I use mainly Archers/Longbowmen, Billmen, Spearmen (type depends on era and terrain)/Fyrdmen, Hobilars/Spanish Jinets and heavy cavalry as my invasion force.

[fester]

The english 4 longbows, 4 CK the rest billmen. You can see I just mudle on as best I can until 1205.

[Lanemerkel1]

One of those armies in every province should get you bankrupt, unless of course you only own Constantinople, Venice, Flanders, Sweden, Antioch (after Marco Polo), Egypt, Portugal and Sicily and all of them are fully developed.

?

Byzantine Cavalry and Steppe Calavary are lik 175 Florins


and at this time during my campaign I don't care about money.



I'm at war with every last country on the map

[Lanemerkel1]

One of those armies in every province should get you bankrupt, unless of course you only own Constantinople, Venice, Flanders, Sweden, Antioch (after Marco Polo), Egypt, Portugal and Sicily and all of them are fully developed.

also and the prices for Byzantine infantry alone is pathetic


if calculate what a florin was worth compared to modern day american money, a byzantine infantry unit costs 7,000 bucks

[Knight Templar]

Novgorod early army: best army in early perioid

4 Boyars
2 Steppe cav
3 archers
3 Rus spearmen
4 Feudal foot knights (60 men per unit)

[antisocialmunky]

Byzantine Infantry cost pretty much the same as MAA units - And that seems pretty cheap for training and arming 100 men.

I usually play England or the Byzantines.

England:

3 LBows, 1 Pavise Arb, 4 CK, 4 CMAA, 4 Billmen

Byzantine:

4 BI, 4 VG, 3 Pronai, 2 Byzantine Cavalry, 1 Kataphractoi, 2 Pav Arbs

[Legorreto]

Once I played as Vikings on VI/Early/Easy and I trained 1 single army of 15 units, nothing but Viking infantry... that's it... only Viking infantry. I started to raid al along the east coast of Britain Isles and gathered about 9,000 fls treasure.

By the time I ended the raiding, I used the same infantry army to conquer Picts, Scots and Irish fairly easy. By the time i finished the Irish (still one single infantry army) I settled and trained some Irish Longbows and... MAN! this guys rock... I used three lines of battle like this:

V V V V V
V V V V V
LB LB LB LB LB

The LBs made a good wall to attackers and used my infantry always in no more than 3 lines, that way you can "wrap" the enemy units and had the highest valour one to hide in trees and use it as flanking unit for generals. I moved it around the battlefield and attacked directly to the general's unit and killed him in many occasions, and some others made him run away or, at least made him distracted and attacked from two flanks.

As the game developed I trained some Cav and mainly Viking Carls. The best infantry unit I have ever used in one year with this game. By past the half of the time on the game I already controlled 80% of the british islands with no allies.

I must also mention the very important fact that I was supported by the major Navy I could build as that would avoid having my provinces vulnerable to sea attacks.

But, basically I did not spent much on armies as I started very aggressively with one single army of infantry units.

Hope this helps someone.

[Psiloi]

Byzantines, for original MTW.


(For me is more important the support cost than the build cost, never Pronoia Allagion, i hate their)

-Universal Army (a good chance against all, 960 men and 16 units, not very expensive, for the byzs of course):

3 Byzantine Infantry (three lines)
3 Varangian Guard (four lines)
2 Trebizond Archer (two lines)
3 Kataphractoi (four lines)
3 Byzantine Cavalry (two and then three lines)
2 Steppe Cavalry (three lines)

Byzantine cavalry and Trebizond archer retreat quickly to the rear, the general is the KT and with VG make the rear line, the VG of the rear behind the BI of the centre. When the archers finish their arrows fight with the sword, the BC outflanked after the first shoots, KT fight mainly against other cavalry and try to flank; the two VG support to the BI or the KTs. Only if it is necessarily the SC flanked, their roll is pursue and do especial works for example: quick raids against siege machines unprotected or archers isolated, SC placed behind the KT for a quick attack.

(Edit for put the units in their place)

--------- KT----------
SC-------VG-------SC
KT-VG-BI-BI-BI-VG-KT
------BC-BC-BC-----
--------TA-TA-------

____________________
Enemy



-Army for the poor times:

8 Byzantine Infantry
6 Naphta Trowers
2 Steppe Cavalry (or byzantine cavalry)


-Army of the Mongols (well i never fight against the mongols with this army, curiosly all my battles with they was with very poor armies, but my experience say me that...):

First engagement:

1 KT (the general)
2 SC
4 BC
6 VG
3 TA

Second and infinite engagements : Infantry + Archers, archers and archers

-Army of Orient (difficult if the enemy come with many shock troops):
1 KT
3 BC
2 SC
3 IB
2 GV
5 TA

-Army of the West (especially hard catholic enemies)
7 GV
3 IB
4 KT
2 CS

-Cavalry Army (when i played to Shogun Total War: MI always take with the mongols their cavalry, and put the infantry as garrison, in that game was a strong army but in MTW not than. But is a good weapon against enemies like rebels)

8 KT
8 BC

-Garrisons: Peasants.



When i begin, i fight mainly with the "poor army", and then i try to make the universal army the bulk of armed force. When the game is finishing, i have many universal armies and a few special armies, with these armies i put the reinforcement needed: if mongols archers, if catholics many cavalry and infantry... or reinforcement for all: we need 4000 men, 960 for the main army and the others inf, cavalry, archers...
If i lost all the time, especially when i fight aganst a superpower like the almohads, thousand BI and a new battle for the own AI.

bye

Sorry

[Lanemerkel1]

Byzantines, for original MTW.


(For me is more important the support cost than the build cost, never Pronoia Allagion, i hate their)

-Universal Army (a good chance against all, 960 men and 16 units, not very expensive, for the byzs of course):

3 Byzantine Infantry (three lines)
3 Varangian Guard (four lines)
2 Trebizond Archer (two lines)
3 Kataphractoi (four lines)
3 Byzantine Cavalry (two and then three lines)
2 Steppe Cavalry (three lines)

Byzantine cavalry and Trebizond archer retreat quickly to the rear, the general is the KT and with VG make the rear line, the VG of the rear behind the BI of the centre. When the archers finish their arrows fight with the sword, the BC outflanked after the first shoots, KT fight mainly against other cavalry and try to flank; the two VG support to the BI or the KTs. Only if it is necessarily the SC flanked, their roll is pursue and do especial works for example: quick raids against siege machines unprotected or archers isolated, SC placed behind the KT for a quick attack.



KT
SC VG SC
KT-VG-BI-BI-BI-VG-KT
BC-BC-BC
TA-TA
--------------------------
Enemy



-Army for the poor times:

8 Byzantine Infantry
6 Naphta Trowers
2 Steppe Cavalry (or byzantine cavalry)


-Army of the Mongols (well i never fight against the mongols with this army, curiosly all my battles with they was with very poor armies, but my experience say me that...):

First engagement:

1 KT (the general)
2 SC
4 BC
6 VG
3 TA

Second and infinite engagements : Infantry + Archers, archers and archers

-Army of Orient (difficult if the enemy come with many shock troops):
1 KT
3 BC
2 SC
3 IB
2 GV
5 TA

-Army of the West (especially hard catholic enemies)
7 GV
3 IB
4 KT
2 CS

-Cavalry Army (when i played to Shogun Total War: MI always take with the mongols their cavalry, and put the infantry as garrison, in that game was a strong army but in MTW not than. But is a good weapon against enemies like rebels)

8 KT
8 BC

-Garrisons: Peasants.



When i begin, i fight mainly with the "poor army", and then i try to make the universal army the bulk of armed force. When the game is finishing, i have many universal armies and a few special armies, with these armies i put the reinforcement needed: if mongols archers, if catholics many cavalry and infantry... or reinforcement for all: we need 4000 men, 960 for the main army and the others inf, cavalry, archers...
If i lost all the time, especially when i fight aganst a superpower like the almohads, thousand BI and a new battle for the own AI.

bye

Sorry

Varangian Guards OWN


one unit of mine took out a 500 man army of enemy woodsmen...with no losses

[Lanemerkel1]

when I just now started playing as england I found that taking scotland and making 16 unit armies of pure Highland Clansmen and you can OWN the competition, their cheap, their decent, and their is perfect number of them (16 X 60 = 960)

[m52nickerson]

My Polish armies

4 Halberdiers
4 CMAA
3 Pavise Arbalesters
2 Stepp Heavy Cavalry
2 Chivalric Knights
and my Generals unit.

[Lanemerkel1]

Byzantine Infantry cost pretty much the same as MAA units - And that seems pretty cheap for training and arming 100 men.

my point exactley

TOO Cheap


even today it effectivley cost 2000 or more to equip ONE soldier



then swords were very finely crafted piece of art.



very expensive

[ajaxfetish]

Very hard to pick a favorite faction. I like playing with everybody to enjoy all the various options, but some very fun ones are the Byzantines, Cumans, English, Turks, Germans, and in VI the Welsh and Vikings. Too many favorite armies to list.

Ajax

[Ciaran]

I´ve been playing only catholic factions so far, and my preferred allround army is four spears, two swords, polearms and cavalry each and a good mix of archers and crossbows. Armies made to invade use preferably Knights as cavalry, for defending armies mounted sergeants do the job quite nice.
I know it´s dull and by-the-book, but the reason for it to be in the book is that it works.

[Odin]

Novgorod early army: best army in early perioid

4 Boyars
2 Steppe cav
3 archers
3 Rus spearmen
4 Feudal foot knights (60 men per unit)

Here, Here mate.....

I like Novgorod to. If you play the XL mod you get some excellent swordsmen as well. Your army composition is a bit more archer heavy then mine, I normally allow the Boyars themselves to perform that function.

Those Rus spearmen make a good fighting force, with the supporting Steppe Cav (one of the fastest units in the game) to run down units its a very efficent unit for baltic conquests.

[Betito]

For me, its Turkish

For early armies we got:

1 ghulam bodyguard
4 turcoman foot
2 futuwwas
2 - 3 turcoman horse
4 - 5 saracens
2 -3 ghazis
2-4 Armenian Cavalry
(if i am in desert, 2 bedouins)

Turcoman foot are reinforcements most of the time(and i always carry a lot of them). This way, i get a steady arrow fire. If the battle will not require the futuwwas flanking capabilites, or the ghazis are enough for the job, then i do the switch earlier. I also switch if i need more arrows.

I carry some AHC reinforcements as well

For high, changes are

janissary infantry for the futuwwas
2-3 JHI for 1 ghazi and 1-2 saracens
2 jannisary archers for 2 turcoman foot

And for late

Sipahis of the porte for the turcoman horse.
1 serpentine / organ gun / siege cannon (depending on the situation)


Now, i still use all the units, since all of them have their uses, but the changes i mention are to meet the new ages requirements.

I dont follow this as a formula, its mora a matter of keeping the balance. Maybe you will want more arrows, or shock troops, or cavalry at some point.

[Scurvy]

my fav on vi is hungarians and i like to have :

4 szekely
4 jogaby
4 bulgarian brigand
4 chiv kngiths

on mtw its danes and i like

4 vikings
4 lithuanian cav
2 pavise arbelesters
4 arquebuisars
2 woodsmen

[hlawrenc]

Always interesting to see how others view the best way to compose their armies. However, was somewhat surprised to see lack of mention of javs other than one or two using Spanish Jinettes.

Regardless of the faction I am playing I always pack along at least one Jav unit, even if I have to buy it. I know that they require some extra micro management but I have found that including foot javs in my line up, usually lining them up right behind my spear wall provides a good AP punch especially when Knights or other armoured horse are trying to impale themselves on the spears. If the enemy general is part of the unit I am targeting those Javs seem to always take him out in the first volley.

Interested to hear opinions on including Javs in your line up.

[matteus the inbred]

Interested to hear opinions on including Javs in your line up.

agree with Scurvy, always use them with Hungarians...i usually operate 4-6 HA from a 'base' of my general, 2-4 spears and some javs (jobbagys, in fact). since my initial expansion is usually against Italians and Byz, i'm facing knights and kats quite often.
you can quite satisfying results from them...a couple of volleys will wipe out a unit of knights.
later on, it's probably better to take xbows if you can have them, but the lack of these and the relatively small number of armoured elites available in the early period really rewards fielding javs. Byzantines in particular suffer from being 'javved', and Italians fielding lots of crap+knights are doomed if they lose the latter.

[hlawrenc]

Maybe overkill, but if possible, especially in early, I put two archers out front, backed up by two spear units, then a unit of Javs AND a unit of Mounted Cross Bows immediately behind the Javs. The Mtd X-bows actually fire over the heads of the spear and Javs reducing friendly fire. Once the archers are pulled back and the other side gets engaged with the spears the combination of Javs and Mtd X-bow provide good results for me. Then let the archers come back on line or use to come in on flank (s) to melee

From there sword, axe or cav can sweep the far flank. One reason I like to play BKB mod is the wide variety of javs to pick from. Like a kid in a candystore, can't decide which to use.

[matteus the inbred]

Maybe overkill, but if possible, especially in early, I put two archers out front, backed up by two spear units, then a unit of Javs AND a unit of Mounted Cross Bows immediately behind the Javs. The Mtd X-bows actually fire over the heads of the spear and Javs reducing friendly fire. Once the archers are pulled back and the other side gets engaged with the spears the combination of Javs and Mtd X-bow provide good results for me. Then let the archers come back on line or use to come in on flank (s) to melee

From there sword, axe or cav can sweep the far flank. One reason I like to play BKB mod is the wide variety of javs to pick from. Like a kid in a candystore, can't decide which to use.

nothing wrong with overkill if it wins you battles! that's a very good formation and i shall see if i can field it. in general though i do favour cavalry armies and enjoy skirmishing a lot since picking up many of the darker arts of 'fire and flee' on this very forum...

[hlawrenc]

nothing wrong with overkill if it wins you battles! that's a very good formation and i shall see if i can field it. in general though i do favour cavalry armies and enjoy skirmishing a lot since picking up many of the darker arts of 'fire and flee' on this very forum...

Thanks Matteus, working on my horse heavy armies, I enjoy using HA in my armies, especially where better than vanilla HA units available, but my micro management skills still need work, I can manage 2-3 HA on one flank alright most of the time but when I try to put on both flanks, I tend to "forget" about one of flank as the action heats up only to find that forgotten group have been squeeze by some enemy units.

Concerning horse heavy armies, I am playing Byz using BKB mod in early at the moment and have access to Slav Horse, Steppe Lt Cav and Alans to chose from as light fast horse, would be interested to hear from Byz perspective what some of the Horse Heavy players prefer as far as their light cav line up looks like. I like the Alans but I think it is more psychological since they were not available except as mercs in standard MTV: VI it makes me want to use them when playing BKB.