Pikemen

[Furious Mental]

Pikemen were pretty important in the Middle Ages so how should they be represented? I've heard that the medieval pike square could defend itself well from all directions, so I'll be disappointed if they just rehash the Macedonian phalanx

[lars573]

Well a pike square was more a marching order. It could turn very quickly, what with being a square and all. Sure if you stoppped and pointed the pikes outward it could very well defend itself from all sides. In battle formation medieval pikemen would have fought nearly the same as a Macedonian phalanx. So the question is whether units M2TW will have 2 special abilities. Or whether the normal marhcing order of the pikemen units is like the spear units in BI that can shiltrom.

[sapi]

Pikemen were pretty important in the Middle Ages so how should they be represented? I've heard that the medieval pike square could defend itself well from all directions, so I'll be disappointed if they just rehash the Macedonian phalanx

I just hope that any unit - whether it be swordmen, pikemen or musketeers - can form a square to deal with "being flanked" penalties if they're outnumbered.

[Roberto]

I hope they include the Swiss Amoured Pikemen from MTW they was Unstoabble

[Mithrandir]

I just hope that any unit - whether it be swordmen, pikemen or musketeers - can form a square to deal with "being flanked" penalties if they're outnumbered.

That would ,at least to some extend, eliminate the use of flanking...the most important manouvre in the TW series :S

[x-dANGEr]

Not only flanking, but every tactical element of the game.

[Martok]

That would ,at least to some extend, eliminate the use of flanking...the most important manouvre in the TW series :S

Indeed. I can understand pikemen and perhaps spearmen being able to form a square, but I don't think the other units should have that ability.

[Furious Mental]

Yeah I don't know about giving all units the ability to defeat a flanking attack as easily as a frontal one. But I think you should have to use arquebusiers and artillery to deal with pikemen.

[Bob the Insane]

Well the interview did state that "while other units will allow you to form a wagon circle to protect vulnerable units.".

Maybe this will apply to the pike units?

[A.Saturnus]

Actually the pike became only important just after the medieval period. Military wise, the victories of the Swiss pikemen could be seen as the medieval age.

[Mooks]

Pikeman...They are probaly going to put them up there as god units thats cost several thousand coins.

[Orda Khan]

I hope they include the Swiss Amoured Pikemen from MTW they was Unstoabble

No more over powered units please. The last thing I want to see is MTW II littered with the imbalances of MTW

........Orda

[Mooks]

Need I remind everyone that pikeman were actually cheaper then knights? In fact they were cheap compared to them (not counting swiss).

[Olof Skötkonung]

Need I remind everyone that pikeman were actually cheaper then knights? In fact they were cheap compared to them (not counting swiss).

hmm, from a historical point of view the ranks of pikemen were often made out of the peasantry or as cheap mercenaries, much like the archers in early medieval times, and it's not like they were attached physically to their pikes, when facing anything else then cavalry they would probably drop the pike and draw some type of sword or blade and engage in hand to hand combat.

In MTW the swiss pikemen are quite inaccurate in the sense that they are some sort of noble unit type, the swiss nobility were certainly knighted and rode on horseback in combat just like the other feudal elites in europe at that time.

[econ21]

MTW based costs mainly on the stats, not on the historical upkeep. There was the odd fudge factor to reflect rarity, IIRC, but costs were basically a mathematical function of stats.

Personally, I think this is appropriate - players will naturally want to optimise and thus should face prices that reflect unit capabilities. However, it does mean you have more work to do with other game mechanics in order to induce players to field historical armies.

[A.Saturnus]

hmm, from a historical point of view the ranks of pikemen were often made out of the peasantry or as cheap mercenaries, much like the archers in early medieval times, and it's not like they were attached physically to their pikes, when facing anything else then cavalry they would probably drop the pike and draw some type of sword or blade and engage in hand to hand combat.

That depends. While the German pikemen were mostly anti-cav that fought with swords against inf, the Swiss used to fight inf with the pike too. And quite effectively.