Peasants

[Legorreto]

I have been playing the MTW for about one year already and I love the game. I have found many very interesting units in several factions, but there is this one that particularly calls my attention.

Peasants are by far, the cheapest units of them all. That is a great advantage and makes them specially useful for garrisoning provinces and castles/forts.

They also have a good number of troops but a very low force of attack and defence and the lowest morale. Although I have faced to some high valour units through my games that have made my men sweat a little to beat them, and I have used them myself for some flanking tactics successfully as well.

I have also found their generals get some of the highest acumens and therefore, some of my best governors (I assume I am not the only one) They are good garrisoning during sieges and they become expendible when necessary to sacrifice some troops to achieve some victories.

But besides their military aspects, I found them very valuable for garrisoning, as I said; because their high acumen. I wonder ¿is there a way to get the most benefits of this virtues? Is it recommendable to have more than one Peasant unit (despites possible rebellions) to increase acumen or income in a Province? What is the best way to get the most of them?

[Weebeast]

A governor can gain acumen by building (especially farm). They usually get "highly educated" which gives 2 extra acumen or "avarice" which gives some acumens but deducts happiness. I don't know which 'action' gives what vice. All I know is building farms and stuff gives at least an extra acumen.

Just assign the title to those with at least 4 or 5 feathers and keep building stuff.

[matteus the inbred]

garrisoning and absorbing missile fire is what peasants are good for, although i agree that they're worth bringing to a fight if they have high valour (say, more than 4). for cheap flankers, i prefer urban militia, they hit harder (especially against armoured stuff), last longer and are a smaller unit and therefore more manouvreable. if you have VI you can take peasants along for seiges and let them use up all the defender's boiling oil (i think each gate has 4 shots of oil). crispy fried peasant, mmm.
i often garrison using two units of peasants, their support costs are laughable and the extra taxes you can get by doing this is worth it, unless it's a really crap province. i've never had a unit come out of the building queue with higher than 4 acumen (other than royals/characters), but don't stop until you have all your governors on this as a minimum...peasants are cheap, and you can keep building and disbanding until you get 4 acumen units. my best governors, like yours, are invariably peasants, anything else is really a waste of a fighting unit (unless you get a 9-acumen character and stick him somewhere like Venice).

[King Kurt]

Talking about governers, do they have to stay in the province to have the full effect? I tend to find the best accumen guy in the army which conquers the province, give him the title then put him back with the army. More often than not, the army moves on, taking the governer with them. Does this cause problems?

[Marquis de Said]

I think peasants are pretty much useless. Their upkeep IIRC is 37. That's not the cheapest around, as you can have two units of arbalests or woodsmen for 44 (22 each) and those two units will be much better in battle. I like to keep fairly good units as garrisons, in order to have backup troops that can be called on if needed. That's why I prefer FS, Billmen or FMAA as garrisons even if it is below the 100-man level. At least those units can defend themselves against a possible bandit/peasant rebellion.

[matteus the inbred]

Talking about governers, do they have to stay in the province to have the full effect?

i think it says in the manual somewhere that provinces become less loyal if their governor is absent. i don't know if the effect of his stats and V&Vs becomes reduced or negated though. on many of them it says '+20% zeal if governing' or whatever, but that doesn't mean he has to physically be there...

[Cowhead418]

I think peasants are pretty much useless. Their upkeep IIRC is 37. That's not the cheapest around

Actually, if you have VI installed (which is quite clear that you don't) then their upkeep has been lowered to 12, which is definately the cheapest around.

[Prince Cobra]

I think peasants are pretty much useless.

Well, they are not useless. They are not useless even in a battle.
Believe me or not but they helped me gain a victory against the Italians. Late period, Byzantines(attacker).
I wanted to be historically accurate in a Byzantine manner I attacked them from the right side - my general himself lead the attack. Then the battle became - my brave general was fighting as a lion while his 'colleague' was watching the battle. We all know that Byzantium was not a great military force at late and the situation became really difficult. Fortunately I have some 'reinforcements' on the map- one Proniai unit and Zero Valoured byzantine infantry. I took the risk and sent the ByzInf supported by the Proniais against a unit of Peasants ( Don't think that I take Peasants in my army - their work is to work for us, their masters ) . The Peasants were fighting for their contry and they didn't run as I expected. Then the Enemy general with all his reserves (knights, elite infantry and not so elite infantry) attacked in the rear my Byzantine infantry and the Proniais. We know ByzInf are notorious with their poor morale but that time they were brave ( my general hadn't high command TILL that battle). Most of my Pronias were killed and only three of them managed to run away but the ByzInf continued to fight ( wonders,wonders). At that time the enemy fighting against the bigger part of my army started to route my general and the rest of my army helped to the ByzInf ... the battle was one. My people even managed to captured the enemy general. I am sure that three facts helped to me:
1.My byzInf were fighting against peasants
2. I promised to the bravest to spent some nights in the best brothels of the empire
3. One of the Orthodox Saints himself participated in the battle (I think between the heroic ByzInf).

[Ludens]

Talking about governers, do they have to stay in the province to have the full effect? I tend to find the best accumen guy in the army which conquers the province, give him the title then put him back with the army. More often than not, the army moves on, taking the governer with them. Does this cause problems?

No, it doesn't, despite what it says in the manual. In fact, fighting governors seem to get less vices. However, province-related virtues go the commander of the stack the governor of the province is in, not the governor himself. This is a nice, if cheesy way to gain farmer- and builder-virtues for your princes, but your governors won't improve unles they are leading the stack.

On the acumen/governor's question, are acumen bonuses and penalties reflected on the number of feathers shown, or are they in addition to the feathers?

The bonuses and penalties are reflected in the number of feathers, but seperate trade or farming bonuses are not.

[NodachiSam]

... This is a nice, if cheesy way to gain farmer- and builder-virtues for your princes, but your governors won't improve unles they are leading the stack.

Hmpf I never knew that. I guess sometimes it pays to have a loner governor.

Edit: Also its nice to hear their praises for once.

[MuseRulez]

I wonder ¿is there a way to get the most benefits of this virtues? Is it recommendable to have more than one Peasant unit (despites possible rebellions) to increase acumen or income in a Province?

The number of peasant units doesn't influence income, only the number of feathers does.

[ajaxfetish]

Peasants also make good training fodder for your Grand Inquisitors and Spies!

Ajax

[Yoyoma1910]

Personally I think peasants loose their use after a very short amount of time.

Eventually you'll probably end up with more high acumen generals than you know what to do with. And as far as garrisons, I prefer Celtic warriors. 125 to build, and only 25 to maintain. And unlike other cheep units like UM, Woodies, or HC Celts are 100 men. Not to mention I get tons of lieutenants (1 star generals) from their ranks when they're built.