Faction eliminated!

[NodachiSam]

That is what happened to me. As the picts I took over the north and the Mercians took all the south and flooded me with bloody huscarls. . First game too. ( I should play VI, I've only played it twice surprisingly.) Someone said Beserkers are good against armour so that'll be the plan. However I bet 12 units of beserkers won't stand against 12 of huscarls numerically even if they qualitatively are superior.

[Peasant Phill]

Someone said Beserkers are good against armour so that'll be the plan. However I bet 12 units of beserkers won't stand against 12 of huscarls numerically even if they qualitatively are superior.

Beserkers aren't good against armour. They don't have an AP bonus and as good and cool beserkers might be they'll lose against huscarles. Only when they're all valoured up (which they achieve a lot faster than huscarles) can they stand a chance and even then I have my doubts.

Best bet as the picts against huscarles: the (mounted) crossbow and if you can hire them bonnachts, dartmen, Welsh bandits and the likes. Huscarles are in trouble against armour piercing skirmishers. Let them run themselves tired chasing you while pestering them with AP missiles and end off with flanking them with some good cavalry or a good AP infantry unit.

[caravel]

The biggest problem with the VI campaign is the Mercians who have by far the greatest advantage. Unless you're in the position to take them out early on then you'll find it very hard going later. IIRC Berserkers don't melee as well as Huscarles either, they're also unarmoured of course which does pretty much guarantee the Huscarles will always win, despite the Besekers' attack, charge, morale etc.

[p_nutter]

Which difficulty level was that on? It's not an easy feat, and of all the VI factions I've always found the Picts the most difficult. I've done 100%, playing hard difficulty, including scandinavia as every faction except the picts of which I've never managed to finish the campaign with. Seeing this has made me want to try the picts again!

This was on hard difficulty. I don't think the Picts are particularly hard - I'd say the Scots and Welsh are the hard factions, and the Picts are one of the easier factions.

The Picts have some really nice units. For the first 30 years, my armies were made up almost entirely of Celtic warriors and Pictish cavalry (and the Picts have +1 valour provinces for these), with a few berserkers and crossbows.

I finished eating Northumbria in the year 821, so I got to the Mercians before they became too much of a problem. My first mounted crossbows started to roll off the production line at this point, and they really helped. Although it's a slightly weird horse archer unit, it's great for killing certain troublesome Viking-era units like huscarles.

[Ludens]

Best bet as the picts against huscarles: the (mounted) crossbow and if you can hire them bonnachts, dartmen, Welsh bandits and the likes. Huscarles are in trouble against armour piercing skirmishers. Let them run themselves tired chasing you while pestering them with AP missiles and end off with flanking them with some good cavalry or a good AP infantry unit.

I would stay away from dartmen if you want mercs against huscarles: though they carry more bolts than ordinary javelinmen they aren't AP. Otherwise, you are right. Lure them with a missile unit and then get a few volleys of javelins in their back. Also tire them out before engaging: Huscarles aren't so though anymore after chasing skirmishers all over the field.

[Peasant Phill]

I would stay away from dartmen if you want mercs against huscarles: though they carry more bolts than ordinary javelinmen they aren't AP.

You're right. In my defence, it's been a while since I played the Irish and when I face them I bring enough archers so I can deplete their numbers. It doesn't make such a difference if they have AP missiles or not when a unit is down to a quarter of its original strength.

[caravel]

Well I gave the picts another go. The Vikings landed in Domon, and whipped my 100 spearmen. Next I started sinking their ships, which went well. Then after several years of training +1 valour celtic warriors and pictish cavalry, as well as some crossbows, I launched a reconquest of 800 troops that was totally obliterated by about 100 or so Viking Huscarles, despite sound tactics on my part and a good general. I can finish this campaign on hard with all other factions and expert with the Irish and Mercians, but can't even get off the ground with the picts...

[mfberg]

With Picts use your mounted crossbows to tire the huscarles out and then use mounted crossbows and crossbows to hurt the huscarles as they walk towards you, and when they are almost up to the crossbows rush them with your celtic warriors. Hit from behind with your mounted crossbows, and from the flanks with berserkers. Its a lot of units for just 120 huscarles, but it should get you out of the situation without many deaths.

mfberg

[caravel]

With Picts use your mounted crossbows to tire the huscarles out and then use mounted crossbows and crossbows to hurt the huscarles as they walk towards you, and when they are almost up to the crossbows rush them with your celtic warriors. Hit from behind with your mounted crossbows, and from the flanks with berserkers. Its a lot of units for just 120 huscarles, but it should get you out of the situation without many deaths.

mfberg

That's sort of what I did, minus the mounted crossbows, as I was still in the process of teching up to them, and still lost horribly. Losing domon in the first place severely dented my economy, though I did retake it in the end after another failed invasion and by inciting a rebellion then invading and defeating the rebels. I'll have another go later. Should I rush the Scots next time? I don't favour rush tactics, I see them as a bit of a cheat, but in some cases they're necessary to get your faction of the ground.