I've been messing around with the Burgundians (as they start out next to the rebel Swiss! ) and have been enjoying a good success with gunpowder. I haven't been able to use my "gamey" tactics with arbs like I used to but I did up Arquebusiers accuracy 5% to .25, handgunners are .20. I recently defended against the Pope (who I accidentally killed ). My 5 units of valor 6 guns were able to keep his entire army at bay before and after I killed him leading his troops. So far I've killed at least two Popes with gun volleys of two or three. It's really satisfying when the second volley causes him to run and the third finishes off his entire unit.

The battle started out weird. First of all, they advanced straight toward my line then moved back and forth in front as if they were afraid to engage the guns. Once the Pope was dead, the army routed and withdrew from the field. Defending with guns usually leads to heavier losses but I think the enemy was afraid of the high valor guns. You need to be really careful with guns on defense. It’s really embarrassing when you’re fighting in France and it starts to rain as soon as the enemy is within range. God forbid you fight in the Balkans, it’s always raining when I play defense there.

Especially on offense I can get a really decent kill ratio with guns, sometimes a high as 10-1. I can get that without them in earlier eras when armor isn't so good, but white armored guns are really helpful if you start in Late.

Overall I recommend bumping up their accuracy by 5% (because they should be better than handgunners right?) and use them when playing Late Byzantium. They don't get pikes but armored spears work well in their place. Byzantine cavalry diversity as well as the local weather are perfect for a high tech force. Oh and cannons are nice too; it just takes so damn long to get the good ones.

XL