IGN Faction Preview - The French

[Hochmeister]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/744/744674p1.html

Enjoy

[Julian the apostate]

is it just me or did we have an armored longbow unit previewed and now not see it
archer Militia
Arquebusiers
Longbowmen
Peasant Archers
Retinue Longbowmen
Sherwood Archers
Yeoman Archers
not seein in preview but on website?
armored longbowmen
These troops, armed with the famous longbow, favour greater protection over
mobility. When engaged in melee, their heavy armour provides protection that
allows them to hold out quite a bit longer than their unarmoured
counterparts. The swords they carry provide a handy fallback weapon in close
combat.

[Hochmeister]

is it just me or did we have an armored longbow unit previewed and now not see it
archer Militia
Arquebusiers
Longbowmen
Peasant Archers
Retinue Longbowmen
Sherwood Archers
Yeoman Archers
not seein in preview but on website?
armored longbowmen
These troops, armed with the famous longbow, favour greater protection over
mobility. When engaged in melee, their heavy armour provides protection that
allows them to hold out quite a bit longer than their unarmoured
counterparts. The swords they carry provide a handy fallback weapon in close
combat.

Hi Julian,

I think you need the English Faction preview for this further down the page

[Julian the apostate]

i could pretend that i'm not incompetent but well this d proves it

[Furious Mental]

The "armoured Longbowmen" that are on the totalwar.com website are the "Retinue Longbowmen" in the IGN preview.

[anders]

this loks great, how can they be lacking in inantry when they can employ the flemish pikemen? and those polearmwielding guys sounded pretty tough too.

I think I just found my starting faction!

[Darsh]

wow a great unit roster with the best heavy knights, becarfull England, French are here

[wraithdt]

Whoah......heavy cavalry overload. Thats the French for you.

[econ21]

It will be interesting to examine the stats to see if the French really have the best heavy cavalry in the West - will it be lancers vs Gothic knights again? - or whether the HRE just does not count as being in the West.

I am curious about the French horse archers. Doesn't sound very historical that they would fight mounted - and the unit descriptions even says they did not. (I know late archers often rode to battle, but that was true of English longbowmen too.)

But generally, a very impressive line up - a step up from MTWs French, IMO.

[Ignoramus]

A shame about the lack of feudalism in France - the French Kings only controlled a fraction of the territory they start off with in 1080, but you could hardly expect that CA would that, as it may unbalance the game.

Overall, France looks reasonably good.

[Ituralde]

Well it says in their description that the situation is very unstable and the King doesn't have full control over his fiefdoms. I wonder however how this is represented in the game. Maybe your generals from Aquitaine and so on will have very low loyalty and the Provinces will be prone to uprisings and such. So you have to fight the odd Brigand and such to represent some unruly lord or noble.

Cheers!

Ituralde

[Darsh]

[QUOTE=econ21]It will be interesting to examine the stats to see if the French really have the best heavy cavalry in the West - will it be lancers vs Gothic knights again? - or whether the HRE just does not count as being in the West.

"Lancers
Well equipped with good plate armour and lances these elite cavalry are arguably the ultimate knights."

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Looks promising. I may actually play the French in this game, I always found them crushingly dull in the original. Good GA's, but that was about it.

[monkian]

wow a great unit roster with the best heavy knights, becarfull England, French are here

Im sure we'll have more than enough arrows for you

[Darth Nihilus]

You guys took the words out of my mouth. The ultimate knight rematch:Gothic Knights versus Lancers. I just wonder if Lancers are French specific.

[Peasant Phill]

Hooray for the Flemish pikemen. By the sound of it they will get outclassed by the normal pikemen but they will probably be easier to get tech wise and maybe have better morale.
A shame that there are no 'goedendag'men but I'm sure somebody will mod them in.