Nobody plays France?

**Furious Mental** · 11-12-2006, 18:14

True that. How are the Scots Guard? All up (considering firepower, armour, melee ability) They look like they might be the best foot archers in the game, even better than England's own "Retinue Longbowmen". Is this indeed the case?

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 11-12-2006, 18:20

Interestingly, I can't actually see Scots Guard on my tech tree. The French get something called Aventurier with the best Bow building.

Edit: I tell a lie, they're available with a huge stone wall. Haven't played with them/against them so can't tell you much more than that. Oh, they have better Attk/Def than Retinue Longbowmen, but half the unit cap.

**eefums** · 11-12-2006, 18:21

I got destroyed by Scots Guard..their melee is very strong and they can even fight off calvary decently.

**wkndwrrr** · 11-12-2006, 20:15

I plan to play as France when I get the game this Christmas. They seem to be facing less adversity than the HRE, and still have an awesome amount of units, from what I have heard.

**Zanderpants** · 11-13-2006, 01:20

I'm getting the game first thing Tuesday morning (Damn NA late release), and I'll be playing as the French. Vive La France!

**Spendius** · 11-13-2006, 13:51

Hi,

Got the game friday night and started a French campaign (since I'm French). They're great ! Strong knights (able to win about any fights), Scottish guards are awesome (able to easily beat spearmen in close combat, long range bows...).
I had quite a tough beginning, having been almost excommunicated after freeing Caen from the English, but then the pope died to be replaced by one of my cardinals.
Then I wanted to get my second king killed in battle (not the heir I wanted), so I sent him on the second crusade, which was a success ! Lots of desertion, but also a lot of cheap mercenaries to replace them, and a wonderful siege assault on Jerusalem... Then my mischevious and cruel king became a very noble "great crusader", I hope he'll get canonized (I'll arrange that after I move the pope to Avignon ;) )

It gets quite difficult since I'm waging war against the HRE (who stabbed me), the Milanese (an ex-ally, who stabbed me) and the Danes (who are excommunicated and had Brugge and Antwerp which I wanted).
That's so nice to have the French knights cheering over a pile of corpses shouting "vive la France" !

A few questions:
- does pillaging a city destroys buildings ?
- can you get knights to actually charge ? mine are just getting to the enemy fighing with swords, I can't get them to use their spears...

**Spendius** · 11-13-2006, 16:29

BTW France has a specific unit, the gendarmes (which were already present in MTW, and pretty good if I remember correctly). They also have the French mounted archers, but I haven't tried them yet.