How do you get guns

**Skott** · 12-31-2006, 05:41

As far as firearms go (non-cannons) which unit and faction is the most powerful/best? Would that be the Turkish Jannissaries Handgunners I hear about or does another faction have a better firearm unit?

**Musashi** · 12-31-2006, 05:47

Janissary Musketeers are better than any other ranged unit in the game. BUT, the Turks have very little in terms of cannon selection. The Russians have Cossack Musketeers who are almost as good as Janissaries, and they have a better selection of cannons.

Portugal has Musketeers, Elite Portugese Arquebusiers, and elite pikemen, the Aventuros. They get a good variety of cannons too.

Germany gets Reiters and Serpentines...

Basically you could argue about which faction is the best in the gunpowder age for ever.

Worst in the gunpowder age is easy though. Byzantium. No gun troops, and only one kind of cannon (Bombard). They suck for gunpowder.

**A. Smith** · 12-31-2006, 05:48

Well, the Venitians have musketeers, which makes them pretty unique... but i dont know if musketeers are the most powerful

**Musashi** · 12-31-2006, 06:07

Venice, Milan, Spain, and Portual ALL have Musketeers. Russia and Turkey have special elite Musketeers who kick tail in melee as well as at range.

**IPoseTheQuestionYouReturnTheAnswer** · 12-31-2006, 06:09

Musketeers are a generic unit avaliable to almost every catholic faction. They are pretty crappy, too. Long range but low ranged attack and virtually zero melee and defense.

Janissary Musketeers and Cossack Musketeers do the same amount of damage with their guns, but the Janissaries have significantly higher melee attack and defense, so they can survive much longer in a melee. They're better for defending cities than Cossacks are, because the Janissaries are strong enough to hold the walls even after the ladders or towers hit them. Obviously they're better in field battles, too, because they can usually hold against other infantry or even beat them, or function as flanking troops if your cavalry is busy.

The Turks don't have a BAD selection of cannons by any means. The western factions might get the Serpentine and the Basilisk, but the Turks get the Monster Bombard, which can one-shot any wall. That pretty much makes up for any lack of cannons, since cannons are very poor for anti-unit jobs anyway.

Still, some factions get some really impressive gunpowder units. Top on my list would be the Moors' Camel Gunners, which if used correctly, can dominate any battlefield. They are mounted, have a very high attack, and are the only cavalry unit in the game with Long Range Missiles. They can really tear up the field, even in melee. Because they are camels, which scare horses, Camel Gunners can kill even the strongest heavy cavalry, provided they have been weakened by gunfire.

Reiters seem good too, but I've never seen them used. Very, very high missile attack but a short range. They're more meant to fire off a couple volleys and then close in to attack in melee, since they have high attack/defense.

Unless we're talking about Elephant Artillery, I don't think cannons have a very significant presence on the field in M2 at all. They are inaccurate, slow to reload, slow moving, and extremely vulnerable to flanking. If you're going to have a discussion on the best gunpowder unit period, I'd stick it strictly to cavalry and infantry, because cannons just aren't that great. Again, unless they are mounted on Timurid elephants. Then they suddenly destroy all.