Musketeers VS Arquebusiers VS Handgunners

**Chosun** · 01-13-2007, 08:14

Which do you prefer and why? I am playing a Portugal Campaign right now and can't make a decision between the muskets and the arqs. The muskets have better range but the arqs have better defense and melee I think. I read in some previous posts about how great the musketeers were but they don't seem all that great on paper. Please enlighten me. Also, are handgunners good for anything?

**pevergreen** · 01-13-2007, 09:14

Handgunners are early Arques
Arques are early muskets

Portugal Arque are better than musketeers, in attack, defence, charge, and Missile Damage.

No idea why, but they are.

**dopp** · 01-13-2007, 17:56

Musketeers have 50% more range than Arquebusiers. They have the longest range of any missile troops in the game, siege engines excepted. The elite muskets like Cossacks and Janissaries also have the highest missile attack in the game.

**lars573** · 01-13-2007, 18:00

Also Hanguns can explode, as can arquebuses.

**Chosun** · 01-13-2007, 18:33

"Musketeers have 50% more range than Arquebusiers"

This doesn't seem to help that much when the enemy is closing pretty quickly.

"Also Hanguns can explode, as can arquebuses."

I haven't seen this happen to arqs just yet. I do remember them "exploding" in TW though.

You'all have expressed the different strenths but which one to choose?

**Multiplicity** · 01-13-2007, 19:07

I haven't played with Musketeers yet, but when it comes to arquebusiers and handgunners, handgunners can hold themselves better in a melee fight compared to arquebusiers who can get trounced on.

**Husar** · 01-14-2007, 04:28

Originally Posted by dopp

The elite muskets like Cossacks and Janissaries also have the highest missile attack in the game.

Wrong, german Reiters have 20 compared to 17 for elite muskets.
Their range is considerably lower but they are still missile troops and very dangerous ones at that.

**pevergreen** · 01-14-2007, 04:32

Yummm, plate armoured pistol weilding horsies!

**dopp** · 01-14-2007, 13:14

Originally Posted by Husar

Wrong, german Reiters have 20 compared to 17 for elite muskets.
Their range is considerably lower but they are still missile troops and very dangerous ones at that.

Yeah, forgot about them. Their range is a little short though; shorter even than javelins.

Getting the first one (or two) volleys in before the enemy can open fire in return can be decisive, especially considering that arquebusiers and musketeers come unarmored and their single upgrade doesn't help much, but if your favorite faction only gets arquebusiers then don't worry, just march them up close and open fire.

Portuguese Arquebusiers are among the best, but don't overlook Sudanese Gunners. They don't wear armor and don't fight as well in melee, but their morale and missile attack are excellent.

**supadodo** · 01-15-2007, 04:57

Personally in my experience, handgunners are crap. They have stupidly short range and their mellee is easily surpassed by other units. Arquebusiers are rather good but theiy have shorter range even to most archers and since they lack armor, they can die very easily. Musketeers have better range than even elite archers and certain musketeers are good in melee.
I've Tried and tested, musketeers beat arquebusier coz of range. Cossack and Jans are equal range attack wise because I get mixed results on 1v1 matches but Jans have the upper hand in melee. Gunpowder units however should never be used as standalone units. 1v1 with chivalric knights against jan muskets, chivalric knights won coz jans coudn't kill them fast enough and got slaughtered in melee.