Favorite unit(s)

[caravel]

But that was at the cost of taxes going straight to them instead to the state, so it´s not too unfitting. Besides, it helps to limit the number of PKT in the field, which would otherwise lead to one-unit-type-armies (they´re THAT good. I fielded three units of them against three byzinf and one psiloi unit, and massacred the defenders to the last man, suffering only thirteen losses or so-althrough, truth to be said, using the increased maneuver of cavalry against such a small garrison would have been easy with any kind of heavy cavalry, but instead of charging straightfoward-like I´d have done with chivs- I peppered them beforehand.)
Another alternative would be lowering the support cost and raising both the training cost and training time (justifying it in-game, the time&money investment symbolizing convincing 40 members of the gentry to join your armed forces)

True enough. They are statistically much the same as the Pronoiarioi Kavallarioi, except for the charge (and the bows of course), I tried to design these two around filling the gap between the lighter cavalry and the Kataphraktoi. With these two cavalry types the Byzantine have many cavalries to fit every role, and carry them into the late era. I was still somewhat concerned about them being overpowered though, but had planned to counter this by toning down the command stars of the Byzantine royalty somewhat. Your idea of increasing the training time may have worked also, perhaps for Pronoiarioi, and Kataphraktoi. Training and support costs also needed a lot of tweaking to get them balanced. This would have come from player feedback.

Well, the mod fits rather well my concept of an "ideal" mod (as in altering the existing gameplay to make it more interesting as opposed to altering everything -XL is one mod I tried and didn´t like (and unfortunately deleted before I could think up looking into things I´d have liked to copy), and vanilla alone is rather tepid after trying your mod. Not that I have much time, as I have to keep up pharma, epidemiology, and general pathology, but when I do a TW, it´s with the Pocket Mod.

Sadly most of the contributors gave up and went back to XL/vanilla/whatever. This left me effectively posting and replying to myself. Kind of like shouting into an empty cave and hearing nothing but the echo. Faced with this situation I decided to give it up (as with countless other modding projects).

Sidenote: I don´t know what did you do with the "compound bow" projectile exactly, but Trebizond-trained Psiloi are MURDERERS. Not only they´re extremely effective in combined arms, but as single units they´re particularily
lethal as well. I moved one to çuell one of the infamous "siege weapons uprisings", and it managed to pull a shot as the rebels were running away, and still managed to kill 4 of the twelve crew. (It does lead to "historically accurate" armies composed mainly of bowmen, and it makes them be worth the extra support, but renders arbalesters a bit accessory, just for bridge battles and/or fencing off the first waves of the mongol invasion -which in my current game has opted to ignore me altogether-.

IIRC the compound bow is a slightly toned down longbow, I have never had the chance to test it out at all, as I'd stopped playing at that point. The Treb archers stats I hadn't tampered with, I'd only changed their physical appearance on the battlefield, renamed them as Psiloi and given them the compound bows. They've always been light skirmisher infantry (like Turcoman Foot or Futuwwa).

[drone]

Vikings in general, and Huscarles in particular. The Danes in Early have some kickin' troops. Highland Clansmen are also fun, fast, good punch, disposable, great in deserts.

[gunslinger]

Wrong. Granted, they took out the Mongols' cavalry, although they had significant losses. But it was the MHAs and MWs who teared them to shreds, first with their arrows, then the remainders in melee. Billmen are lighter armoured than Halberdiers, making them less unwieldy, but at the same time they succumb to massed missile fire at an alarming rate. I didn't have enough heavy cav to fight off all those MWs with them alone and thus lost the battle.

That's why I bring along all of the archers and the fast cav (like Mounted Sergeants). For the most part, I concentrate my fire on the MHAs. The cav works well against the warriors, but I really don't remember the billmen getting slaughtered by them. I should have mentioned that I keep quite a few cavalry units in the reinforcement pool along with the archers. This is just because they usually get exhausted.

[Wasp]

Probably Fianna Eireann (4/*3/3/3/6), an XL mod Irish unit similar to a Huscarle with slightly lesser attack/defense. Requires only a Swordsmith to build. One of my favorite units, also.

Yup, that's the one. Thanks! In the description, it also said something like 'protectors of the ancient legacy of Ireland'

[caravel]

Yup, that's the one. Thanks! In the description, it also said something like 'protectors of the ancient legacy of Ireland'

Unfortunately a fantasy unit. The "Fianna" are mythological warriors, and "Fianna Éireann" are a 20th century Irish Republican movement. The Huscarle troop type are also historically inaccurate for the period and culture. The Gaill-Gaedhils (or whatever they're called in the game) are similarly fantasy inspired, as are the similar Berserksgangr units in the Viking campaign. The Gaill-Gaedhil appeared to have been the mixed race Irish-Norse, Norse immigrants or those that converted back to paganism collectively.

[Deus ret.]

That's why I bring along all of the archers and the fast cav (like Mounted Sergeants). For the most part, I concentrate my fire on the MHAs. The cav works well against the warriors, but I really don't remember the billmen getting slaughtered by them. I should have mentioned that I keep quite a few cavalry units in the reinforcement pool along with the archers. This is just because they usually get exhausted.

Well IIRC Mongol warriors have quite decent melee capability, decent enough to fend off most light cavalry, and together with their ranged attack they are superior to billmen....in my experience

It might also be that
a) I wasn't feeling at ease on the tactical map yet, since it was my 2nd or so campaign. In the retrospective, I should have looked either for cover to hide the billmen in or for a bridge to better defend against the onslaught.

b) I've become too influenced by MedMod in myjudgement since I play it almost exclusively; in this mod, MWs are CMAA stat-wise plus they have very nasty AP missiles, which makes them quite deadly.

[caravel]

The problem with mongol warriors is the AI's reluctance to disable Skirmish mode. The AI can do it, but only against units that are judged as very inferior. Trebizond Archers for example will come out of skirmish mode and charge vanilla horse archers, but they won't often take on Spearmen or UM. Because the Mongol warriors don't know when to stand their ground and fight they get mopped up with ease by a half decent cavalry charge.

[ULC]

I love the entire gothic unit line, excellent units, especially the foot knights.

Boyars and CFK are good to, and I definitly love the Janissaries, main reason I play as the Turks! I had a test battle with fully upgraded GFK versus JHI, and the JHI won by a long shot.

[Bregil the Bowman]

My faves:

1) Druzhina Cavalry - dismount them for foot knights with 50% more numbers - very handy in Early games

2) AUM - the heart of any Almohad army

3) Welsh bandits - I've never really mastered the art of concealment, but their longbows and mobility can make mincemeat of an army of Huscarles and Jomsvikings - no mean feat

4) Chivalric Knights - dismount 'em for resolute infantrymen, or mount 'em up for shock troops and pursuit. Teamed up with longbowmen (and maybe a few bills) this is the English army of choice.

[Voivode of Romania]

Since I usually play with Russians or Byzantine in MTW, my favorite units are:


1. Kataphraktoi
2. Alon P... Cavalry
3. Byzantine Cavalry
4. Boyars
5. Varangarian Guards

[Innocentius]

I'll add Latin Auxillaries, Billmen and Teutonic Sergeants to my list.

Billmen for quite obvious, they are awesome.

Latin Auxillaries mostly because...er...they just appear generally cool to me.

Teutonic Sergeants: the best mop-up cavalry in the game.

[seireikhaan]

I love the entire gothic unit line, excellent units, especially the foot knights.

Boyars and CFK are good to, and I definitly love the Janissaries, main reason I play as the Turks! I had a test battle with fully upgraded GFK versus JHI, and the JHI won by a long shot.

Really? I did a test run of GFK vs JHI, both with +3 armor and +1 valor, on a flat landscape, and for me, the GFK won, though with fairly heavy casualties. What terrain did you use? I had a european terrain, so I guess the GFK wouldn't get as tired in all that armor as opposed to desert.

[ULC]

Arid, although I thought it wouldn't matter. The terrian was flat, so as not to provide any bonuses that would suddenly tip the scales. I tried again, and the GFK won. Unsure, I repeated the "test" 3 more times, and with no seemingly inherent reason to who won the battle (BTW, GFK 3, JHI 2)

[Maloncanth]

I dunno about VI, but in XL, Cuman Heavy Cavalry definitely takes the cake. CHC's equivalent to Mongol Cavalry, superior to anything up to and including Chivalric Knights, decently low tech, available in early, a batch with every prince and utterly unstoppable in early. They also turn lead to gold and deplete the ozone layer. I'd say practically UNBALANCEDLY powerful.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Having taken a look at the stats for Cuman Heavy cavalry and Mongol Heavy Cavalry, the Mongol is just a bit better, but considering that the Cuman heavies are available quite early, and their upkeep is comparatively low, I agree that they are an overpowered unit, whih compensates for the lack of decent spears. There should have been a Cuman Horse Archer unit in XL though.

[macsen rufus]

Horses for courses really, but a few faves for different reasons:

* swiss halbs - eat horses and armoured units for breakfast, and are faster and higher morale than bog standard halbs
* in XL I really learnt to love the bashkorts (Volga Bulgarian infantry, spears with throwing spears thrown in)
* in PMTW Polish Winged Hussars have to be the sexiest unit on the battle field, just a great graphic! But for use, I like the Ukrainian zapor.... oh, damn forgot how to spell it! And the Atli tartarlar HAs.
* in HTW Scythian light cav (I too have bit of a horse archer fetish )

ah, there are so many....

[Maloncanth]

Having taken a look at the stats for Cuman Heavy cavalry and Mongol Heavy Cavalry, the Mongol is just a bit better, but considering that the Cuman heavies are available quite early, and their upkeep is comparatively low, I agree that they are an overpowered unit, whih compensates for the lack of decent spears. There should have been a Cuman Horse Archer unit in XL though.

Really? They both show up as 8/4/5/7/8 for me.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Really? They both show up as 8/4/5/7/8 for me.

I could be wrong - I will check this when I get a chance.

[Roark]

Unfortunately a fantasy unit. The "Fianna" are mythological warriors, and "Fianna Éireann" are a 20th century Irish Republican movement. The Huscarle troop type are also historically inaccurate for the period and culture. The Gaill-Gaedhils (or whatever they're called in the game) are similarly fantasy inspired, as are the similar Berserksgangr units in the Viking campaign. The Gaill-Gaedhil appeared to have been the mixed race Irish-Norse, Norse immigrants or those that converted back to paganism collectively.

Whilst there are very few historical accounts of Berserker gangs/warbands, and most of these are from sagas, I disagree that they are fantasy inspired. After all, they were officially outlawed by Jarl Eiríkr Hákonarson of Norway in 1015.

Which brings me to my faves:

- Berserkers
- Ghazi
- Nizaris

[Vytautas Lietuva]

If you think that beserker units (who use their berserkergangr 'ability') are fantasy, you really need to check up on your history.

Jomsvikings were, however, fantasy

Chivalric foot knights, Cuman heavy cav, Teutonic Knights, Polish Retainers and Lithuanian Infantry are my favourites.

Yours,


Vytautas LT

[Agent Miles]

Steppe Heavy Cavalry and Serpentine. Anyone who takes one of the eastern map edge provinces can tech up to SHC and I believe serpentine are available to any faction. SHC are a hybrid HA and heavy cav that do both well. Eight serpentine on defense can ruin an invading army and they have lots of ammo to go boom with!

[OmarPacha]

Janissary Heavy Infantry above all.
They are fast, faster than Swiss Halberdiers, have a devastating attack bonus (5), are good against cavalry as against other heavy infantry thanks to their armor piercing bonus and, last,
they're disciplined so that, even matching superior enemy, they won't break the line.
Unfortunately they can only be trained where is the military academy that is where
has been built the Grand Mosque; but if I can accept that Mosque was one, I don't think the
Ottoman had one only war academy, for this reason I usually mod the building conditions
of the militar academy to allow training of JHI in more than one province.

Cheers

[The Unknown Guy]

- Nizaris

I think that adding the "Hashisini" unit as it is was a bit off the mark, just copying the ninjas from Shogun. Nizari footsoldiers should have been enough to represent the sect's presence, and the Hashisini should have been a special sort of muslim assasin. One that, for instance, was immune to border forts and died only upon trying a mission, either with success or failure.

[caravel]

The "Hashishin" and Nizaris in the game are an attempt to represent the Fedayeen Militia of Hassan bin Sabbah, followers of the Nizari Islamist sect. They should not really be trainable by any of the Muslim factions (or any factions) as they entirely opposed them all.

[The Unknown Guy]

(Indeed. Much like the cathars, really, with a murderous bent. But if bent making them playable, I would have made them a sort of "improved assasin". Then again, the syrian bonus does cover that)
(PD: Certainly the Seljulks should NOT be able to build them, as they hated them with a vengeance. The Egyptians could be argued to be in more lukewarm terms, if only because they aren't the Seljulks)

[Xehh II]

From XL anything with Voynuk in the name.

[jadast]

Royal Knights. They kill and kill and kill. I like to keep at least 2 units in every army. I hold them as my reserve and throw them in as needed. I play with the huge unit sizes so my knights are always out numbered.

Some of my armies are 8 RK, 4 spear units, 2 archers, 2 light horse. I sometimes spread these 8 RK units out in a long single file line and charge. Even in the teeth of spear units this charge often breaks the enemy front. If it doesn't I withdraw and my spears plug into the line while whats left of my knights regroup.

[cosminus]

My favs units are Jinettes, Royal Knights and Italian Infantry - in early
Then I like Chivalric Knights and Janisary heavy - high and late
I don't like to much canons as long as in close combat range are unusefull. In defence a combo of serpentine and balistas will perform better

[Martok]

In defence a combo of serpentine and balistas will perform better

Please forgive my disbelief, but you actually find ballista useful? How is that?

[caravel]

Perhaps he's getting confused between ballistas and catapults?