Bang per buck: Melee cavalry

[Doug-Thompson]

Take a unit’s maintenance cost from R'as al Ghul's unit guide. Divide that by the combat value given in YAS’ TOOLS. That yields a number: The lower the number, the more combat value per florin per turn — very generally speaking.

This very crude calculation shows a very rough picture of what’s a bargain and what’s not. Buyer beware: A unit that routs in front of a better, more expensive unit is no bargain at all. Also, the combat value for charging with the primary weapon was used in the calculation. Some units are much better in sustained melee.

Anyway, here’s the results from best to worse:

Best in Category: 2.5 florins per combat point.
Mercenary Elephants

The “4s” (4.2 to 4.6)
All bodyguard units

The 5s (5.4 to 5.8)
Italian Cavalry Militia
Polish Retainers
Hussars

The 6s (6.3 to 6.8)
Huscarls
Chivalric Knights
Polish Knights
Quapukulu
Druzhina
Mamluks
Sipahi Lancers
Royal Mamluks
Teutonic Knights
Khan's Guard
Christian Guard
Conquistadores
Eastern Chivalric Knights
Knights Hospitaller
Knights of Santiago
Knights Templar
Norman Knights
Arab Cavalry
Mounted Sergeants
Border Horse
Serbian Hussars

The 7s
Armored Clergy
Scouts
EE Cavalry Militia
Demi Lancers
Portuguese Knights
English Knights
Imperial Knights
Feudal Knights
Stradiots
Albanian Cavalry
Greek Militia Cavalry
Latinkon
Kataphractoi
Crusader Knights
Serbian Knights
Tsars Guard
Granadine Lancers
Mailed Knights

The 8s
Bedouin Cavalry
Alan Light Cavalry
Byzantine Lancers
Noble Knights
Polish Guard
Lancers
Royal Banderium
Gothic Knights
Italian MAA
Famiglia Ducale
Hobilars

The 9s
Armenian Cavalry
Mercenary Frankish Knights
Merchant Cavalry Militia
Gendarmes
Kwarizmian Cavalry

The 10s
Mercenary German Knights
Broken Lances
Mercenary Knights
Tuareg Camel Spearmen

And in a category all their own:
Condottieri — 13.8