Gendarmes vs. Templars: a statistical analysis

[Ulstan]

Maybe to expand on that for a junior member: without the 1.2 patch, the mailed knights don't get the +4 to defence for a shield. In fact, they get a -4. This is the infamous "shield bug" whereby shields reduce, not increase, defence.

Now that it has been fixed, looking back, I find it amusing how many people insisted it was working as intended and that a shield hurt you melee because it was 'big and bulky'

[Rebellious Waffle]

That, or there's a really clever armorer running a joke shop somewhere. At no extra cost, you can install concealed hinges along the shield boss -- the whole thing collapses like a house of cards when you come into contact with the enemy. Hours of amusement! Guaranteed to break the ice at parties.*


*Some assembly required. Side-effects include dry mouth, nausea, dismemberment and aggressive acupuncture. Smythe, Smythe & Sons are not criminally liable for any ill temper, routing armies, or sharp objects protruding from the abdomen that result from using this product. Consult your doctor before using the product. Do not use the product while riding on horseback. Do not burn, kick or ingest the product. Purchase of the product implies consent to be followed around at all times by the "giggling salesman" anciliary (+3 dread, -3 morale for all cavalry units, -3 Piety, -2% trade income, -1 personal security, decreases chances of having children).

[Doug-Thompson]

Re: Side effects. Now that's funny.

[rvg]

Now that it has been fixed, looking back, I find it amusing how many people insisted it was working as intended and that a shield hurt you melee because it was 'big and bulky'

Haha, yes. The fanboyism in its extreme incarnation.

[Ars Moriendi]

Regarding the speculation on whether the French have some hidden bonus for cavalry, you might want to read this post I made on another forum. I was testing for something else entirely, but I think it could have some relevance to this issue :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Headlong charge english hospitallers vs. french chivalric (normal, medium, grassy plain).
I repeated the test 10 times, alternating between charging and receiving - by receiving I mean starting to move just when enemy charge starts, since that's exactly what the AI does when charged.

Results :

       hosp    chiv
wins    1        9        
men    16       18.1

where "men" means average men remaining when victorious.
Chivalric knights are definitely better in head-to-head combat, isn't it ???

Well, I'm not sure - I ran another battery of 10 test, only change being I used hungarian chiv knights. They have identical stats, I was expecting identical results. Instead I got this :

       hosp   chiv
wins    5      5
men    21.2   11