Carroccio Standard Benefits and Function?

[Mordon]

In my Milanese campaigns it always seems like the Council of Nobles has a warehouse with hundreds of these things somewhere. I'm always getting a set for the mission reward. So, I regularlly find myself using more than one standard to help fill up an army.

But, it got me wondering. I know these things provide a morale bonus, but how?

#1:Is it provided by the soldiers *around* the standard, or the big wagon thing itsself?

#2:If all the soldiers in the unit are killed, does the wagon still give its morale benefit?

#3:If the enemy destroys the standard(AI catapults seem to have guided rocks when it comes to hitting my standards ), does that destroy the benefit?

#4: Its possible to seperate the guard unit from the banner. What does this do to the morale benefit? What about their "unroutable" status?

#5: Do the benefits stack? It might just be me, but I seem to get improved performance when I have three standards spread out behind my main battle-line, one in the centre and one at each flank, than with just one standard, even in the centre of the line.(I should mention I use very narrow unit formations since it seems that archers dont have to worry about LOS issues from guys in their own unit, so my line isn't as long as you'd think.)

#6:What exactly IS the range on the benefit, anyway?

my apologies if these questions have been answered before

But I would greatly appreciate some pearls from the Guild's collective wisdom.

[John_Longarrow]

#1 - The morale benefit is provided by the standard itself, not it's guard.
#2 - Yes, at least as far as I've been able to observe
#3 - Yes, if the standard is destroyed you loose the morale benefit
#4 - The guard can drop the standard. This is done exactly the same as dropping any other piece of equipment (like rams).

[hisn00bness]

Their main use is still blocking bridges though ^^

[khaos83_2000]

I don't get them coz they r slow as they r considered as arty unit. So it slows down the army alot on the map. But they r a good alternative if u do not have a general nearby for a tough battle.

[phonicsmonkey]

They're very handy in sieges - you can drop the tower off near the gates, to provide a morale bonus to your defenders, and send the un-routable crew up onto the walls or to plug a breach...

[IrishArmenian]

I use them to plug the gates and the guards are the best spearmen in the game.

[pike master]

im pretty sure that the carracio standard and great cross spearmen will fight to the death well away from the standard. at least thats what i have observed. ive never spammed armied them but i might try it sometime.

[phonicsmonkey]

they will indeed

as Venice I've used them extensively against the mongols, both to add morale bonuses to the spear-line and to wheel the creaky bell tower out in front to break up the charge

a couple of times my whole army has run away from the dreadful khan (he so scary!) leaving only the stalwart scaffolding crew fighting on to the bitter end, often a long way from the abandoned or destroyed towers

[Matty]

Isn't it a bit cheesy to use the standard as a blocking tool for bridges and gates? How great is the morale bonus? I've had them in my last campaign as Venice but still had some routing at the gate. They look cool though, and that's enough for me.

[John_Longarrow]

Matty, I've never seen one route. What else was going on at the time? ie, were they surrounded by the entire Mongol nation and they were watching your general running away, screaming like a little girl who'd just wet herself?

[hisn00bness]

with a smartly dressed heavy lancer shouting at said general : " OHHH; suits you sir !" ?

[phonicsmonkey]

I don't use them to physically block the gates - that would be a bit cheesy..

[TevashSzat]

What you do is get like 3 of them to block a bridge and then park ribaults or crossbowmen behind them. Can you say bloodbath

[phonicsmonkey]

that is hella funny