Quote Originally Posted by Caledonian Rhyfelwyr
The reasons javelin units are better against armoured units is that the armoured units are slower than lighter units and so will not be able to catch the javelinmen.
Can light troops actually "evade" javelins? I remember in Rome the game told me that some light javelin-armed skirmishers are not good against other light troops as their javelins can be evaded.

Quote Originally Posted by Caledonian Rhyfelwyr
Types of armour have no specific effects other than the value they give.
I think the starting armour sets/affects the speed of most infantry. The slowest infantry unit, as far as I know, is dismounted gothic knights and they are the only ones who start with advanced plate. Anyone confirm or evert?

Quote Originally Posted by Caledonian Rhyfelwyr
Armour gives a unit total protection from any angle for both melee and missile attacks. Shield gives a unit protection from the front and left side for both melee and missile attacks, although the shield value in melee only applies when a unit uses the shield blocking animation. Defense skill protects a unit from its front and right hand side, although it only applies during melee and I think only when a unit is using a blocking animation.
Shield gives full protection from the front and half from BOTH right AND left. Gunpowder weapons ignore shields. I dont think the blocking animation affects the shield protection in melee. I think it's the other way; the protection values affect animations. For example they affect the possibility if the man blocks the attack or not. I'm not sure about this but it would seem logical... Defence skill protects from the front, left and right with its full value. In melee that is. Missiles and gunpowder ignore defence skill. It's a bit different to Rome for example. I'm sure some of our modders know better than me so feel free to correct if I got something wrong here.

Good topic...
Cheers, Guru