Mayan Hornet Throwers??

[Wishazu]

Sorry if this has already been covered but this is my first time back on the net for nearly 10 months :( Anyways, I bought Kingdoms, decided to play an americas campaign as the mayans which im actually quite enjoying. Anyways, despite numerous battles in which ive used the hornet throwers I cannot discern what effect they actually have on the enemy other than to make their flags flash green, in turn making it harder for me to tell whether the enemy units are routing etc.

Can anyone please put me right? thanks

[Mailman653]

I think a green flag means their morale is lowered. It should be similiar to launching dead cows with a trebuche.

[khaos83_2000]

wat about yellow ?

I have seen red flag, not "fighting to the death". It is because the unit is burning.

[ReiseReise]

Interesting I haven't noticed this because I had banners turned off. I should turn them back on because the natives all have the same color clothes and I can't tell where the enemy is when the units are all mashed together in a giant bloodbath

[TB666]

The flag turns yellow here.
I think it makes them fight worse but not sure.

[Gaius Terentius Varro]

It's an area of effect thingy so it can affect your own troops just like the cows. Problem is all the good troops have 25 morale so not sure if it affects then never noticed anyone routing from it or trying to swat any flying objects.

[Benandorf]

I think it lowers morale and does a little damage to the unit over time (but not a whole lot).

Truthfully I don't use hornet throwers. Tiny range, tiny numbers, and seem to do next to no damage.

[Wishazu]

Thanks guys, i havnt been training any hornet throwers but i think one of my armies started with some.

Cheers again.

[alpaca]

If they're like the cows don't they lower attack and defense, too? I always felt like units going through the smoggy ruminants are much easier to beat than normal (and not only because of lower morale).

Talking out of my *** here but couldn't you use them in the same way? Lay a patch of hornets somewhere the enemy will move through, then run the hornet throwers behind your lines and turn auto-fire off?

[Wishazu]

I dont think you can order them to randomly throw hornets nests at a patch of ground, but i`ll certainly check it out mate. I think in the meantime i`ll just use them as a first line of skirmishers untill i run out completely then I wont need to worry about them anymore :)

[alpaca]

I dont think you can order them to randomly throw hornets nests at a patch of ground, but i`ll certainly check it out mate. I think in the meantime i`ll just use them as a first line of skirmishers untill i run out completely then I wont need to worry about them anymore :)

Hmm true that's probably not possible. I really wonder why CA still didn't include an area fire mode

[Nikos_Rouvelas]

Maybe CA should have had units hit by Hornets be disabled for a while. Like When you use Emperor Manuel's "Byzantine Politics" ability in the crusades campaign?

[Slaists]

not sure, what the real effect is, but in my spanish campaign my troops frequently rout as soon as they reach AI's mayan lines stuffed with hornet throwers and priests. i guess, they have some kind of cumulative morale killing effect.

[rebelscum]

Maybe they mis-heard that they were going to be attacked by a bunch of
'horny preists', that would make me turn tail and run.

[Monsieur Alphonse]

not sure, what the real effect is, but in my spanish campaign my troops frequently rout as soon as they reach AI's mayan lines stuffed with hornet throwers and priests. i guess, they have some kind of cumulative morale killing effect.

I had the same effect with just those priests. My conquistadores were charging some Mayans archers with one unit of priests behind the Mayan lines. When those chickens started singing my conquistadores immediately routed. I was happy to stop the route when they reached my lines. Then I ordered my artillery and musketeers to target those singing chickens. After they were finished my cavalry could finish the job. Those Mayans priests are very dangerous when your own general doesn't have a lot of command stars and a lot of dread or chivalry.

[Bob the Insane]

Then I ordered my artillery and musketeers to target those singing chickens.

Woohoo I have a new sig!!

[stuartdm]

When I've seen them used by the AI, eventually every nearly unit, on both sides, on the battlefield seems to be affected. Including the hornet throwers themselves!

[Bob the Insane]

They seem to operate like the dead cows from the Trebs... There is an area effect on the ground (if you zoom in you can see it) and anything that walks through it is aflicted for a period of time.

[RemusAvenged]

Alpaca and Wishazu,

It's too bad the aiming at a random piece of ground doesn't work anymore. For area affect weapons this would be great. I remember that Shogun had it for archers but haven't seen it for any units since. If anyone knows how to do this...

[Slaists]

I think, "hide anywhere" attribute for mayan hornet throwers would make them a great unit, otherwise their weapon is kind of pointless. With "hide anywhere" they could be hidden some distance ahead of the main corps allowing them to explode their weapon on advancing enemy without affecting own troops.

[ReiseReise]

You try staying quiet and hiding with giant jungle hornets crawling all over you.

[Slaists]

You try staying quiet and hiding with giant jungle hornets crawling all over you.

Well, at least according to their description, hornet throwers are supposed to be covered in mud an protected from them hornets...

[Guru]

Well, at least according to their description, hornet throwers are supposed to be covered in mud an protected from them hornets...

Well, imagine you are hiding in front of the rest of your troops. You carry several hornet nests and there are numerous big jungle hornets crawling all over you. The Spanish just sit there, waiting. The covering coat of mud starts to get dry and crumble and fall off. The Spanish still don't move. Oh, they have bought a big barrel of flying fire and start frying the natives' main force. Ah, those hornets... You are getting sweaty and the mud keeps falling off... Have to stay quiet. Your chief is reluctant to give an order to advance so you just got to wait for the Spanish to use all their ammunition. Looks bad...



- Guru

[Gallicflair]

No definate proof but my observation is that not only do the hornets lower morale but also defence (im guessing armour) - I say this because on two occasions I managed to trap a unit of conquestadors in their town square, surrounded them and pelted them with arrows. After I let loose some hornets the arrows seemed to be a hell of alot more effective (actually killing something every volley).

Annoying green banner thing though.

In the field I turn autofire off and save the ammo for the enemy general and armoured troops. If you let them loose too soon you run out of ammo and you are not controlling the morale hit for the vital time - ie once the enemy commits his shock troops and just before you commit yours.