Armor upgrades

[doorknobdeity]

Is there any point to building the Smithy line beyond Armourer, the one that gives Heavy Mail? I don't believe that I've seen any units that benefit from it.

[TheLastPrivate]

armoured sergeants benefit from heavy mail.

[WhiskeyGhost]

isn't a partial plate level smithy the one that also has a chance of giving generals that +4 hp armor ancillary? (as well as that ornamental one that reduces it by 1, but gives an authority point)

[Philbert]

Heavy Cavalry often can benefit from the plate armour upgrades, though a number of factions do not have a unit that can be upgraded to Advanced Plate.

[Lamprey]

The heavy units often benefit from later armor upgrades; I usually go all the way to full plate with armorer buildings. I never build advanced plate though, because it gives no real benefit - by the time I'm teched up enough to build those advanced units, I already won so there's no practical reason to upgrade.

[Robespierre]

as the Mighty Sultan, i have recently observed the fact you mention. now that my armies of henchmen are reforming after crushing the first mongol wave, i have been noting the armour upgrades, none of them are as good as starting off with a shield and the better ones only apply to two or three unit types, so that 10,000 florins is gonna get spent on something better value for now, its bad enough maintaining 3 or 4 stacks of elites on the assumption that more hordes could be sweeping across the plains.....

[ReiseReise]

I agree, for 10,000 florins I would rather build a stack of elite troops and take a dozen enemy cities. The difference between 8 and 9 armour doesn't matter when they are fighting militias

[doorknobdeity]

Heavy Cavalry often can benefit from the plate armour upgrades, though a number of factions do not have a unit that can be upgraded to Advanced Plate.

I'm sorry, but are you sure this is the case in the Crusades campaign? I find that for Antioch and Jerusalem, at least, there are no units using armor heavier than Heavy Mail.