Golden Horde!

[Vantek]

Just had a battle where I saw how Billmen own MHC so hard it's not even funny. It takes like 10 seconds to halve a unit after head-on impact holding moderate high ground.
Halberdiers have just 1 less attack, and 2 more defense and armour each. I just don't understand the need for spearmen after this. You don't need to pin a cavalry unit when you have Halberdiers. You crush it head-on. Why bother with holding the line when you can just directly decimate?

[caravel]

Just had a battle where I saw how Billmen own MHC so hard it's not even funny. It takes like 10 seconds to halve a unit after head-on impact holding moderate high ground.
Halberdiers have just 1 less attack, and 2 more defense and armour each.

Halberdiers also have 2 less morale and are two points slower. I believe you are underestimating the importance of morale in your assessment. Also that 1 point extra attack bonus makes all the difference (their attack bonus is doubled). Billmen are simply superior.

I just don't understand the need for spearmen after this. You don't need to pin a cavalry unit when you have Halberdiers. You crush it head-on. Why bother with holding the line when you can just directly decimate?

Each to their own...

[drone]

Battles with the Horde usually take forever to fight. So any unit that is susceptible to morale issues is iffy. In a custom battle, charging a unit of Halbies into a charging unit of MHC leads to the Halbies winning, IIRC. But take that same unit of Halberdiers, walk them around a bunch to get them into position, have them peppered by the Mongol Warriors/Horse Archers, repel a couple of charges from MHC and lose half their unit, then you have a problem. Fatigue + losses from missiles + casualties = start of chain rout. They are also too slow to retire from the field properly, so your replacement rates suffer. Meanwhile, the Horde has 6 stacks of reinforcements lined up waiting to have a go.

Staying power is a lot more important than kills. If you can guarantee that your halberdiers are going to be in woods, they work great (spears lose a lot of bonuses in the trees). But if the only patch of forest is in the middle or sides of the map, it's a long, slow slog for the tin cans against the GH.

[Vantek]

Staying power is used to let the Arbalesters empty their quivers, right? I guess this indeed comes down to playstyle then... First of all I hate long drawn-out battles and avoid them in the first place, and secondly, perhaps as a result of that I often find myself incapable of using Arbalesters on less than mountainous terrain.

So any unit that is susceptible to morale issues is iffy.

Well... Once again, which unit do you have in mind that doesn't?

[drone]

Staying power is used to let the Arbalesters empty their quivers, right?

Not necessarily, though it's nice. You need units that can hold the line, not take too many casualties, and can recover from fatigue. They need to be able to stand in for at least 2-3 waves. The Arbalests will work through their quivers regardless, as long as they get protection.

I guess this indeed comes down to playstyle then... First of all I hate long drawn-out battles and avoid them in the first place, and secondly, perhaps as a result of that I often find myself incapable of using Arbalesters on less than mountainous terrain.

This is true, if you find something that matches your play style and works, great. I find myself incapable of controlling large numbers of archers, and can't use HA to save my life. So I get around it by using different tactics.

Well... Once again, which unit do you have in mind that doesn't?

Chivalric or Feudal(w/ armor upgrades) Sergeants or Armoured Spearmen on the lines. It's not sexy, but they will retain their numbers and energy levels longer, thus maintaining morale.

[Vantek]

Not necessarily

Hang on... then what else could we be holding the line for if it's not necessarily arbalesters?

The Arbalests will work through their quivers regardless

If the line is broken and Arbalesters get charged into, they won't...

[drone]

Hang on... then what else could we be holding the line for if it's not necessarily arbalesters?

Flankers.

[Vantek]

And who are they?