Golden Horde!

[caravel]

Thanks for the advices. Greece, Constantinople, occasionally Nicaea and soon Rum work for the Varangian guards. Bulgaria is producing arbalests, Trebizond: Trebizond archers. It's 1215. Nagamasa-sama said something about spearmen. What is the perfect ratio between the Varangians and Spearmen? (perhaps I should devout Constantinople to their making since they get +1 valour (Master Spearmaker) +1 armour (soon +2) +1 morale (Church) there).

I would have a unit of Varangians for every three units of spears.

Second, I am training Pronoiai in Nicaea. Now they get +1 valour +1 armour, I hope in ten years I will start producing them with +2 valour (Master Horse Breeder). They also should get +1 morale for church, +1 for monastery +2 for reliquery (I hope it stacks). I think my excellent 7-8 star commanders will get them enough strength to make them a fast and effective Horde killing machines. Personally, I like them more than the Kataphraktoi.

I would advise against taking on the horde with a mainly cavalry army. Pronoia cav are expensive and you will take heavy losses in cav vs cav battles against the horde. They're certainly better than Kataphraktoi, but the best cavalry to suit are the Byzantine Lancers, in smaller numbers for chasing routers. Personally I like to use a combination of Byzantine Lancers and the Byzantine Cavalry as the latter can unleash their arrows and then chase routers before you withdraw them.