Recent content by mjrlong

Fair enough, the RTR is better than I thought, lots of ceasefires me thinks which is a very good thing. Any Nord village, even ones in vaegir hands will do, as long as they give you Nord recruits. The merc contract was just a suggestion, to help train up the Nord soldiers that make toppling castles and cities a whole lot easier.

340 with 55 may well be enough, Its just the lack of high tier siege material that will derail you, sharpies and huscarls are even more formidable on the walls than taking them, and as an independent kingdom, you are going to be doing a whole lot of defending no matter how good your renown and RTR are. My current play through I'm a swadian lord (first time) with 756 renown and 42 right to rule, and I'm not starting up yet, until my relations with various lords feels about right.

If you feel happy with starting up then do so, grab a parcel of land and declare for yourself, it will be challenging but a lot of fun, If its anything like my start-up kingdoms, though both times I have rebelled against a king, so i have had large armies and garrisons, with multiple cities and castles to call upon.   

as long as you have solid troops to hold a castle, remembering you have to garrison anything you take, you can get access to new recruits, and get them to reasonable strength quickly then you will probably have a good chance of survival 

Huscarls are the top form of Nord infantry, shield-biting berserkers that maul almost anything in melee, and sharpshooters are the Rhodok crossbow elite, old school snipers. recruit Nord and Rhodok recuits, and train them up as much as you can. rinse and repeat for infinite victory.

With only 300 renown you are going to have a very difficult time starting a kingdom, although doing it now may be a very rewarding challange if you survive the all out war almost everyone will throw at you. The nation you take the castle from will be at war with you adn the vaegirs almost certainly will as well, if your closeby them, as you will be weak and they want the extra land. No matter they are friendly with you now, buissness is buissness.

My advice below stands as for the taking of castles, but I'd hold off starting up yet, and build up companions and send them off to increase your Right to rule.

Mercenary contracts with the Nords and Rhodoks (not at the same time obviously) would be a good idea to build up worldwide relations and the aformentioned Huscarls and sharpies

On the original question, I have to question the premise, that a spear is stronger in a duel than a sword. My experiance doesn't hold that to be true, a spear has significant weaknesses against the sword in one on one combat. The length is useful in the initial moments, but the blade of the spear is difficult to control at full extension so the range that your working at, isn't much further than a good lunge with a fair length blade, (obviously not a gladius) furthermore recovery time for the point is longer than the blade, the centre of balence of which is far closer to the hand, making it more recoverable and agile. In any matter, I wouldn't take a spear over a sword. 

That said, of the points made, the simple economy speaks loudest to me, It takes many years and great expense to train as a proficient swordsman, because a sword is simple to use and understand but very difficult to master, as there are many techniques and styles that all recuire long hours of practice, until they become locked in muscle memory. A spear's chief virtue lies in massed ranks, all presenting sharp pointy things in the faces of opponents. Spears are easy to use and at least within that context, a pike or spear wall, easy to master, what is hard about continuely stabbing the pointy end at the people who want to kill you.

That isn't all there is to it obviously but within the context it really is that simple. You paid the swordsman more, because it was a higher status of warrior, and because he was a highly trained specialist, rather than a regular, no matter how effective they may have been in ranks. A bit like how you would pay a michelin star chef more than a macdonalds employee

I concur with the Honerable gentlemen above, but I certainly wouldn't make it out to be so easy.

Where are you? what nation are you with. If for example your with the sarranids (with sarranid troops) against the Rhodoks then don't bother, just run away, those devilish crossbows with turn your men into pincushions instantly (A lesson I learnt very recently, 400 sarranids vs 140 arbelest wielding mothers. Never again.)

Seriously though, not everyone will be able, or in a position to crank out Huscarls and Sharpshooters quickly, if at all, so it really does depend on what troops you have in your army.

Your best bet here would be to convince another lord to join in with you, or join the marshals army when applicable. The more you fight in the large battles and sieges the more renown you'll get, and if you can take out a few lords on the battlefield on your own, all the better, more glory for you. The more renown, the more men you can have in your army, and the more likely it is your faction leader will give you a castle/city. Also, a handy tip, is look for castles/citys that have recently been taken FROM your faction, they will have a very small garrisons made up of mostly low tier units. Managed to take back Ukxhal from the Rhodoks with 60 mostly tier 3/4/'s in this manner.

Finally, If your not already, put every spare point into trainer, both on you and all of your companions, they all stack, honestly, every spare point that isn't being used elsewhere, being able to raise high level troops quickly is vital mid to late game, when you are going to be doing everything and your going to need to be everywhere because your nation is feasting (looking at you Harlous) and your the only one turning aside invasions.

If you give some more of the details we can be more specific. 

I certainly haven't, the most I have got was about 10 t2's but I have never been one for farming relations with anything, I like to play the game as organically as I can, and once I'm a lord I stop going quests for villiages, unless I own them, because I'm a Noble, and i like roleplaying. That said I've read posts claiming everything up to Knights with 100 relations so I certainly seems possible.

Bobthehero said:

Having tested my arming sword agaisnt my (low qualitiy) mail gauntlet a few time, I say bring it on with total confidence.

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I'm guessing your blade isn't battle sharp?

However the point is valid, Solid, competantly made Mail was a very effective form of armour, as long as the blunt impact of the blow was softened with an arming jack (padding). In fact it's understood the majority of injuries through Mail happened as a result of a weak link being struck, which placed larger than usual stress on the rest of the links, causing a cascade of failures. In this context, it was often easier to punch through the Mail, with a pointed blade (such as an arming sword) or lance, or just break bones with a mace or heavy blade, which a scimiter could well have.

Less well made mail might break on a sweeping cut, but it couldn't be relied upon, far easier to go for a less armoured area, or joins in the various pieces, like around the wrists, or maybe even the neck, if a coif isnt built in to the torso.

The scimiter is great for use on lightly armoured men, but I have to support the opinion that against a mail armoured man, its effectivness is limited somewhat apart from the crushing weight of the blade. As far as other regional weapons go, the sabre is more useful against armour by all logic.

Actually you can't command any troops you had when you join a lords army. They don't appear at all they just disappear into thin air and they will never appear in battle. They only follow you if you are an independant commander, not a singular freelancer in another lords army. Once you leave your commander the troops you gather suddenly return to your side, as long as your not defeated or captured at any point during your service.

You can certainly try distracting them, but again as a freelancer you would need to be in a position that allowed you to have a horse, or an indepentant commander, so that doesn't really solve the problem.

Freelancer doesn't allow you to command anything, just fight in a larger army, so there isn't much you can do about it.

And thats the problem, given as you have no say, there is no real tactics. Unless they are really really out numbered the Knights will always charge and get torn a new one by Nord axes ( ) then the poor swadian infantry take a swift leave of absense from thier heads. Playing as a swadian soldier, this will happen, a lot. Heaven forbid you ever attack the Rhodoks on their home soil.

This happens just about everywhere. I played as a Nord, and the fools still charge and seperate against knights even when we are on a open field. We still ussually prevail, but we loose far more than we should, or could if we stuck together and roughed it out.

All in the Nords are probably the best bet for playing freelancer, heavy armour and shields for good survivability, and all infantry so with a few points in athletics you can keep up with the front runners even at the beginning of the game.  That and the loot you will get is solid, from sea-raiders especially.

My advice, join the nords and earn enough money to start out on your own even if you then move back into swadia and fight for harlous again. As long as you don't take out any of the swadian lords yourself on the battle field you won't damage relations with swadia and you might also get some sweet swadian armour in the loot for free. Win win.

Its a bad, bad day when you have a single word that expresses the phrase 'my nuts are frozen'

The Gladius is primarily designed as a stabbing weapon granted, but that doesn't count it out as a cutting weapon. The edge is just as good, but compared to the Gaulic long swords they fell short, because they were a, short blade.

You hack someone with it, they are going to notice it. It might not kill them straight away, but it will be nasty and likely to infect. Stabbing the right area will just kill someone quicker so the romans favoured it.

Six inches of point is better than a whole yard of edge.

The Roman Gladius is useful in the roman model against the celts/germanic tribes in a close fight where the romans could use their formations and discipline to grind down the enemy, this usually requires a solid formation with a front line and depth (exceptions include the wedge, put that uses the same principles) to counter the barbarian rush and then apply counter pressure. In this example the gauls that arrive later to the front push up against the men trapped by the shield wall, unable to swing the long swords or spears they carried. as long as the formation remained intact the romans could then use the space they had behind thier shields to stab through the gaps into the unprotected bodies.

The problem with Teutoberg Wald is the ambush senario, where the Germans take the Romans by surprise in an all out bum rush, so the Romans don't have the time to form up and recieve them, forcing them to fight individual duels which they aren't stictly trained for with equipment that isn't really up to that particular job, or gather into small groups against the shock of the attack, in an effectively defensive position with no option of counter pressure, meaning you give the initiative to the Germans who can back off and use the space available to swing their weapons to devistating effect.

These senarios gave great results for the tribes over the Romans, but once the Romans got you into a field battle, they were very hard to best.

As for the Bastard sword, I love the balance of power and length to lightness and agility and a well balanced Hand and a half sword, which is the 'official' name, is one of my favs. 

Edit: A Dagger and Buckler is a highly impractical style in the long term, having a dagger in reserve, life-saving, using it, not if you don't have to. In a hardcore close melee, granted, but it leaves you far to open, a buckler being a very small shield, it's really not something you want to be taking into a battle, unless it serves a very specific purpose i.e. defeating pikes. In the right situation (very unlikely) ok, almost every other fight going, hell no.

Also remember you can have it as riding shotgun to a sword. Inspired.

Firstly, not all shields where made equal, your basic Scuta is a damn solid piece of kit.

At Carrhae, the evidence available leads us to believe that the legionaries held out initially but where eventually worn down by constant arrow barrages (the testudo is a great ace in the hole against archers, but not invunerable to them) and repeated charges against the testudos, which is not the most effective method of recieving cavalry. When the Romans started to break formation and run, thats when the butchery would have happened just with most ancient battles.

Different bows where better at getting through shields as well, tests conducted by the royal artillary college proved that an english longbow would punch through a Scuta and a lot of other shields at a hundred yards, maybe not far, but enough to wound the arm that supported it in some cases, possibly putting the soldier out of the fight.

Horses are difficult. A horses skull is very thick, and most arrows unless fired from very close range won't penetrate. A trained horse, not even a warhorse can continue to run forwards with arrows in non-vital areas, such as the leg muscles, much as people can, but horses actually have much higher pain thresholds than people, so then can go further than men with a similar wound. The best way of putting the horse down with a bow, is to fire up and onto the top of its head and back. The thinner skull, more exposed spinal cord, and exposed heart are the best places to shoot. As the English longbowmen did at Agincourt to great effect.

Moral of the story, deffinately carry a shield, its better than nothing.

And I like the way the shields work in game, but they should last a little longer, a steel sheild braking after a handfull of blows kinda knocks the immersion a bit

Loving the amount of Axe-love on here 

Watch groups usually carried spears of halberds because they were cheap, and they wern't meant to fight, just keep the troublemakers at bay long enough for superiour numbers to come into play. That and an enemy at the far end of a polearm is much less dangerous (unless he has a ranged weapon) than one in your face.

A man with even little training with a polearm is a big danger in city, especially a Halberd with its axe head, and even in close quarters the butt spike is a often forgotten addition. Add to that the binding and controling aspect of being pinned by a big bearded guardsmen, and the drunk peasents and thieves they would deal with on a day to day purpose where out matched, true a well trained swordsmen or axemen would go through them like butter in small groups but that was never their purpose.

Palace guards weapon choices are even more understandable, putting a ring of very sharp pointy things around their King/Lord/Employer so all potential threats are kept at arms range (for the crossbowmen in the gallery  )

Personally I'm a throwing axe man, versitile weapon of choice, it cuts, hacks, pokes and hooks, and even when the tricky blighters won't come close you can just lob it at 'em. Always carrie a spare though.

The great thing about this game is you can do anything you want, and even if you fail you can just rebuild (you can't die) I usually enlist as well, but usually in a dukes/hertogi ect's army, because they have enough men to not get slaughtered to much, but are quick enough to catch most people. Last play through I went travelling alone after I retired, hit up loads of arena fights and tournaments investing in enterprises in areas I wasn't going to stay to much, simply because they add funds instantly and don't have to be visited unlike buying land.

If your bored in the kings army, which happens quite quickly I remember, then join a castle or villiage owning lord, you'll get owned more often, but its more fun, and you can get serious xp as you make so much of a difference in a small force, even if your not that great at combat, or your stats aren't awesome. (the game remembers your rank in that faction, so you won't lose the work you put in with the kings army)

If your going to strike out on your own, It doesn't matter what financial position your in, start small and work up, explore your options as you work it out, you might get beat a lot, but you'll learn, far more than you will reading others experiance what works for you and what doesn't

March forth and watch as your enemy quails in fear.

good luck

By my understanding:

First there was the Calrad Empire, which covered the area of the game (taken from warband) and for a time, it was good. Then the Viegir people, migrating in from the northeast clashed with the Empire for control of the area and it was during this time that the Empire began to bring in sea raider mercenaries to provide infantry support for thier cavalry.

Eventual peace between the Calrad Empire and the Veigirs left the Sea raiders, who had began to settle in the north alone fighting the Veigirs and considering the weak position the Veigirs where in folowing the war the new Nordic kingdom beat back them back, taking the territory for itself. Meanwhile the critically tax and civil unrest weakened Empire splits into two during a civil war, leading to the creation of both the Rhodok Republic in the mountains and the Swadian Kingdom, holding the old Calrad heartlands of Suno and Uxkhal.

At some point either during or after these events the Khergits sweep onto the lower steppes, displacing the scattered Veigir population and raiding towards Swadian lands. Add in the settling of the desert regions (possibly taken from Khergits) by the Sarranids before the events of the player arriving during Warband and you have (by my limited understanding) a fairly concise account of general Calradian history