Best troops

[Laiska-Jaakko]

These kind of topics have probably already been discussed.

In my experience (and my theory):

Vaegir knights are the best cavalry around, but only in the plains (in mountains and hilly terrains the horses are difficult to maneuver). Screw the Swadian knights. Sure, they gots da lances, but since the AI never uses couching, it's pretty useless to have lance wielding troops or heroes.

Rhodok sharpshooters are the best archers to use for defending your castle. But even they are pretty useless since they mostly shoot at the walls.

Nord Huscarls are the best for taking a castle.

 

[Mabons]

Finally someone sees the light. Swadian knights AREN'T powerhouses. They just have numbers and when mixed with their slightly lower tier Man-At-Arms, are deadly en masse. Vaegir Knights, however, have 2H weapons for sieges, and seem to be FASTER than Swadians.

Yes, it has generally been agreed that Rhodok Sharpshooters are ****ERS. Always prone to getting a random headshot on you.

And IMO, Huscarls are the best unit in the game. The only problem you will have is the Khergits, but hire Rhodok Sharpshooters and you're fine.

 

[Diavolo]

There are insane differences between field and siege on what units are best. Swadian knights will own everything in the field as long as they not to greatly outnumbered (1:4 or worse)
There is no question about it. Have used 10 swadian knights to kill 100 nords, where 30 were huscarls. That was on flat terrain and it was sunny however.

But in a siege, I will say Rhodok sergeants and huscarls fight for the title of being best, but I will say huscarls are better since they can throw axes when they are piled up at the ladder

 

[Hietala]

pfff, any high tier troop will evolve into a killing machine when in player's hands ><

Vaegir archers/nord vet. archers are mostly used en masse to make them effective
Rhodok Sharpshooters are effective. Best crossbowman in the game, outshoots and outmelees the swadian adversaire.
Swadian/Vaegir knights plow through NPCs crazy running kids playing soldierboy xD
Nord Huscarls are just awesome. Use them in a field or in a siege, use them right and they will slinger enemies miles far away.
Rhodok Sergeants: Just like Roman soldiers, pretty nice, well armoured. This rhodok type of sergeants outfights the swadian type
Khergit lancers... yea, they're nice for when the swadian cowardcauldrins are running away... hit them hard from behind...
Khergit vet horse archers... centiberean circle around them and pick them off...

EVERY TOP TIER UNIT RULES IN HUMAN HANDS UNLESS IT'S A SWADIAN SHARPSHOOTER/SERGEANT...


the metalhead has spoken >< 

 

[tangodown72]

Swadian knights AREN'T powerhouses.

ಠ_ಠ

 

[Sir Lulzalot]

When it comes to siege, nothing can unleash the ungodly slaughter that huscarls can. I've gone on 10 castle conquering sprees with 50 of them and no archers.  The best field unit I would say is the Khergit vet horse archer.  While Khergits are awful in siege attacks, its a pain in the ass to chase after one of them in the field while he shoots knight after knight.  In truth there really is no "best" unit no matter what those half ass test battles say.

 

[Sanzo84]

It all comes down to the player's tactics, preference, troop availability and terrain.

Khergit Veteran Horse Archers and Lancers are deadly on open flat plains, especially when used in hit and run tactics.

Swadian Knights are great for charging at infantry and archer lines on flat terrain. Just make sure they don't engage the enemy if greatly outnumbered. Attack weak flanks, run off for a bit to break unit cohesion. Charge in again. Rinse and repeat.

Vaegir and Norse Archers are great on hillsides because they can shoot for a longer distance and at a greater pace than crossbowmen. Norse Archers seem to be more competent at hand to hand, but it's been a while since I've played Vaegir so I've forgotten.

Rhodok and Swadian Crossbowmen are ideal castle defenders. Especially when grouped together in great numbers. I remember trying to take over Praven THREE times with greater numbers than the defenders with Nords, only to fail because of the tenacity of the crossbowmen.

Rhodok Spearmen, Rhodok Sergeants, Swadian Infantry and Swadian Sergeants are great defensive infantry units. They are slow and because of their pace, don't present any good unit cohesion on the field. Put them in an infantry line waiting for enemy light cavalry to charge and watch the slaughter.

The Nords are special because they have fast moving infantry and are armed with short ranged missile weapons such as javelins and throwing axes. Their weakness is attacking enemies waiting on hills because when they charge in, they tend to throw a few missiles at the enemy which exposes them to enemy archer fire. Either tell them to Hold Fire or attempt to flank them. They are the best infantry on flat terrain however, but their weaker armor compared to the higher tier Swadians and Rhodoks don't make them very good defensive units.

These are my own personal opinions, so I could be wrong. I'm just saying that a good general (and player!) shouldn't just attack the enemy anywhere, with anything. If your Company is mainly cavalry, draw your enemy into flat terrain. If you're leading a mostly infantry Company being pursued by a mostly cavalry foe, either wait in a forest or even better a forested hill or mountain side. Use the terrain, use the battle menu. There is no such thing as "THE BEST UNIT", it depends on how you use them.

 

[Ludial]

There are insane differences between field and siege on what units are best. Swadian knights will own everything in the field as long as they not to greatly outnumbered (1:4 or worse)
There is no question about it. Have used 10 swadian knights to kill 100 nords, where 30 were huscarls. That was on flat terrain and it was sunny however.

But in a siege, I will say Rhodok sergeants and huscarls fight for the title of being best, but I will say huscarls are better since they can throw axes when they are piled up at the ladder

and I beat 240 Nords with 20 Vaegir Knights. The only casualties of mine were caused by some Huscarls, some swadian men-at-arms the bastards had, and one of the lords who was fighting with a greataxe from a hunter(faster than the knights on their warhorses)

so vaegir knights are without question the very best assault cavalry, and assault infantry in sieges(has to do with those bardiches ).
Khergit horse archers are naturally monsters IF used properly(you need to play smart to achieve that)
archers - rhodok sharpshooters/vaegir marksmen; there's simply the difference of "highly" accurate, powerful but scattered shot and a rain of arrows combined with voulges

rhodok sarges are the best infantry IMO - they just kill everything that's not ranged.

 

[Hietala]

There are insane differences between field and siege on what units are best. Swadian knights will own everything in the field as long as they not to greatly outnumbered (1:4 or worse)
There is no question about it. Have used 10 swadian knights to kill 100 nords, where 30 were huscarls. That was on flat terrain and it was sunny however.

But in a siege, I will say Rhodok sergeants and huscarls fight for the title of being best, but I will say huscarls are better since they can throw axes when they are piled up at the ladder

and I beat 240 Nords with 20 Vaegir Knights. The only casualties of mine were caused by some Huscarls, some swadian men-at-arms the bastards had, and one of the lords who was fighting with a greataxe from a hunter(faster than the knights on their warhorses)

so vaegir knights are without question the very best assault cavalry, and assault infantry in sieges(has to do with those bardiches ).
Khergit horse archers are naturally monsters IF used properly(you need to play smart to achieve that)
archers - rhodok sharpshooters/vaegir marksmen; there's simply the difference of "highly" accurate, powerful but scattered shot and a rain of arrows combined with voulges

rhodok sarges are the best infantry IMO - they just kill everything that's not ranged.

IMO vaegir knights are in some way better then the swadians: armament. when dismounted they are a quite good infantry/rhodok sharpshooter's breakfast
but swad knights are better armoured and better armed for mounted warfare.

khergit horse archers are like... well good, i use them together with my rhodok sharpshooters / nord huscarls and khergit lancers

but ehm, seriously? you wan't to assault a castle ,wich is guarded by 50 huscarls, with 50 vaegir dismounted knights for example??
in sieges: Nord huscarls > everything else, now everybody knows that xD

 

[Diavolo]

Impressive Ludal, Ive always underestimated the vaegir cavalry.
Maybe Ill give them a try, cuz atleast they look much cooler than those swadian knights.

 

[makidonski]

Can anyone explain to me what is Huscarl?

 

[AlienKnight]

Can anyone explain to me what is Huscarl?

Oh, please, we are mentally not ready for that...
Huscarls are the most powerful infantry of the Nord faction. They massacre anyone not dead yet, except when get against a bunch of good cavalry .

Check the in-game help to browse the units.

 

[Mabons]

Can anyone explain to me what is Huscarl?

Oh, please, we are mentally not ready for that...
Huscarls are the most powerful infantry of the Nord faction. They massacre anyone not dead yet, except when get against a bunch of good cavalry .

Check the in-game help to browse the units.

My huscarls decimate Swadian knights.

 

[Varric]

Battle 1 50 nord huscarls v 50 swad knights
nords lost, 50 casualties
swadian won, 48 casualties
this was when both sides charged in an open plains setting, the swadian charge was good and managed to take out a dozen but afterwards got slaughtered, then there were 2 knights left and about half a dozen huscarls left, the knights circled them and took them out 1 by 1.

battle 2 50 huscarls v 50 knights
nords lost, 50 casualties
swadian won, 0 casualties
this time i told the huscarls to hold position and to stand closer, it was an open fields setting, somehow the nords got slaughtered

battle 3 50 huscarls v 50 knights
nords lost 50 casualties
swadia won, 14 casualties
told the nords to stand closer + hold position then charged before the knight's impact

these were all without player's intrusion btw, and all the options were set to normal/hard difficulty

 

[Ludial]

Battle 1 50 nord huscarls v 50 swad knights
nords lost, 50 casualties
swadian won, 48 casualties
this was when both sides charged in an open plains setting, the swadian charge was good and managed to take out a dozen but afterwards got slaughtered, then there were 2 knights left and about half a dozen huscarls left, the knights circled them and took them out 1 by 1.

battle 2 50 huscarls v 50 knights
nords lost, 50 casualties
swadian won, 0 casualties
this time i told the huscarls to hold position and to stand closer, it was an open fields setting, somehow the nords got slaughtered

battle 3 50 huscarls v 50 knights
nords lost 50 casualties
swadia won, 14 casualties
told the nords to stand closer + hold position then charged before the knight's impact

one point that everybody is missing about the huscarls is their ridiculously short axes(common for all Nords). Not very useful, especially when some Vaegir bashes your shield to pieces with an axe twice as long as yours. Now the stats of huscs are monstrous - this is pretty much the only thing that makes sea raiders and Nords dangerous(and to a certain extent the thrown weapons); and the only reason I'd be wary of attacking a castle full of huscs; I'd try to at least outnumber them.
these were all without player's intrusion btw, and all the options were set to normal/hard difficulty

this is what I'm talking about
and I would still assault a castle full of huscarls with vaegir knights because of simple gear - huscs rarely have anything longer than a greataxe, whil vaegirs are all about two-handed axes. My only worry would be thrown weapons

btw that battle I mentioned - my company consisted of 40 knights, but due to the discrepancy in army sizes I started with 20 knights(naturally) and eight were killed, while butchering the vast majority of the enemy(and wounding everybody else). Thus, "single-handedly", I rid the Vaegirs of the invasion force besieging Ismirala castle. Too bad the Khergits attacked the castle at the same time
my favorite trick with a company of knights is to use my greater mobility to lure besieging lords one by one, thus easily crushing them.

 

[Hietala]

Battle 1 50 nord huscarls v 50 swad knights
nords lost, 50 casualties
swadian won, 48 casualties
this was when both sides charged in an open plains setting, the swadian charge was good and managed to take out a dozen but afterwards got slaughtered, then there were 2 knights left and about half a dozen huscarls left, the knights circled them and took them out 1 by 1.

battle 2 50 huscarls v 50 knights
nords lost, 50 casualties
swadian won, 0 casualties
this time i told the huscarls to hold position and to stand closer, it was an open fields setting, somehow the nords got slaughtered

battle 3 50 huscarls v 50 knights
nords lost 50 casualties
swadia won, 14 casualties
told the nords to stand closer + hold position then charged before the knight's impact

these were all without player's intrusion btw, and all the options were set to normal/hard difficulty

weird.. i done the same, but at the scenario from battle 2, the nords won with not many losses, in fact, the impact on the Nord lines made the swadian formation break apart and they got butchered individually.

At scenario battle 1, the Nords just got slaughtered cause they were not running in formation and thus an easy prey for the swadians
At scenario battle 3, there was, eh this tie. The last swad vs the last huscarl was err, the last swad got killed by a throwing axe from that nord, but the horse kept on galloping knocking that huscarl unconsious ><

think it depends on how the AI reacts

 

[Æon]

The stupidity of the AI is random so I wouldn't trust those experiments only for that reason. Also the results are much too different from one another.

 

[Hietala]

The stupidity of the AI is random so I wouldn't trust those experiments only for that reason. Also the results are much too different from one another.

you took the words right from my mouth

 

[cryora]

Well Nords infantry are destroyers of other infantry. Against Heavy Cavalry, I would use some Rhodoks Spears or maybe Khergit Horse Archers.

In sieges, what I like to do is halt all my troops and just let the archers have a shoot out until I either run out of ammo or until most of the enemy archers are dead. Then I charge. I still have a lot of casualties but at least I don't get massacred.

 

[Hietala]

i just can't figure out WHY people use entire armies made of cavalry. you WON'T get much castles with only khergit horse archers/lancers or swadian knights ><
mixed armies FTW