Cerlin
Regular
Crimean Khanate Unit and Nation Guide
I have spent a lot of time playing the Crimean Khanate and really enjoy their unit selection and flavor compared to the other countries. They are also the natural underdogs because of large number of arrows and lower numbers of gunpowder units. Also on the forums I have noticed that many people cannot differentiate between the different units so this is an attempt to help with that. If anyone has anything to add please post it below. I will give overall strategy and then break the troops down into general types and then give specific reviews from my own experience.
Overview: As a whole, the Crimean Khanate has some solid advantages. The starting location is good, with only two bordering nations. Its armies are very horse dependent with 9 out of 14 unit types being mounted. This means if used right they can have a large advantage on the open field. This is also a weakness when it comes to firearms troops, of which they only have 2, and pure infantry, which they only have one of in their armies. Some of these deficiencies can be made up with the Tatar mercenaries but national troops will be the focus of this overview.
The Villiage Troops (or otherwise known as the light troops):
This type of troop is very light, they are generally from the villages and so are cheap to maintain but also die easily, because they are lightly armored. I tend to not use them besides for garrison duty, especially the Kapikulu can be decent in sieges with their bow fire. These troops can also be bought from the commander in groups of 5.
Nomad—
The Nomad is the basic village recruit. This unit costs no upkeep, can be mounted, and have a bow. The stats are generally low but they can be decent in combat. They evolve into the Bajrak and Kapikulu.
Bajrak—
This troop is the lowest tier melee cavalry. Their skill is mediocre and they can die in troves. They have limited usefulness but also very cheap and easy to amass in a short period of time.
Kapikulu—
The Kapikulu is the basic archer unit of the Khanate. It has medium stats and generally poor armor. They tend to be outranged on the battlefield, but in the confines of the castle can prove to be somewhat useful. They are useable in some situations such as castle defense if you don’t have a lot of money to waste on upkeep.
The Light Cavalry:
These horses are a step up from the previous soldiers, and while they still have very light armor, they have more survivability on the battlefield and are the cheapest horses for your money. These can also be recruited 5 at a time. They also ride steppe horses which is a nice advantage.
Oglan—
This is a melee horseman that has some usefulness. It generally sports a lance and shield, which makes it survive a little bit longer. Decent in a charge, but once it gets caught in the melee it dies much faster.
Jasaq—
The Jasaq is a light, fast, horse archer with medium stats. They can be amassed quickly and on an open field can do some serious damage with their bows. I like to use them in my non castle seizing armies. They are very cheap for the damage they can do.
The Line Muskets: Seymen
There is only one soldier in this category, which is the Seymen. These soldiers have medium statistics, can be recruited pretty easily in groups of 3, and have good survivability. Compared to most basic muskets, these guys make great walls to protect your superior soldiers. I have at least 30 of these in every army. They are a key part of the winning strategy with the Crimeans, and can be cheap to maintain as well.
The Medium Cavalry
These two units keep the speed from earlier horsemen with more survivability. They have good statistics and are not too expensive to upkeep. They can be recruited 3 at a time.
Asak-bey—
These are the medium melee cavalry. They have good stats and good armor, and are fast. They have a saber and shield normally and can cause some trouble. Usability is alright but I tend to prefer heavier cavalry. In my experience they do not do that well on foot.
Mirza Chambul—
The Mizra Chambul are horse archers with steppe horses again, sabers, and bows. They are statistically much higher than previous ones and are the easiest to amass medium horse archer. I tend to included these in all my armies because of their field presence and usefulness of bowmen in a siege. I prefer these over the Asak-bey (you can only recruit one from each ‘type’ so these are my choice.)
The Heavy Cavalry: Nokhor.
The Nokhor are the heavy horse of the Crimean Khanate and these are some of my favorite units to use in my army. They have lances, shields, heavy (ish) armor, fast horses, and high stats (the veterans can get close to 200 in their melee ability.) They also do very well on foot in defensive situations or in sieges. I would highly recommend using these with as many veterans as possible.
The Ottoman Mercenaries: Variety is fun.
This category is the Ottoman troops, and these are where the fun is at. They have by far the most balanced rifleman of any faction in the Janissary. Also included is a general horseman, and the only infantry unit recruit-able by the Crimeans. These can be only created 3 at a time and also exclude recruiting the other two so as a rule I get Janissaries to start, but after that I do like the horses and melee to mix it up. These soldiers are highly recommended.
Janissary—
The Janissary is the best overall troop that the Crimeans can get. He has a Turkish musket, sword, and light armor, but also very high melee stats with power strike and ironflesh so they can stay alive a long time. I tend to have equal number Janissary and Seymen and do a double rank so the Seymen can block. They are key to victory in any long campaign as the Crimean Khanate and are very fun to have in your army.
Cebelu—
This is the Ottoman horse unit and he is very well balanced. The stats he has are lower than the Nokhor but higher than the medium cavalry. It is both a melee horse and a horse archer so you can get more out of them. The Cebelu has very light armor, bow, spear, and shield. I do not generally use very many of these in my army but they have a niche role if you are trying to construct a versatile horse army.
Azap—
This unit is the infantry unit of the Ottomans and the only one that the Khanate can create. They have a shield and a sword, but light armor like the Cebelu. They can be a first good line for your army and also used in castle sieging, but they are generally not worth it in my opinion. I would prefer to have a Janissary or Celebu over this troop.
The Rare Horses:
I am not sure what the requirement for these two units are, but I have only found them in one city each. They both have good statistics, can be recruited in groups of 5, and are overall good troops. Get them when you can. If anyone figures out what the conditions for these are please post it here.
Circassian—
These are well armored horse archers with high levels and skill. They are very strong at both melee and shooting from the horse. They wear chain armor, have a bow, and a sword. I take these with me whenever I fight in the field. If you find a city with them get as many as you can.
Nogai—
These are melee cavalry that at first glance look very light, but looks are deceptive. They are lighting strikers with all stats well over 100 for melee. They are very tough and can kill any Cavalry. They are a great niche troop for anti-cavalry run down. They also do well in sieges. Overall, these are recommended.
Conclusion:
I wrote this because I enjoy reading guides about factions in games but they are not always written. I hope this is a good introduction to the Crimean Khanate and can help outline their basic troop composition and can help people understand them a little better. I have just completed my first (mostly) successful rebellion against them so I have spent a lot of time both using their troops and fighting against them. They stand up well to all factions, but I would say have the hardest time with heavily armored opponents such as the Russians and the Swedish, since the arrows do less damage. The key to beating them is armor, muskets, and discipline. If you want to win using them you should focus on their strengths. After you manage to set up 3-5 cities as recruitment areas I believe you can completely stop using mercenaries. Any comments or things you would like to see added please post about it after.
Thanks,
Cerlin
p.s. Thanks Ceriy for the idea to add pictures.
Added Notes on faction units:
-These soldiers can only be recruited in Castles/towns, and not villages.
-The equipment these troops have cannot be modified by you.
-Elite troops can only be bought up too 3 at a time, but common soldiers can be bought at up to 5 at a time.
-The required buildings and commanders must be bought in the city for you to recruit the soldier.
-You must be at least a mercenary of the faction to be able to recruit from commander.
-Troops bought from the commander must be picked up after 3-4 days, by clicking on the "I would like to recruit some men." Button.
I have spent a lot of time playing the Crimean Khanate and really enjoy their unit selection and flavor compared to the other countries. They are also the natural underdogs because of large number of arrows and lower numbers of gunpowder units. Also on the forums I have noticed that many people cannot differentiate between the different units so this is an attempt to help with that. If anyone has anything to add please post it below. I will give overall strategy and then break the troops down into general types and then give specific reviews from my own experience.
Overview: As a whole, the Crimean Khanate has some solid advantages. The starting location is good, with only two bordering nations. Its armies are very horse dependent with 9 out of 14 unit types being mounted. This means if used right they can have a large advantage on the open field. This is also a weakness when it comes to firearms troops, of which they only have 2, and pure infantry, which they only have one of in their armies. Some of these deficiencies can be made up with the Tatar mercenaries but national troops will be the focus of this overview.
The Villiage Troops (or otherwise known as the light troops):
This type of troop is very light, they are generally from the villages and so are cheap to maintain but also die easily, because they are lightly armored. I tend to not use them besides for garrison duty, especially the Kapikulu can be decent in sieges with their bow fire. These troops can also be bought from the commander in groups of 5.
Nomad—
The Nomad is the basic village recruit. This unit costs no upkeep, can be mounted, and have a bow. The stats are generally low but they can be decent in combat. They evolve into the Bajrak and Kapikulu.
Bajrak—
This troop is the lowest tier melee cavalry. Their skill is mediocre and they can die in troves. They have limited usefulness but also very cheap and easy to amass in a short period of time.
Kapikulu—
The Kapikulu is the basic archer unit of the Khanate. It has medium stats and generally poor armor. They tend to be outranged on the battlefield, but in the confines of the castle can prove to be somewhat useful. They are useable in some situations such as castle defense if you don’t have a lot of money to waste on upkeep.
The Light Cavalry:
These horses are a step up from the previous soldiers, and while they still have very light armor, they have more survivability on the battlefield and are the cheapest horses for your money. These can also be recruited 5 at a time. They also ride steppe horses which is a nice advantage.
Oglan—
This is a melee horseman that has some usefulness. It generally sports a lance and shield, which makes it survive a little bit longer. Decent in a charge, but once it gets caught in the melee it dies much faster.
Jasaq—
The Jasaq is a light, fast, horse archer with medium stats. They can be amassed quickly and on an open field can do some serious damage with their bows. I like to use them in my non castle seizing armies. They are very cheap for the damage they can do.
The Line Muskets: Seymen
There is only one soldier in this category, which is the Seymen. These soldiers have medium statistics, can be recruited pretty easily in groups of 3, and have good survivability. Compared to most basic muskets, these guys make great walls to protect your superior soldiers. I have at least 30 of these in every army. They are a key part of the winning strategy with the Crimeans, and can be cheap to maintain as well.
The Medium Cavalry
These two units keep the speed from earlier horsemen with more survivability. They have good statistics and are not too expensive to upkeep. They can be recruited 3 at a time.
Asak-bey—
These are the medium melee cavalry. They have good stats and good armor, and are fast. They have a saber and shield normally and can cause some trouble. Usability is alright but I tend to prefer heavier cavalry. In my experience they do not do that well on foot.
Mirza Chambul—
The Mizra Chambul are horse archers with steppe horses again, sabers, and bows. They are statistically much higher than previous ones and are the easiest to amass medium horse archer. I tend to included these in all my armies because of their field presence and usefulness of bowmen in a siege. I prefer these over the Asak-bey (you can only recruit one from each ‘type’ so these are my choice.)
The Heavy Cavalry: Nokhor.
The Nokhor are the heavy horse of the Crimean Khanate and these are some of my favorite units to use in my army. They have lances, shields, heavy (ish) armor, fast horses, and high stats (the veterans can get close to 200 in their melee ability.) They also do very well on foot in defensive situations or in sieges. I would highly recommend using these with as many veterans as possible.
The Ottoman Mercenaries: Variety is fun.
This category is the Ottoman troops, and these are where the fun is at. They have by far the most balanced rifleman of any faction in the Janissary. Also included is a general horseman, and the only infantry unit recruit-able by the Crimeans. These can be only created 3 at a time and also exclude recruiting the other two so as a rule I get Janissaries to start, but after that I do like the horses and melee to mix it up. These soldiers are highly recommended.
Janissary—
The Janissary is the best overall troop that the Crimeans can get. He has a Turkish musket, sword, and light armor, but also very high melee stats with power strike and ironflesh so they can stay alive a long time. I tend to have equal number Janissary and Seymen and do a double rank so the Seymen can block. They are key to victory in any long campaign as the Crimean Khanate and are very fun to have in your army.
Cebelu—
This is the Ottoman horse unit and he is very well balanced. The stats he has are lower than the Nokhor but higher than the medium cavalry. It is both a melee horse and a horse archer so you can get more out of them. The Cebelu has very light armor, bow, spear, and shield. I do not generally use very many of these in my army but they have a niche role if you are trying to construct a versatile horse army.
Azap—
This unit is the infantry unit of the Ottomans and the only one that the Khanate can create. They have a shield and a sword, but light armor like the Cebelu. They can be a first good line for your army and also used in castle sieging, but they are generally not worth it in my opinion. I would prefer to have a Janissary or Celebu over this troop.
The Rare Horses:
I am not sure what the requirement for these two units are, but I have only found them in one city each. They both have good statistics, can be recruited in groups of 5, and are overall good troops. Get them when you can. If anyone figures out what the conditions for these are please post it here.
Circassian—
These are well armored horse archers with high levels and skill. They are very strong at both melee and shooting from the horse. They wear chain armor, have a bow, and a sword. I take these with me whenever I fight in the field. If you find a city with them get as many as you can.
Nogai—
These are melee cavalry that at first glance look very light, but looks are deceptive. They are lighting strikers with all stats well over 100 for melee. They are very tough and can kill any Cavalry. They are a great niche troop for anti-cavalry run down. They also do well in sieges. Overall, these are recommended.
Conclusion:
I wrote this because I enjoy reading guides about factions in games but they are not always written. I hope this is a good introduction to the Crimean Khanate and can help outline their basic troop composition and can help people understand them a little better. I have just completed my first (mostly) successful rebellion against them so I have spent a lot of time both using their troops and fighting against them. They stand up well to all factions, but I would say have the hardest time with heavily armored opponents such as the Russians and the Swedish, since the arrows do less damage. The key to beating them is armor, muskets, and discipline. If you want to win using them you should focus on their strengths. After you manage to set up 3-5 cities as recruitment areas I believe you can completely stop using mercenaries. Any comments or things you would like to see added please post about it after.
Thanks,
Cerlin
p.s. Thanks Ceriy for the idea to add pictures.
Added Notes on faction units:
-These soldiers can only be recruited in Castles/towns, and not villages.
-The equipment these troops have cannot be modified by you.
-Elite troops can only be bought up too 3 at a time, but common soldiers can be bought at up to 5 at a time.
-The required buildings and commanders must be bought in the city for you to recruit the soldier.
-You must be at least a mercenary of the faction to be able to recruit from commander.
-Troops bought from the commander must be picked up after 3-4 days, by clicking on the "I would like to recruit some men." Button.
.....This post actually really help me because I'm playing as Crimean
