Howto: Keep Borcha and Marnid out of battles.

[Roady]

I've read a few posts about Borcha and Marnid being worthless in battles.
This may have already been posted somewhere, but in the event it hasn't or the search link failed me, here's what I did to remove my heroes from battles.

1. Put 4 points in leadership and hired an army larger than my battle_size setting in the options.
2. Moved the heroes to the bottom of the list.

My party screen list for my army looks like this.

• Me
• Knights
• Man at Arms
• Footmen
• Borcha
• Marnid

I never see my heroes in a fight anymore.
My battle_size is set to 16 and occassionally I find footmen on the field even though I have more than enough knights and man at arms for the battle.

 

[graphia]

If you don't want them to fight tell them to "stay here" before each battle...just make sure to give them a couple foot soldiers so you can catch them again

 

[namster]

those two buffoons have a knack for riding right into the midst of bandits and getting their arse dragged off the horse, then getting pulped into submission.

Still they are not totally worthless, i equip them with throwing weapons - javelins, jarids - and they can pick off the occasional khergit or bandit.

They usually don't listen to 'hold this position' but on occasion, 'follow me' works.

 

[Sir Prince]

Am I the only one who doesn't have aproblem or is it just because I chet and level them up?
I have only been hit in the head by Borcha + Marnid once for sure, maybe twice. That's it. I also generaly have a calvary army (currently khergit with mag7). And they are quite useful for helping you if you give Borcha hunting skills and bow and melee weapon. Marnid healing a bit of trading and give the mboth horses. Even if they die they manage to kill someone usualy an enemy and atleast distract them away from you if outnumbered.

 

[Vachir]

I figure they're free fodder since they can't be killed outright. Better to have them in the mix to do a little damage and then die, than to put actual soldiers out there that will get themselves killed and have to be replaced.

 

[Worbah]

They are less than perfect, but they are flexible since you can arm them yourself. Mounted skirmishing, crossbow sniping, etc. They're fairly decent at everything after a few level-ups.

I find that giving them both coursers and javelins is a good choice, especialy if the rest of your force is infantry. They can tie up considerable enemy parties by circling them and harassing them with their javelins.

 

[Othello]

I gave them better armor, a good horse, and a lance. Before I did this they would go down in the first 10 seconds of combat. Now they last almost the entire tiem, and usually take out 5 or more each battle (combined).

 

[Phoboshobo]

Give them bows and let them fight (good against horse archers). They dont die just get knocked out so you cant lose. Particularly in the early stages they can pick up a decent amount of extra XP this way. The sooner they level up the sooner you can delegate more of the party skills to them.

 

[Goodknight]

I have one game going where I gave Borcha power throw 2 and Marnid power draw 2, Borcha has throwing axes, Marnid has a Nomad Bow with Bodkin arrows, I have a sniper crossbow, we do VERY well. Oh, and I give them spears and shields. Of course, we are all on foot. I have found that that I do alot better when my entire army is on foot. We have horses for speed in travelling but I make certain to DISMOUNT everyone before the fight starts. If we are all on foot and have high ground or obstacles for horsemen around it works great.

I wish all troops were more effective when mounted. Its not just Borcha and Marnid that charge into a group of peds and get swarmed and killed, I have fully trained top level troops that do it too. Very frustrating. If Marnid doesnt have a high surgury its back to the drawing board and a real pain to train up more peasants.

 

[Poil]

Marnids first kill:

"Nobleman killed by Marnid."

Good thing I had a couple of jahrids left to punish him.

 

[Roady]

Borcha and Marnid aren't entirely bad.
But when I'm fighting Swadian crossbowmen, we dispatch the first wave, and the second wave spawns on the steep edge of the map.
Whenever I call my troops to me and retreat to draw the second wave off the wall, Borcha or Marnid (usually Marnid) will ride around the wall and the crossbowman stay on the wall until the hero is KO'd (takes 5 minutes sometimes).

I like tactics and troops that don't do what I say get an axe in the head.
It's a good thing Marnid isn't programmed to like/dislike me

 

[pzler]

those two buffoons have a knack for riding right into the midst of bandits and getting their arse dragged off the horse, then getting pulped into submission.

Still they are not totally worthless, i equip them with throwing weapons - javelins, jarids - and they can pick off the occasional khergit or bandit.

They usually don't listen to 'hold this position' but on occasion, 'follow me' works.

you give them ranged weapons?


that makes me think about many painfull situations where i was hot by them!
i solve the marnid & Borcha problem by playing mag7

 

[Arturius]

Marnid and Borcha are good if you can manage to let them do a lot of fighting on lower level MOBs. Good to get them early and involve them in your pirate fighting. Make sure they have capable weapons. A good bow each, and a shield with enough points to last the whole battle, and a weapon with good reach. They swing a lot, and don't do too much blocking, but I've seen mine do plenty of damage as long as they're well equipped.

In any case, the only really good strategy in mount and blade yet, as far as ordering units, is to have a mass of bow users, and you go around with anything two-handed on a charger and disperse the troops that they fire upon.


I see a lot of people complaining on this forum about how much the game needs fixing in certain areas.
Maybe you just need to adapt. I never have any problems.

Also, Marnid is the one who doesn't listen to Hold position. Borcha does, but he's the better fighter anyway.

 

[Kelpo]

I see a lot of people complaining on this forum about how much the game needs fixing in certain areas.
Maybe you just need to adapt. I never have any problems.

The goal isn't to get as good at the game as possible or to kill as many swadians/vaegirs/bandits as possible, but to help Armagan create The Best Game Ever, hence the fixing suggestions and the like.

 

[Arturius]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Serfiusdjinnt/marnid.jpg

Marnid firing his longbow with a fierce intensity regardless of the jarid lodged in his throat. At that angle it seems like the shoulder, I checked though - it's right through his neck. That's hardcore. Marnid is a hardcore guy.
Don't doubt him.


Anyway, I know it's a suggestions forum to help better the game, but the comments I usually see are like, "I'm always getting knocked off my horse and beaten up by 20 pirates, waah."
Things that don't have to do with game mechanics, they have to do with people running into large masses of enemies and getting themselves surrounded.
Unless I'm mistaken, the idea of the game is realism and excitement.
Armed combat is no simple matter, and if you got surrounded by 20 people, you'd most likely not come out on top, though if you stuck to the more ideal strategies (which I've so far been very lucky in that the game supports them and their execution to an extreme degree), you will.

There are obvious answers that people still ask the questions to, also despite the several guides that have been offered (which generally should be known also) it's still a game like any other, and has its techniques to be mastered, but if you don't have the brain to be finding these techniques, perhaps gaming isn't for you.

I'm not pointing at anyone, by the way. Just generally stating.

 

[jrawlings]

I figure they're free fodder since they can't be killed outright. Better to have them in the mix to do a little damage and then die, than to put actual soldiers out there that will get themselves killed and have to be replaced.

Same here. With a decent first aid skill, you can get them to come back in each round.

 

[bionicg]

The characters vary a lot i think.

In 1 game I got marnid and he was really bad.  he'd get knocked out every battle by the worst opposition.
In another, i got him and he is uber (with very similar equipment if not the same)...very odd.

 

[Pipuli]

The characters vary a lot i think.

In 1 game I got marnid and he was really bad.  he'd get knocked out every battle by the worst opposition.
In another, i got him and he is uber (with very similar equipment if not the same)...very odd.

Maybe he was at second battle higher lvl? Or you just own3d those peasants and Marnid didn't die.

 

[mfberg]

Keep them in battles. In my current game they have
Marnid Level 21
Power Draw 4, Power Strike 1, Athletics 4, Archery 275, Two Handed 165
Great Helm, Black Armor, Gauntlets, Black Boots, War Bow, Large Bag of Bodkin Arrows, Heavy Bardiche
Borcha Level 22
Power Draw 5, Power Strike 2, Athletics 5, Archery 290, Two Handed 153
Great Helm, Black Armor, Reinforced Gauntlets, Black Boots, War Bow, Large Bag of Bodkin Arrows, Balanced Sword of War, Nordic Shield (to slow him down)

They are both on foot so I don't have to worry about them riding around and getting killed. To help them level I kill all the enemy horses, take a shot at any enemy who isn't hurt, and try not to kill any myself.  Against sea raiders they do well, but against mounted archers or swadian crossbowmen they still require my help to keep alive. In a good battle Marnid and Borcha can take out about 10 dark hunters/knights, while I limit myself to about 1 or 2.

 

[calandale]

I find them consistantly among my best fighters - no matter that I focus on giving them 'party' skills. The big thing is giving them good horses(if applicable) and armor. If you are an archer, it's worth spending more on them, as they are more likely to blast into combat.