Huzzah! We are the Jatu!

[noosers]

Jatu were the bane of anything in PoP:MnB.
Warband is different. Much different. They aren´t as fearsome anymore than they used to be due to the changed fighting mechanics.

Which promoted them. They´re now officially El Loco farming parties whereas beforehands they were dreaded too much to bother to extinguish them.

Once you sucked up the initial charge via clever positioning or a feigned countercharge, they get trapped, entangled and cut down by anything your order to charge at them. Sure, you get some losses, but not that tragic or annoying as it used to be.

I´ve had far worse encounters going toe to toe against them in 3.01 than I have now - which does not mean they need to be buffed up to nightmarish level again BUT rather that they´re better balanced now. Just like cavalry isn´t that overpowering anymore in Warband.

I recently started to like them abonimations upon Huzzah - plenty of the buggers around, good loot, good xp and quickly killed.

 

[skitarii]

The Jatu are NOTHING as long as I have plenty of cavalry, even on flat land.  I just dismount all my cavalry, and then form a big block behind the poor horses.  The Jatu couch the horses, and I signal the charge and slaughter the primitive scum.

 

[XSevSpreeX]

The Jatu are NOTHING as long as I have plenty of cavalry, even on flat land.  I just dismount all my cavalry, and then form a big block behind the poor horses.  The Jatu couch the horses, and I signal the charge and slaughter the primitive scum.

That's a very unorthodox strategy. Clever.

 

[Asaiyah]

Mid-Late game the Jatu aren't much of a problem for me. I like to  have high surgery, to prevent a lot of my troops from dying, but if I can ride out at an angle with my cavalry following me, the majority of the Jatu will break away and follow us. Then I circle back around as my archers unleash fire. Usually the 10% of the Jatu who don't follow me and charge my infantry are brought to the ground by initial archer fire.

However, I will say that man for man, K'juda the Ravager might be the toughest army out there. The first time I encountered him, he had 200 troops, and I had about 250. I thought, 'he's got elite troops, but so do I.' About 30 seconds after the battle started, the bottom left of the screen was filled with yellow and red posts. Now if I see his 200-man army spawned, I call a campaign with at least 1000 troops minimum, which still results in a lot of casualties. 

I like the in-game rumors of K'juda about how the Noldor think twice about attacking when they see him in the distance. After capturing him a few times, I can see why. I'd rather take on Noldor than him.

 

[Four_leaf_Clover]

I feel like their swords could swing a lot faster. It would help them a lot especially after the charge.

If it wasn't for the slow swinging speed I would totally use their blades from horseback over the D'shar/Singallian sabres (which do as much or more damage per hit).

 

[CrymsonChaos]

The Jatu are brutal.  They have killed SO many of my precious units!  A good ol' KotEG/Silvermist wall with some form of spearman in front makes a lethal combination.

Their speed merely compounds the power of the bolt or arrow, and when they hit the spearman wall, they generally come to a halt, or at least are slowed down for a bit.  In personal opinion, Singalian Spearmen are the best because their long spears stop the Jatu.  And if you can put a body of water in the way.... Mwahahhahaha. 

 

[skitarii]

The Jatu are NOTHING as long as I have plenty of cavalry, even on flat land.  I just dismount all my cavalry, and then form a big block behind the poor horses.  The Jatu couch the horses, and I signal the charge and slaughter the primitive scum.

That's a very unorthodox strategy. Clever.

Thanks.  Unfortunately it more or less works only for wave 1....after that reinforcing Jatu troops will have less horses to go through.

 

[Shingen]

Thanks.  Unfortunately it more or less works only for wave 1....after that reinforcing Jatu troops will have less horses to go through.

Ravenstern Rangers, Singalian Spearmen and a really tall hill. Preferably with a cliff.

 

[mesor]

Sinclair on a war charger with a broad sword.
Nuff said.

 

[dezilagel]

Huzzah! Loot and prisoners!

 

[felixng2011]

I love the Jatu. Excellent source of free troops via prisoners. I get more troops than I lose. I always send my companions in first since they don't die.

 

[minimumdifficulty]

It's the synergy between their horses, their lances, and the flat terrain on which they are usually encountered, that makes them such a pain.  Take away any of the three, and they'd lose their fearsome early-game reputation.

 

[XSevSpreeX]

It's the synergy between their horses, their lances, and the flat terrain on which they are usually encountered, that makes them such a pain.  Take away any of the three, and they'd lose their fearsome early-game reputation.

Agreed. Take away the horses and the lances become very situational. Take away the lances and they're just nothing more than light cavalry. Take away the flat land and they can't charge you.

 

[Shingen]

Agreed. Take away the horses and the lances become very situational. Take away the lances and they're just nothing more than light cavalry. Take away the flat land and they can't charge you.

I don't know. I've been running with a retinue of 8 Jatu Raiders and they've been doing pretty good against Vanskerry in heavy terrain. Only one of them had an honor lance. The rest had scimitars and shields. I watched one kill three vanskerry after he was de-horsed. They are pretty fine melee fighters.

 

[spartan012]

You know, I never understood how some people claim that fighting the Jatu is easy, unless there is a river or they have the terrain advantage. Their melee skills are comparable to even the D'Shar Bladesmen and even in close range, their lances still do substantial damage. I easily lose half of my men when fighting an army double my size on flat terrrain.

But then again, my character isn't choked full of steroids elixirs and I don't wear overpowered paper thin magical leather Noldor armor.

 

[noosers]

Fighting them is never easy. They´re easier though than in PoP 3.01 since WB nerfed down cavalry. They´re still a formidable opponent, and if they catch you unaware and with an unlucky party composition, you´re in for some serious trouble.

However, they´re easily distracted - the player can easily break their inital charge if he´s on  horseback. Due to WB´s cav mechanic you simply need to bother the leading trooper to switch around and half his comrades will become entangled and less dangerous than before.

On the day WB AI manages to slam home a full cavalry charge like it´s supposed to be they´ll become the most fearsome enemy again.

 

[XSevSpreeX]

Well I have decided that I would rather fight the Jatu than the Dread Legion. The vast majority of the Dread Legion carry either a spear or a lance. The Dread Legion Infantry always have a spear (Devourers never do), most Snake Priestesses have a spear, and most Anaconda Knights have a lance. Combine that with the Anaconda Knights' javelins and the number of them (my current save had them spawn with 1100+, 350-400 of which were Anaconda Knights and another 350-400 for DL Infantry) and those Netherworld chargers that only I have a chance of killing and they just stomp everything.

 

[Vissy]

It always takes casualties, but I like to send Singalian Horsemen up front to blunt their charge or wait on top of a hill with infantry; my heavy cavalry will then charge in from the flanks. And I've been knocked unconscious countless times doing this.

All in all, Jatu are a good source of loot, gold, exp and renown. I'd like them a tad more buffed up, though - I think they're a bit too soft as they are now.

 

[DarkTemplar]

nah! they are good, who can stand against them considering minor factions? they are on par with snake cult I'd say, they are dangerous and serve their role well, against any lord considering they got similar amount of troops who will win? of course jatu

 

[Gademis]

The problem with the Jatu is that they don't have a "low level" unit in their roster. For example the snake cult gets its bulk from snake armsmen and initiates. The heretics always  have a lot of converts in their roster. The Vanskerey akways base their groups on raiders not warriors or jarls. The Jatu raider is vastly overpowered in comparison with the units I mentioned above. Jatu armies are mostly comprised of 40% Jatu raiders.

I believe that the Jatu need an "entry" level unit (say Jatu clansman) with lower stats,  slower horses and mediocre equipement. The Jatu are a steppe people. Archaelogy demonstrates that very few tribemen were afluent anough to buy armor and good equipment (allthough those which have been found seem to be of exceptional quality), the vast majority of scythians, sarmatians, mongols and turkmen in history would go into battle armed with a bad quality side arm, a lance and their bows. Usualy they would not wear any armor at all.

If such aunit was added and say a Jatu party was comprised of 2-3 lancers, 5-6 raiders and 9-10 of the proposed unit then the Jatu would be a) a lot more realistic and  b) a little easier to handle