Infantry main character FTW

[Oakenlix]

I just want to encourage people to try and fight on feet because it's awesome.
Most of us are used to Warband where if you were infantry - you just sucked, no way around it. Here I'll list some of the benefits of going for athletics instead of riding for your character.

1. Athletics translates well to sieges unlike riding, you won't feel useless on a castle wall or in a civilian fight.
2. You can actually move through your own infantry formation unlike in warband, which means you're well protected from missiles and random cavalry when surrounded by your men.
3. You can get way more kills because you don't have to keep moving all the time on your horse, you can just stay where the fight is the hardest and hack&slash away.
4. No animal abuse. Horses have their right for freedom.
5. You just look fricking amazing, like, like an extra cool extra from a movie who just decided to be a great warrior instead and just totally steals the show while those other wimps who call themselves lords spend their time loafing around the battlefield on their goofy horses doing literally nothing.

 

[Jaang]

I'm doing this to start off my current playthrough... as a Khuzait mercenary for the Aseri, leading a bunch of infantry.

It's fun... and you can absolutely wreck enemy horsemen if you know what you're doing.

Especially combining the speed buffs from Athletics with the swing speed/weapon handling buffs from one-handed.

If you go without armor, you can move like greased lightning on foot. Armor doesn't really do much anyway, and it slows you down.

 

[black_bulldog]

I just want to encourage people to try and fight on feet because it's awesome.
Most of us are used to Warband where if you were infantry - you just sucked, no way around it. Here I'll list some of the benefits of going for athletics instead of riding for your character.

1. Athletics translates well to sieges unlike riding, you won't feel useless on a castle wall or in a civilian fight.
2. You can actually move through your own infantry formation unlike in warband, which means you're well protected from missiles and random cavalry when surrounded by your men.
3. You can get way more kills because you don't have to keep moving all the time on your horse, you can just stay where the fight is the hardest and hack&slash away.
4. No animal abuse. Horses have their right for freedom.
5. You just look fricking amazing, like, like an extra cool extra from a movie who just decided to be a great warrior instead and just totally steals the show while those other wimps who call themselves lords spend their time loafing around the battlefield on their goofy horses doing literally nothing.

I've played like more than once and it can be fun. But in big battles you can't be in the middle or you'll get wrecked pretty quickly. Being on horseback has one big advantage it's a hell of a lot easier to see and coordinate your troops than on foot.

 

[Octanoz]

Definitely has to be tried! A good flank with a 2H weapon can be amazing. That's why I'm addicted to Battanian tournaments. But, yes, if you're fighting a larger army you want to be able to coordinate a little bit and that's kinda hard when you're in the middle of an infantry mosh pit.

 

[Oakenlix]

But in big battles you can't be in the middle or you'll get wrecked pretty quickly.

You can, but your situational awareness has to stay sharp to avoid getting surrounded by enemies from all sides.
I don't know if that's impressive, but it wasn't uncommon for me to get 70 personal kills in a 1k vs 1k battle, which I don't think I could get with a cavalry or archer character.
As for army coordination, you're making a good point. In fact, I usually give the command to AI and enjoy the role of a simple footman.

A good flank with a 2H weapon can be amazing.

Yeah, that's what I used to do. Staying at a flank of the infantry formation with a long glaive and cutting around the enemy flank.

 

[Yukmouth++]

I play as inf most of the Time. In the middle of the melee with a short mace i kill someone every second. It helps your infs to snowball. Against khuzait its another story since you cant have your cavs follow you against their horse archers. I find playing an infantry way more fun overall.

 

[Nikomakkos]

You guys have no need for speed?

 

[Lord Irontoe]

You guys have no need for speed?

level athletics up past 150 and you've got all the speed you need

 

[Oakenlix]

You guys have no need for speed?

As long as you can keep up with your own troops, you're fine. And if you can retreat faster than the enemy infantry advances, that's even better.

 

[Medivhtratos]

Agree, infantry is most challenging, but also most rewarding/more kills per second when you have a two hander as on horse.

Against khuzaits I sit on a horse though, as mentioned because of the HA and to me, my cav is to slow to hunt them down.

 

[Lord Irontoe]

Its frustrating in the early game when you can barely keep up with your own troops. It can be hard to even get a couple hits in against looters since they're running away before you can even get to them, but once you get some athletics its a lot of fun on foot. Though I only ever do unmounted playthroughs if I'm using a mod that gives full xp in the arena so I can level it up some before going out in the world. Trying to level athletics in native is painfully slow

 

[Oakenlix]

Its frustrating in the early game when you can barely keep up with your own troops. It can be hard to even get a couple hits in against looters since they're running away before you can even get to them, but once you get some athletics its a lot of fun on foot. Though I only ever do unmounted playthroughs if I'm using a mod that gives full xp in the arena so I can level it up some before going out in the world. Trying to level athletics in native is painfully slow

Doesn't seem slow in the newest version at least, getting to 50 is quite easy and at that point you're fast enough to survive and be able to fully engage during battles if you pick the movement speed perks.

 

[arduus]

Nice to see other fellow infantrymen here, I also play almost exclusively on foot.

 

[Oakenlix]

Nice to see other fellow infantrymen here, I also play almost exclusively on foot.

It is no coincidence then that we are two of the most handsome characters on this forum.

 

[Dabos37]

Yep, I have played a lot of pretty nice and fun campaigns as infantry. I am currently playing a new campaign in 1.5.5 as Battania character with two handed sword and longbow because running a full infantry melee character could be pretty frustrating against Khuzaits now that ranged units have been buffed.

Concerning Athletics, getting 50 skill is not too hard as Oakenlix mentioned and at that level I find the character decently fast.

 

[black_bulldog]

level athletics up past 150 and you've got all the speed you need

At 200+ you feel like Sonic or crack...