Cerlin
Regular
The Polish Republic Unit and Nation Guide
Overview:
The Polish Republic is a difficult faction to define when talking about their units. They are much more balanced than the Crimeans, but not as armored (generally) as the Swedes. The Polish are able to field balanced armies or very specialized armies, such as all cavalry armies or pikes and muskets only armies. For me, the biggest strength of the Polish is their cavalry, from the Dragoons and Volunteers, to the Armored Cossacks and the Hussars, they are brutal in the open field. While the Swedish Reiters can appear stronger, the Polish cavalry are much more balanced as a unit. Very few things can survive a Hussar/Armored Cossack charge with Dragoons behind it. The biggest disadvantage the Polish armies have is in defending castles because the amount of armor in the army is lower than other nations, and the most armored troops do not have a rifle. Overall though, I had a very good experience with the Polish.
The Militiamen:
The Polish Militia are medium compared to other factions. While they are cheap, they are not especially impressive. The best of the lot would have to be the militia Pikemen, because of his decent stats. Overall, they are still good for cheap garrison duty but I would rather have Zolniers.
Scythe Wielder-
The Scythe Wielder is a decent peasant recruit with medium stats and a long weapon. These will die fast in most engagements but they can slow down charges. The best part about these soldiers is their ability to be a free garrison, but then I would rather level him up and get a militia pikeman.
Militia Pikeman-
With 70 polearm skill, the Militia Pikeman is a good, cheap, pike unit. These can be used for garrison duty or for inexpensive line infantry. In groups they can do well versus horses and infantry, but die very quickly under musket fire. I would use these for garrison or for field armies when the money is tight.
Musket Militiaman-
The Musket Militiamans main benefit is that he has a musket, though he does not use it very well with only 55 skill. While these guys can make a mediocre garrison force, they tend to not do very well in the field. Their general lack of skill makes it more embarrassing when you are knocked out by one, but this is by no means a recommendation.
The Line Infantry:
One of the most noticeable difference between the Swedes and the Poles infantry is armor. The Polish soldiers do not have the same longevity. and the both recruit at the same rate of 5 at a time. Generally outclassed but other nations troops, they still have their uses in cities that cannot recruit the regional soldiers. These soldiers are great for garrison duty and for fielding cheap armies that can kill about their weight. An army of Zolniers and Pikemen can kill an equal sized stack in a pinch, though with heavy losses.
Pikeman-
The Pikeman is cheap, has polearm skill over 100, and enough iron-flesh to survive a bullet. They can have trouble by themselves, but once you mix in some German and Scottish Pikes, you can make a very deadly pike force. Generally I would prefer to get Zolniers over these soldiers.
Zolnier-
This troop is the basic line musket of the Polish and his performance is respectable. In the field they can kill at range reasonably decently, especially the veterans. In castle sieges the will snipe the enemy well and if they die they are easily replaceable. The biggest problem with these soldiers is that they do not compare to your neighbors muskets well. Both the Cossacks and the Swedes WILL out shoot you in any ranged competition, so I would recommend avoiding ranged duels as much as possible.
The Light Cavalry:
In the light cavalry is where one can start to see the strength of the Polish army. While both of these troop types are quite light, they have high skills in shooting and melee and can inflict a good amount of casualties on the enemy when on a horse or on foot. Both also have a firearm which helps them inflict more damage on the enemy. Every Polish army I have runs around with 40% light cavalry, especially if I am in the field.. These can also be recruited in groups of 5.
Volunteer-
The Volunteer looks like a rich country gentry on a horse, and fights like someone who had a lot of time to practice. They have a Pistol, sabre, and wear cloth armor. These soldiers can die easy but they also have somewhat high melee stats, along with good abilities on horse. If you need someone to chase down enemies, these will do it. I do find that these soldiers are weaker on the ground than dragoons, which hurts their usefulness in castle sieges.
Dragoon-
The Polish Dragoon is one of my favorite light cavalry units in this game. He has a carbine, sword and shield, and decent uniform armor. Besides looking like he belongs in the regular army, he fights like it too. I normally have these charge in second after my Hussars, and they do some nice clean up. On the battlefield, the Dragoon is also a decent infantryman and musketeer as well, which adds to their versatility. In castles, they also do a very nice job at defense. Shooting when the enemy is far, and then fighting with a sword in close. Lack of armor and skills near 100 can make them seem not that great, but they become veterans easily and have surprising ability. They are also easily recruited so you should not have problems getting enough in your army. I tend to prefer these over volunteers because of their survivability and versatility.
The German Infantry:
This line of troop is some of my favorite in the game, they are tough and hit hard. They add valuable troops that the Polish Army needs to make up for its standard deficiency in infantry. They can only be recruited three at a time but by mid game they can be had in most of the Polish cities which makes amassing them not too difficult. I like to have 25% of my army German Troops, normally Musketeers.
German Infantry Musketeer-
This soldier makes up for the weaknesses of the Zolnier, he takes more hits because of having a decent helmet and decent armor, and he hits much more accurately, having 135 starting marksman skill. He also has power strike 2 starting and a decent sword so he can stay alive in melee longer and maybe even get a couple kills. While I like the German Pikes, I prefer the musket men because they give you the accurate fire you need on the battlefield to take down heavily armored enemies.
German Infantry Pikeman-
The German Infantry Pikeman is much better than the standard Polish Pikeman. He has a breastplate, helmet, and good skill to use them. These guys in tight formation can stop almost any cavalry charge with very few casualties. While I do not normally use these in my field armies, they have a role to play if you are fighting horse heavy factions like the Cossacks or the Crimeans. With 20% of your army being these guys, you can break that first cavalry charge easily and then counter attack well. I recommend these depending on your play style.
The Medium Cavalry:
This troop is building on more of the Polish military strength, which is their strong cavalry forces. While the Polish have less horse options than the Crimeans, more of the Polish ones are armored. Both of these soldiers sport good armor and have survivability on the field. I normally have equal number of medium cavalry and hussars, for style and function. The ranged capacity of these units is key because in my experience the more firepower you can get the better. These soldiers can be recruited in groups of 3.
Armored Cossack:
This Cossack is a very blended unit who has a bow, shield, lance and sometimes sword. He has decent armor and good horse abilities. The best part of these guys for me is that they add bow capacity to your normal armies and they have extra lances to add to your cavalry charge. I like using these because of their "feel." Lances for me blend in better with the overall Polish strategy. I tend to buy these over the Reiters but recently I have been going 50/50 and it is working out alright. This unit also has slightly higher melee stats than the reiter.
Polish Reiter-
The Polish Reiter is a bit different from his Russian or Swedish cousins. This soldier does not have the armor of the Swedes or the long rifle of the Russians, but he still does well in battle. Having a half breastplate, good helm, pistol, and sword gives him survivability and some hitting power. While not as good in the charge as a Hussar or Cossack, he does better in the fighting after the charge. With good melee stats and firearms skill at 120, the Reiter can hit and shoot well. My favorite place to use these guys is in castle defense, where they do very nicely.
The Heavy Lancer: The Winged Hussar
The Winged Hussar is the Polish army's most formidable unit. This guy has great stats, the games longest lance, heavy armor, and superior riding skill. If enemies manage to survive the first charge then the second wave of cavalry will normally do them in. If one wanted too they could probably make an army of all Winged Hussars and just charge across the world. Personally, I use them as about 20% of my force, which is my first charge. These can be recruited 3 at a time, but not all cities will have the correct commander immediately. The Winged Hussars also do very well in castle battles, as they are your most armored soldier. The main weakness that they have is musket fire, if enough muskets are shooting at them they will die. If you can manage to get past the muskets, these guys will win it for you.
The Scottish Mercenaries:
With Sweden, the Scottish Mercenaries are somewhat redundant on the roles they play, but with the Polish they are much more useful. They offer a good melee soldier, a good pikeman, and a strong musketman. The Scottish hit harder in melee and generally have more hitpoints than standard Polish troops, at the expense of some skill. Together these soldiers can complement any strategy you are pursuing. These can be recruited in groups of 3.
Scottish Musketeer-
With about the same firearms skill as the Zolnier, but much better melee ability, this unit is the multi-role version musketman. The Scottish Musketeer has a broad sword and rifle, which makes him better armed than most muskets. Especially useful in sieges or fights where you need your muskets to fight in melee, this troop will do well. Not as good at shooting as the German Musket, this is balanced by his ability to do well in melee.
Scottish Pikeman-
The Scottish Pikeman is similar to the German pikeman but has less levels and ability. This is not a big disadvantage because the biggest problem with German pikemen is that recruiting them doesn't let you get the German muskets. In the end it is personal preference, but personally I prefer German Muskets and Scottish Pikes working together for the best results.
Scottish Swordsman-
This is the only non-pikeman melee soldier that the Polish can recruit from the national pool. If you need a plate armor wearing two-handed sword killer this is your man. With proficiencies near 150 and 3 powerstrike, these soldier will hurt any enemy in melee. While they are not as good as pikes at stopping a horse charge, once the melee starts these soldiers do very well. I highly recommend for any melee action.
Regional Mercenaries:
The regional mercenaries for the Polish are fun, thematic, and useful. The Cossack line gives you useful cheap musket or horses, and the Lithuanians give you another horse archer and an armored musketeer. These soldiers can be recruited in groups of 5 and in my game the Cossacks can be recruited in Lviv and Krackow, and the Lithuanians are to be had in Warsaw. When you recruit these soldiers they replace the basic Zolnier/Pikeman recruitment so I would always recommend these over the basic recruitment.
Rank Cossack-
This soldier is a very skilled horse dragoon in the Cossack tradition of light armor, fast horse, and high firearms skill. If you are going for an all cavalry army and want more pursuing power I recommend these guys. While the Polish already have plenty of horses, these soldiers just add to the destruction. However they are very fragile and die somewhat quickly.
Town Cossack-
This unit is a musketeer with a basic Cossack uniform and hat, but what makes him special is his 125 firearms skill for the cost of the Zolnier. These soldiers will hit your enemies reliably across the map. Considering you can get these in two cities at 5 at a time they are able to be amassed well and I like to use these as my army muskets along with my German Muskets. In the Polish army these are the best muskets for the cost.
Lithuanian Tatar-
This soldier is a medium armor wearing horse archer on a fast horse. These are not as strong as Armored Cossacks but they can be recruited instead of Zolnier/Pikes so that makes them more useful. They have the same bow skill as the Cossacks but less overall stats and level. These are especially fun if you like the "thematic" elements of Poland. I threw the rebellion and the claimant is the old family of the grand duchy of Lithuania so these were especially relevant. I recommend these if you like to have archers in your army.
Lithuanian Musketeer-
At first glance this soldier is not that great. His stats are lower than all the other "regular" faction muskets. The best advantage that he has is having medium cavalry armor, which means he can survive a bullet, arrow, or slash. This gives these muskets more survivability compared to the average Polish musket. I tend to prefer the Tatar over the musket but it is your choice in the end.
Conclusion:
The Polish army has a very wide troop selection that is better than it seems at first glance. While the AI Lords may not use their national strengths to their advantage, there is no reason you cant. By using their wide range of good horses, great mercenaries, super heavy lancers, and regional troops, winning as the Polish is a real possibility. As mentioned earlier, the Poles can be weak in castle defense, but I feel that they do better when attacking, especially when using engineering or forcing the gates. Poles are strongest in the field but they generally have a very versatile force that can do whatever is required. After playing the Cossacks recently, the balance of the Poles is really apparent to me. While the Poles are a storyline faction, they do not have to be played only that way. Throwing a rebellion and being a major power player in the new Polish states is always fun too. I hope this guide has been helpful and everyone can contribute with their thoughts and opinions.
Best,
Cerlin
Overview:
The Polish Republic is a difficult faction to define when talking about their units. They are much more balanced than the Crimeans, but not as armored (generally) as the Swedes. The Polish are able to field balanced armies or very specialized armies, such as all cavalry armies or pikes and muskets only armies. For me, the biggest strength of the Polish is their cavalry, from the Dragoons and Volunteers, to the Armored Cossacks and the Hussars, they are brutal in the open field. While the Swedish Reiters can appear stronger, the Polish cavalry are much more balanced as a unit. Very few things can survive a Hussar/Armored Cossack charge with Dragoons behind it. The biggest disadvantage the Polish armies have is in defending castles because the amount of armor in the army is lower than other nations, and the most armored troops do not have a rifle. Overall though, I had a very good experience with the Polish.
The Militiamen:
The Polish Militia are medium compared to other factions. While they are cheap, they are not especially impressive. The best of the lot would have to be the militia Pikemen, because of his decent stats. Overall, they are still good for cheap garrison duty but I would rather have Zolniers.
Scythe Wielder-
The Scythe Wielder is a decent peasant recruit with medium stats and a long weapon. These will die fast in most engagements but they can slow down charges. The best part about these soldiers is their ability to be a free garrison, but then I would rather level him up and get a militia pikeman.
Militia Pikeman-
With 70 polearm skill, the Militia Pikeman is a good, cheap, pike unit. These can be used for garrison duty or for inexpensive line infantry. In groups they can do well versus horses and infantry, but die very quickly under musket fire. I would use these for garrison or for field armies when the money is tight.
Musket Militiaman-
The Musket Militiamans main benefit is that he has a musket, though he does not use it very well with only 55 skill. While these guys can make a mediocre garrison force, they tend to not do very well in the field. Their general lack of skill makes it more embarrassing when you are knocked out by one, but this is by no means a recommendation.
The Line Infantry:
One of the most noticeable difference between the Swedes and the Poles infantry is armor. The Polish soldiers do not have the same longevity. and the both recruit at the same rate of 5 at a time. Generally outclassed but other nations troops, they still have their uses in cities that cannot recruit the regional soldiers. These soldiers are great for garrison duty and for fielding cheap armies that can kill about their weight. An army of Zolniers and Pikemen can kill an equal sized stack in a pinch, though with heavy losses.
Pikeman-
The Pikeman is cheap, has polearm skill over 100, and enough iron-flesh to survive a bullet. They can have trouble by themselves, but once you mix in some German and Scottish Pikes, you can make a very deadly pike force. Generally I would prefer to get Zolniers over these soldiers.
Zolnier-
This troop is the basic line musket of the Polish and his performance is respectable. In the field they can kill at range reasonably decently, especially the veterans. In castle sieges the will snipe the enemy well and if they die they are easily replaceable. The biggest problem with these soldiers is that they do not compare to your neighbors muskets well. Both the Cossacks and the Swedes WILL out shoot you in any ranged competition, so I would recommend avoiding ranged duels as much as possible.
The Light Cavalry:
In the light cavalry is where one can start to see the strength of the Polish army. While both of these troop types are quite light, they have high skills in shooting and melee and can inflict a good amount of casualties on the enemy when on a horse or on foot. Both also have a firearm which helps them inflict more damage on the enemy. Every Polish army I have runs around with 40% light cavalry, especially if I am in the field.. These can also be recruited in groups of 5.
Volunteer-
The Volunteer looks like a rich country gentry on a horse, and fights like someone who had a lot of time to practice. They have a Pistol, sabre, and wear cloth armor. These soldiers can die easy but they also have somewhat high melee stats, along with good abilities on horse. If you need someone to chase down enemies, these will do it. I do find that these soldiers are weaker on the ground than dragoons, which hurts their usefulness in castle sieges.
Dragoon-
The Polish Dragoon is one of my favorite light cavalry units in this game. He has a carbine, sword and shield, and decent uniform armor. Besides looking like he belongs in the regular army, he fights like it too. I normally have these charge in second after my Hussars, and they do some nice clean up. On the battlefield, the Dragoon is also a decent infantryman and musketeer as well, which adds to their versatility. In castles, they also do a very nice job at defense. Shooting when the enemy is far, and then fighting with a sword in close. Lack of armor and skills near 100 can make them seem not that great, but they become veterans easily and have surprising ability. They are also easily recruited so you should not have problems getting enough in your army. I tend to prefer these over volunteers because of their survivability and versatility.
The German Infantry:
This line of troop is some of my favorite in the game, they are tough and hit hard. They add valuable troops that the Polish Army needs to make up for its standard deficiency in infantry. They can only be recruited three at a time but by mid game they can be had in most of the Polish cities which makes amassing them not too difficult. I like to have 25% of my army German Troops, normally Musketeers.
German Infantry Musketeer-
This soldier makes up for the weaknesses of the Zolnier, he takes more hits because of having a decent helmet and decent armor, and he hits much more accurately, having 135 starting marksman skill. He also has power strike 2 starting and a decent sword so he can stay alive in melee longer and maybe even get a couple kills. While I like the German Pikes, I prefer the musket men because they give you the accurate fire you need on the battlefield to take down heavily armored enemies.
German Infantry Pikeman-
The German Infantry Pikeman is much better than the standard Polish Pikeman. He has a breastplate, helmet, and good skill to use them. These guys in tight formation can stop almost any cavalry charge with very few casualties. While I do not normally use these in my field armies, they have a role to play if you are fighting horse heavy factions like the Cossacks or the Crimeans. With 20% of your army being these guys, you can break that first cavalry charge easily and then counter attack well. I recommend these depending on your play style.
The Medium Cavalry:
This troop is building on more of the Polish military strength, which is their strong cavalry forces. While the Polish have less horse options than the Crimeans, more of the Polish ones are armored. Both of these soldiers sport good armor and have survivability on the field. I normally have equal number of medium cavalry and hussars, for style and function. The ranged capacity of these units is key because in my experience the more firepower you can get the better. These soldiers can be recruited in groups of 3.
Armored Cossack:
This Cossack is a very blended unit who has a bow, shield, lance and sometimes sword. He has decent armor and good horse abilities. The best part of these guys for me is that they add bow capacity to your normal armies and they have extra lances to add to your cavalry charge. I like using these because of their "feel." Lances for me blend in better with the overall Polish strategy. I tend to buy these over the Reiters but recently I have been going 50/50 and it is working out alright. This unit also has slightly higher melee stats than the reiter.
Polish Reiter-
The Polish Reiter is a bit different from his Russian or Swedish cousins. This soldier does not have the armor of the Swedes or the long rifle of the Russians, but he still does well in battle. Having a half breastplate, good helm, pistol, and sword gives him survivability and some hitting power. While not as good in the charge as a Hussar or Cossack, he does better in the fighting after the charge. With good melee stats and firearms skill at 120, the Reiter can hit and shoot well. My favorite place to use these guys is in castle defense, where they do very nicely.
The Heavy Lancer: The Winged Hussar
The Winged Hussar is the Polish army's most formidable unit. This guy has great stats, the games longest lance, heavy armor, and superior riding skill. If enemies manage to survive the first charge then the second wave of cavalry will normally do them in. If one wanted too they could probably make an army of all Winged Hussars and just charge across the world. Personally, I use them as about 20% of my force, which is my first charge. These can be recruited 3 at a time, but not all cities will have the correct commander immediately. The Winged Hussars also do very well in castle battles, as they are your most armored soldier. The main weakness that they have is musket fire, if enough muskets are shooting at them they will die. If you can manage to get past the muskets, these guys will win it for you.
The Scottish Mercenaries:
With Sweden, the Scottish Mercenaries are somewhat redundant on the roles they play, but with the Polish they are much more useful. They offer a good melee soldier, a good pikeman, and a strong musketman. The Scottish hit harder in melee and generally have more hitpoints than standard Polish troops, at the expense of some skill. Together these soldiers can complement any strategy you are pursuing. These can be recruited in groups of 3.
Scottish Musketeer-
With about the same firearms skill as the Zolnier, but much better melee ability, this unit is the multi-role version musketman. The Scottish Musketeer has a broad sword and rifle, which makes him better armed than most muskets. Especially useful in sieges or fights where you need your muskets to fight in melee, this troop will do well. Not as good at shooting as the German Musket, this is balanced by his ability to do well in melee.
Scottish Pikeman-
The Scottish Pikeman is similar to the German pikeman but has less levels and ability. This is not a big disadvantage because the biggest problem with German pikemen is that recruiting them doesn't let you get the German muskets. In the end it is personal preference, but personally I prefer German Muskets and Scottish Pikes working together for the best results.
Scottish Swordsman-
This is the only non-pikeman melee soldier that the Polish can recruit from the national pool. If you need a plate armor wearing two-handed sword killer this is your man. With proficiencies near 150 and 3 powerstrike, these soldier will hurt any enemy in melee. While they are not as good as pikes at stopping a horse charge, once the melee starts these soldiers do very well. I highly recommend for any melee action.
Regional Mercenaries:
The regional mercenaries for the Polish are fun, thematic, and useful. The Cossack line gives you useful cheap musket or horses, and the Lithuanians give you another horse archer and an armored musketeer. These soldiers can be recruited in groups of 5 and in my game the Cossacks can be recruited in Lviv and Krackow, and the Lithuanians are to be had in Warsaw. When you recruit these soldiers they replace the basic Zolnier/Pikeman recruitment so I would always recommend these over the basic recruitment.
Rank Cossack-
This soldier is a very skilled horse dragoon in the Cossack tradition of light armor, fast horse, and high firearms skill. If you are going for an all cavalry army and want more pursuing power I recommend these guys. While the Polish already have plenty of horses, these soldiers just add to the destruction. However they are very fragile and die somewhat quickly.
Town Cossack-
This unit is a musketeer with a basic Cossack uniform and hat, but what makes him special is his 125 firearms skill for the cost of the Zolnier. These soldiers will hit your enemies reliably across the map. Considering you can get these in two cities at 5 at a time they are able to be amassed well and I like to use these as my army muskets along with my German Muskets. In the Polish army these are the best muskets for the cost.
Lithuanian Tatar-
This soldier is a medium armor wearing horse archer on a fast horse. These are not as strong as Armored Cossacks but they can be recruited instead of Zolnier/Pikes so that makes them more useful. They have the same bow skill as the Cossacks but less overall stats and level. These are especially fun if you like the "thematic" elements of Poland. I threw the rebellion and the claimant is the old family of the grand duchy of Lithuania so these were especially relevant. I recommend these if you like to have archers in your army.
Lithuanian Musketeer-
At first glance this soldier is not that great. His stats are lower than all the other "regular" faction muskets. The best advantage that he has is having medium cavalry armor, which means he can survive a bullet, arrow, or slash. This gives these muskets more survivability compared to the average Polish musket. I tend to prefer the Tatar over the musket but it is your choice in the end.
Conclusion:
The Polish army has a very wide troop selection that is better than it seems at first glance. While the AI Lords may not use their national strengths to their advantage, there is no reason you cant. By using their wide range of good horses, great mercenaries, super heavy lancers, and regional troops, winning as the Polish is a real possibility. As mentioned earlier, the Poles can be weak in castle defense, but I feel that they do better when attacking, especially when using engineering or forcing the gates. Poles are strongest in the field but they generally have a very versatile force that can do whatever is required. After playing the Cossacks recently, the balance of the Poles is really apparent to me. While the Poles are a storyline faction, they do not have to be played only that way. Throwing a rebellion and being a major power player in the new Polish states is always fun too. I hope this guide has been helpful and everyone can contribute with their thoughts and opinions.
Best,
Cerlin
).
