Swadian sharpshooters vs Nord veteran archers

[Wira]

so, I'm building up an army for taking and holding a castle.

except for khergit these are the only two Factions that don't hate me to hell (I know. . .)

I'm going to use them for defending a castle, so which kind would you think are more efficient for that purpose?
I'm leaning towards Swadians, as i think they have better equipment for melee, but I don't know.

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[StinkyMcGirk]

Why not Nord Huscarls?  Cost?

If you want to control costs, just train your Nord Infantry up to 'Nord Warrior.'

 

[Wira]

huscarls are okay, I was just looking for some ranged units for defending in a siege.

I'm going to have ~30 huscarls anyway

 

[dhowlett]

The swadians will be better with their ranged but the nords most likely better in hand to hand. But you got husclars for that.

 

[tbj28]

You dont really need to use the top tier Crossbowmen... use the ones just under... they do the job pretty much as good for less money.

 

[dhowlett]

I do find swadian milita to be quite a good all round castle defence unit. They have a crossbow and I think a shield? Ive forgotten now.

 

[Wira]

I do find swadian militia to be quite a good all round castle defence unit. They have a crossbow and I think a shield? Ive forgotten now.

Good idea this, and their cheap and easy to train, but I'm going to need a small but powerful force to take over the first castle in my own faction.
I'm not going to be able to get new recruits for some time.

 

[dhowlett]

What is youyr character level and what army can you support and what army do you have? Ive made alot of kingdoms now and I recomend you dont do it without being sufficently prepared. Alot of people seem to struggle with them but I think its because they make them too early. You will need to be able to support 100 units to be able to do it comfortably as you will need to garison your first castle with about 130 units to help keep enermys lords at bay. For this reason I recomend stacking trainer a bit on some of your companions so you can raise a second army quickly.

Note some troops that are very quick to level are troops like rhodok sharp shooters. They are tier 3 units which are level 24 and are an amazing shot. Very effective at castle defence. With sufficent training levels you can do a quick run on recruitement and then hall up in your castle and wait a few days while under seige or what ever and they will level very quickly.

Do not try and use kherite units to attack or defend they are quite frankly useless unmounted.

 

[Wira]

I already tried once, and failed.

I can support 96 troops now, I'm getting back the companions I lost last time, but they all have 3-5 in training.

I think I'm lvl 20 myself, i don't remember.

I'm currently training ~30 cavalry (mainly swadian knights) and ~35 Nord infantry (to huscarls)

just missing some ranged units and I'll attack

Edit. im just trying to build up ~30k by looting and getting all my old lvl'ed companions back 

 

[Seawied86]

I'd go with the crossbowmen. Nord veteran archers are the worst ranged unit in the game in my opinion. Crossbowmen will do well against even heavy armored troops, which is what you need.

Also, since they have a castle to hide behind when they reload, they're playing in their element

 

[Wira]

I'd go with the crossbowmen. Nord veteran archers are the worst ranged unit in the game in my opinion. Crossbowmen will do well against even heavy armored troops, which is what you need.
Also, since they have a castle to hide behind when they reload, they're playing in their element

yeah, I will.
Nords do infantry, not ranged. . .

 

[Wira]

Any thought on what faction to attack first?

I could ruin my relationship with yet another faction and attack Khergits, just because they'll suck in a siege attack.

Or maybe the vaegirs or Rhodoks

 

[dhowlett]

The best place to set up camp is in rhodok land. Near jelka just south of it there is a castle which its name is something like ideols or osmething liek that. My last kingdom which was a huge success started there and quickly expanded to take the cities of rhodok lands and on to swadia. Ive put that campange at rest for now though.

 

[Seawied86]

the easiest faction to siege is hands down the khergits. They also have a corner of the map which makes a good starting point, and gives you access to rich Sarranid trade towns. The downside is that you'll only own villages that give you khergit troops, which are terrible siege troops.


Here is my own personal ranking for factions the hardest to siege

#1 Rhodocks (sharpshooters are readily available in all towns)
#2 Nords (Strongest infantry)
#3 Vaegirs
#4 Sarranids
#5 Swadians
#6 Khergits


Bare in mind though, for field battles, things are much different

My ranking for easiest to face in field battles would be as follows

#1 Nords (no cavalry, poor ranged, few high tier troops)
#2 Vaegirs (Weak and few cavalry, few high tier archers)
#3 Rhodocks (with exception to sharpshooters and sergeants, no threats in the army to you)
#4 Swadia (Knights are rare, but deadly)
#5 Khergits (Its a hassle chasing them all down)
#6 Sarranids (Mamlukes will make your bunghole go from this: o to this        )

If you can control the playing field, you can use terrain/maps to your opponents weakness

 

[dhowlett]

It is true, against rhodok's the battle is fought inthe court yard not the ladder unlike most armys. You may think you have won when you smash through their ****ty spearmen on the wall. Then you discover an army of 50 sharp shooters just spawned in the courtyard and are ripping your army to peices.

I still feel however that the easyest place to start is where I suggested before. it's secluded with easy expansion. You can own a castle and city directly next to each other which is a huge bonus to defending them. Plus once you expand further yale and jelka will never be attacked. This makes them excelent cities for the player to own and garison lightly. However trade routs are longer and thus harder for the caravans to survive. Plus being at war with swadia greatly reduces trade as most trade comes through their lands.

 

[Wira]

OK guys, the castle you mentioned near Jelkala was the first place i tried to make a kingdom some while ago 
though i utterly failed as was attacked by pretty much the whole Rhodok army while building a stupid siege tower, and i was then attacked by the whole Rhodok army again when i captured it.

I have now successfully taken Nelag castle from the Vaegirs (most eastern castle on the map i think, and you only need a siege ladder)), and I'm not at war with the khergits. the rhodoks are too far away to threaten me, and i haven't been attacked by sarranid yet either.

I'm trying to capture some more  Vaegir castles so far, and getting more lords Than "lord Lezalit" . . .

 

[dhowlett]

Only make noble companions lords. I forget which are, i dont think lezit is though. Rolf and matheld are for sure though. Bunduk maybe is as well?

 

[Wira]

just repelled a Vaegir invasion force of 600+ with my 170 men (including lezalits army and garrison)

OK, well it's done now. Alayen is noble too, but he was my minister in my old faction and i don't know where he is now

Do AI lords improve their lvl and gear on their own?

 

[Ricox]

I'd go with the crossbowmen. Nord veteran archers are the worst ranged unit in the game in my opinion. Crossbowmen will do well against even heavy armored troops, which is what you need.

Also, since they have a castle to hide behind when they reload, they're playing in their element

Nord Veteran Archers are not the worst archers in the game, they are better than for example Swadian Militia. But if you were thinking about the top tier archers, then Nord Veteran Archers are sure damn bad.

 

[The Darklord]

Sharpshooters be better IMO.
On the other hand why not just use the lame AI strength check thingy to your advantage and just have a **** load of recruits in your castle? as per unit cost recruits have the highest strength rating (and as such the ai will never attack you unless it all there lords at once in which case it wont matter what you got)