Newb question about retinues...

[Scottiths]

I keep seeing posts about people who hire culture retinues. I am Emperor of Hispania (basque) and I can't seem to find any button that hires culture retinue... or is it just the one that is 500 light cavalry?

Also, in case that question is too noob here is another: What military tech level do retinues use? Do they just take the tech level in the capital?

 

[Dracko81]

You will have 5 retinue options. The bottom one is your cultural one, I'd assume it would be the 500 light cav.

They use the Tech level of your capital. They do not receive bonuses from cultural buildings, just so you know.

 

[Wezqu]

Yeah the light cavalry retinue is the culture retinue it has better offensive than normal light cavalry. I think your capitals tech level is the one they use.

 

[unmerged(26764)]

If you go into the game files, you'll see that the cultural retinues get big bonuses that other retinues don't. So the light cavalry from that last retinue is much better than the light cavalry you get in the standard cavalry retinue. It's usually the same bonus as your highest level cultural castle improvement -- so it's like you build these from a castle with that building in it. It would be nice if this was documented somewhere.

 

[Scottiths]

Ah, ok. Thanks. So seeing as how light cavalry isn't all that great except in pursuit phase it is likely a waste of resources to employ many of them? Especially since they seem to cost more of my total cap. I wish there was a way to see special unit stats like you can see regular stats. IE: mouse over them or something.

 

[Gitro]

Hire them, select them and mouse over the unit in the flank display. It should come up with their actual damage numbers and, below that, their bonus.