Hey, I was wondering what a good mix was for retinues. Is it best to make only a single type of unit? (ie longbows or cataphracts if you're byzantine) or is it better to have a mix (ie one of each)? Thanks
Retinue mix?
- Thread starter MyNameIsOmali
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I've got to say longbow retinues are absurd. If you have enough of them with the right general (bonus to damage). Your army instantly routs the enemy, then instantly crushes them in retreat. I have a game where I'm playing as the (Welsh) empire of Britannia. With close to 20000 longbowmen (easy to get as they only take up one retinue limit per soldier) The army is ridiculously effective. Imo they also seem better at assaulting as well, though as far as I know troop composition doesn't effect that.
Long story short, archers are more effective in the skirmish phase of a battle than heavy cavalry during the melee phase in 1.06b (when heavy cavalry were absurdly good). If you have enough archers no battle will ever reach the melee phase.
Long story short, archers are more effective in the skirmish phase of a battle than heavy cavalry during the melee phase in 1.06b (when heavy cavalry were absurdly good). If you have enough archers no battle will ever reach the melee phase.
depending on what you're after.
If you want an all-around army and/or roleplay, then mixing compositions is good. As the ERE, I usually make 7-shock and 13-cataphract stacks and imagine them as a single theme's army [even though the composition is blatantly wrong].
If you just want to steamroll to oblivion and are playing vanilla, then going culture-troops all the way is probably best since they alone get bonuses (unless it's longbows, then you might want to either mix them with some liege levies OR some infantry retinues since they barely have any damage in the melee phase).
If you want an all-around army and/or roleplay, then mixing compositions is good. As the ERE, I usually make 7-shock and 13-cataphract stacks and imagine them as a single theme's army [even though the composition is blatantly wrong].
If you just want to steamroll to oblivion and are playing vanilla, then going culture-troops all the way is probably best since they alone get bonuses (unless it's longbows, then you might want to either mix them with some liege levies OR some infantry retinues since they barely have any damage in the melee phase).
Troop composition definitely affects assaults. I've been using 15k Cataphract stacks in my Byz/Roman game and they are far far better than the average stack when it comes to assaults. They can effectively win assaults at 7:1 ratio rather than normal 10:1 and take minimal casualties when assaulting at better odds.
The cultural Retinue seems to get a bonus equal to the highest level of bonus for your cultural buildings. That means Retinues entirely made of the cultural unit is superior in terms of power per unit of retinue cap. Maybe it's still better to pick other stuff sometimes but it doesn't seem to matter. In my limited experience, mass cataphracts destroys everything. You can beat the HRE with 50k cataphracts before they have anywhere near enough time to respond.
Check your cultural building effect (the last building from your castle holding). If you like that unit passive, then specialize cultural retinues is the way to go. Cultural retinues do benefit from that.
If you don't, specializing the cheapest one is a good idea too, as it counts toward calculating faction power.
If you don't, specializing the cheapest one is a good idea too, as it counts toward calculating faction power.
I'd try do keep it historical, like as far as i know the Byzantines didn't use longobows (or very few) so i wouldn't have them in a retinue, but that's just me
I try to build all types but definitely build more Knights retinues or Cataphrachts retinues.(about 50% of a stack)
As the von Hapsburgs for RP reasons I built lots of Defensive retinues(Swiss Pikemen)
As the von Hapsburgs for RP reasons I built lots of Defensive retinues(Swiss Pikemen)
Playing as England I made my "castle crashers" retinue of archers and heavy infantry. Now the only castles I wait and siege down are high level Islamic ones.
My egypt retinue consists of a mixture of light and heavy cavalry.
My second retinue, stationed in Provence, is a mixture of pikemen, heavy infantry and archers.
My second retinue, stationed in Provence, is a mixture of pikemen, heavy infantry and archers.