What does your Jute army look like?

[The_Adm0n]

For my field armies, it's:

General
2x Spears
5x Swords
4x Huskarls
4x Javelins
2x Melee Cav
2x Artillery

What do you guys use?

[Ruswarr]

General
4x spears
6x swords
6x huskarls
2x cav
1x onager

Served me fine so far. Didn't use it against the Huns though but they are very, very friendly to me so far.

[The_Adm0n]

Originally posted by Ruswarr:

General
4x spears
6x swords
6x huskarls
2x cav
1x onager

Served me fine so far. Didn't use it against the Huns though but they are very, very friendly to me so far.

Interesting that you're not running any ranged infantry. How do you handle enemy archers/skirmishers?

Also what Swords do you like to use? I go back and forth between Hirdmen and Norse swordsmen. Although, I'm considering trying out the Nordic axe warriors for mainline infantry.

[Ruswarr]

I'm not running ranged because, well, norse archers are not exactly good and i feel that my micro is not exactly good for good use of javelins.
For enemy skirmishers - cav and 2x huskarls are usually enough (huskarls can use their their speed boost to catch up). Spearmen are usually somewhere around them by that point so I don't worry about enemy cav hitting them too much.
For the swords... Hirdmen are good for their price. Never used the Nordic warriors line as I feel they have too little melee defence to serve as effective frontline and come too late (at least with my approach). Chosen warriors are pretty costly and don't have as much MD as Hirdsmen but are still durable enough if you don't expose them to enemy's AP units AND are much better fighers; honestly, I'm torn between them and hirdmen. If you want cost effective and easily available/replenishing tropps you should probably stick with hirdmen, that's for sure. Oh yeah, chosen warriors are also much more cool-looking.
Nordic axe warriors should be BAD as mainline as they don't have shields OR armor.

[Zombolic]

I dont use any, cuz Geats are best, ofcourse ;)

[The_Adm0n]

Originally posted by Ruswarr:

I'm not running ranged because, well, norse archers are not exactly good and i feel that my micro is not exactly good for good use of javelins.
For enemy skirmishers - cav and 2x huskarls are usually enough (huskarls can use their their speed boost to catch up). Spearmen are usually somewhere around them by that point so I don't worry about enemy cav hitting them too much.
For the swords... Hirdmen are good for their price. Never used the Nordic warriors line as I feel they have too little melee defence to serve as effective frontline and come too late (at least with my approach). Chosen warriors are pretty costly and don't have as much MD as Hirdsmen but are still durable enough if you don't expose them to enemy's AP units AND are much better fighers; honestly, I'm torn between them and hirdmen. If you want cost effective and easily available/replenishing tropps you should probably stick with hirdmen, that's for sure. Oh yeah, chosen warriors are also much more cool-looking.
Nordic axe warriors should be BAD as mainline as they don't have shields OR armor.

My mistake. I was talking about the Nordic Axe Warband. Not the warriors.

[Ruswarr]

Originally posted by The_Adm0n:

My mistake. I was talking about the Nordic Axe Warband. Not the warriors.

Same as Nordic warriors I guess, really low MD, I definitely wouldn't try. Anti-infantry bonus might kick in but I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Originally posted by Corpzmaker:

I dont use any, cuz Geats are best, ofcourse ;)

Geats don't have huskarls though.

[Mile pro Libertate]

Hirdmen are absolutely one of the best units in the game. The fact they are only around 170 upkeep is insane.

I use a similar core for Danes, with 6 Hirdmen per stack, sometimes even 8 to 10.

Then 2 to 4 spears for rear security against cav.

Instead of bringing Housecarls and Onagers though, I like to bring more cav and javelins. I only get Onagers as mercenaries or by capturing, use them for taking a walled town, then disband them.

Germanic Raider and Nordic Raider are excellent skirmisher and melee cav, respectively.

I find having lots of javelins is devastating. You can get the enemy chasing them all over the place, and whittling them down as a result. I like to have a supporting stack of anywhere from 10 to 15 javelins plus spears to give fire support to my main stacks of Hirdmen, spears and cav.

[Teh_Diplomat]

Yeah I have to backup Mile pro's use of javelins. Especially the Nordics being so cheap - both recruitment & upkeep.

Plus the amount of kills they get if used correctly, and backed by your Nordic horses equates to them accounting for the bulk of my kills.

I'll place 2/3 in main line just to reduce the enemy hitpoints, so when they engage my infantry line, even as the same culture, they are quite weakened.

From there flank some javs to get rear kills, while your Cav chase off their skirmish units.

And, if you can afford it, bring another stack in reinforcement filled with Nordic, or thrall (Geat exclusive) skirmishers.

[Teh_Diplomat]

Typically archers do so little damage even to the lowly armored Nord units that I can only justify them for knocking down a tower (when an Onager isn't available/affordable) or for the morale effects of flaming shot.

So typically it's one or two volleys, immediately followed by a Cav charge. That should prove adequate for an initial rout, and fewer losses for your troops.

[Mile pro Libertate]

The whistling shot can be effective in causing routs, so I also will have 1 or 2 archers around for that.

But yeah, like you said as far as getting kills...even with heavy shot the archers just plain suck.

Nordic javs can even do well in melee, if they have numbers on their side. If you get units to chase some if the have, the others can be throwing from behind and the right side; then the enemy turns around and chases them, and you get the javs they were chasing to take the role of the "shooters."

Once the enemy gets whittled down like this, put some whistling arrows ovwr them, and then even heavy infantry will rout when charged by the Nordic javs.

[Teh_Diplomat]

I just started another Geat campaign after this thread, and I must say it's already been a blast.

First off I forgot Thrall skirmishers are ridiculously cheap (80 for recruitment/67 in upkeep) and the 5 units I brought averaged 90 kills apiece.

In fact even with 5 hirdmen (rushing to sacred king tech takes 11 turns) my armies upkeep is 1200-2200 per turn.

Now compare that to the 3.5/4.5K I'll spend on a Roman/Sassanids/Desert faction, it equates to having more stacks on the map, at a much earlier point in the game.

Then you consider that during most faction's weakest season (winter) you're at your strongest, and that after chapter 1, snow stays on the ground for spring meaning two turns of attrition, you're at a distinct advantage.

Plus, with being tucked away like the Picts, or Aksumites, you're free to sack and pillage to your heart's content, knowing your settlements are safe.

[Mile pro Libertate]

Just thought I'd add for any new players happening to read the thread:

Even if you don't have "Viking Forefathers" DLC, you can still get the excellent Hirdmen unit playing as Saxons.

They are called "Hearth Guard," but are identical to Hirdmen, and you get them the same way (Sacred King tech > then down the Town Center building chain).

EDIT: Hearth Guard have identical stats, but Hirdmen do have two traits that the Hearth Guard do not: "Scare" and "Immune to Fear."