Does any one here play as Ireland??. What units do you usually recruit??.

[Kibey]

I recruit Ulster Swordsmen, Muire, Gaelic archers along with Hobiguir at the start whereas after getting Trim as a citadel and after gunpowder I recruit only Muire, Lords Retinue and Mounted Calivermen.

I am asking as I don't see any point in recruiting Ostmen, Galloglaich, Cliathairi (the only spearmen) and the Deisi Javelinmen. Am I using these units wrong??.

[CHE]

Originally posted by Kibey:

I recruit Ulster Swordsmen, Muire, Gaelic archers along with Hobiguir at the start whereas after getting Trim as a citadel and after gunpowder I recruit only Muire, Lords Retinue and Mounted Calivermen.

I am asking as I don't see any point in recruiting Ostmen, Galloglaich, Cliathairi (the only spearmen) and the Deisi Javelinmen. Am I using these units wrong??.

Aren't spearmen useful in fighting enemy cavalry?

[Brady Gunner]

Originally posted by CHE:

Originally posted by Kibey:

I recruit Ulster Swordsmen, Muire, Gaelic archers along with Hobiguir at the start whereas after getting Trim as a citadel and after gunpowder I recruit only Muire, Lords Retinue and Mounted Calivermen.

I am asking as I don't see any point in recruiting Ostmen, Galloglaich, Cliathairi (the only spearmen) and the Deisi Javelinmen. Am I using these units wrong??.

Aren't spearmen useful in fighting enemy cavalry?

Often not. Spearmen are quite low quality troops so if a cavalry charges them hard they'll drop quickly in both men and morale. Spearmen really only work as a potential scare factor for multiplayer or as a flanking force. Sure they can also just soak up a cavalry charge because they are often cheap, but unless you can trap the cav it's not worth it.

If the cav is being micromanaged and the cav user doesn't just let it die in combat, spearmen are a waste. Pikes are thousand times better against both, cavalry and infantry, only worse against archers because pikemen often have poor armor stats and no shields. Defense stat often consists of only defense skill. Sometimes pikes are even cheaper than spearmen so you can kinda get the picture here...

I don't know much about British Isles expansion or the specific unit in guestion, but spearmen suck. Not all of them even have combat bonus against horses and even if they have it, it often doesn't come into play since cavalry can just be charged and retreated.

As said by others, never counter charge cavalry so even that option is taken away from spear units. Sure you can kill like 1-4 men from a cavalry unit of 40, but you will lose like 30 troops, which is almost half of your unit's total men while only killing 10% or less from the cav unit.

Spears only shines against AI with huge cavalry stacks who are trying to siege you. Put all your spears to protect the gate and just watch the idiot cav walk into that one small choke and they all drop dead or route.

[Kibey]

I use Lord's Retinue and Mounted Calivermen against enemy cavalry