Whats the best gear for heros?

[The Shadow Rose]

I gave all 8 of mine horses and i was wondering what the best gear for them is. I would prefer them to be better armored then damaging. Also is there a guide somewhere that says what the best skills and gear to get for each hero is? I cant find anything like one sooooo i just wondered.

On a side not whats the best starting town? I like dhirim since in the middle of everyone and is easy to take over whenever you want.

[Tuidjy]

(Balanced) elite scimitars and (reinforced) huscarl shields for everyone. This one is a no brainer, as the only sword (long arming sword) which is as good as the scimitar has a thrusting attack companions whiff too often, and the huscarl shield is just awesome - large, relatively fast, great resistance, decent hit points, usable on horseback, displays heraldry, etc.

Then a ranged weapon, either a bow or a crossbow. There are people who will tell you that you should give some of them bows, and some of them crossbows, depending on their stats. Other will tell you that everyone should get whatever your character uses. Others will say that one or the other is the best choice for everyone. Personally, in my last play-through, I went with bows for everyone. Seems to work so far.

I start them on saddle horses, because they are cheap, switch to coursers while I'm running without troops, and finally to heavy chargers once companions no longer spend the battles running from the enemy.

Armor? Well, if you cannot be bothered micromanaging companions and aesthetics do not matter to you, you should go full tin can. Plate armor, winged helmets, steel gauntlets, iron greaves.

Personally, I actually invest in their athletics, and give them a bit lighter gear (heraldic armor with tabard, Khergit boots, scale gloves, a functional helm) Then I micromanage the hell out of them, at least in the early game. Most of my combat companions hit level 20 by the beginning of the second game month. The eggheads trail behind, but not by much.

[Hat8]

I just buy the best gear possible and throw it on them.

I try to spec them all as people with swords and shields with a ranged sidearm.

[ULTRA]

If you're going full micromanagement, you might actually want to give them two shields when you plan on using them as tanks/distractions. But yea, full lordly plate, reinforced huscarl shield, balanced elite scimitar, heavy chargers (imo). Level them in shield and ironflesh. Since they're terrible at killing at any rate, just use them to break up enemy groups. You can also use them as line archers or harasser horse archers if you want but I usually just specialize them.

[Fenrir]

It's hilarious how bad companions become when you give them a weapon with a thrusting attack. I used to do this all the time when I first started playing but then I one time I noticed that it took Firentis 4 attacks to kill a looter with a long arming sword.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by 786543:

I try to spec them all as people with swords and shields with a ranged sidearm.

I agree with your setup.

I disagree as to which one is the sidearm.

[MiKye200]

When it comes to armour, companions tend to go for the lesser quality but "lordly" items.
They cannot be trusted to be properly armoured later in the game if allowed to upgrade their own armour(possible in mods using Diplomacy mod, I believe).
Safer to give them the best, then turn off the option for them to upgrade their own armour if playing such a mod.

The type of crossbows that can be used mounted tend to not pack much punch until the companion is very skilled.
Personally, I like Tuidjy's idea of giving them all bows.

Throwing weapons might be an idea if you want some companions to use a lance in combat with a one-handed weapon as backup, with shield.
I like giving my companions Heavy Cavalry Mace(Sarranids), for the prisoner capture.
They have good reach and speed and are the best blunt one-handed weapon for cavalry in Floris Evolved.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by MiKye200:

The type of crossbows that can be used mounted tend to not pack much punch until the companion is very skilled.
Personally, I like Tuidjy's idea of giving them all bows.

To be honest, the bows that eggheads can handle are no great shakes in the damage department, either. But the high rate of fire gives them enough kills in field combat to speed up their progress.

The 21 damage of a masterwork hunting or Khergit bow is not much, even with the +30-40% from power draw and proficiency, but it still results in plenty of kills. See here[i.redd.it].

[The Shadow Rose]

Originally posted by Tuidjy:

(Balanced) elite scimitars and (reinforced) huscarl shields for everyone. This one is a no brainer, as the only sword (long arming sword) which is as good as the scimitar has a thrusting attack companions whiff too often, and the huscarl shield is just awesome - large, relatively fast, great resistance, decent hit points, usable on horseback, displays heraldry, etc.

Then a ranged weapon, either a bow or a crossbow. There are people who will tell you that you should give some of them bows, and some of them crossbows, depending on their stats. Other will tell you that everyone should get whatever your character uses. Others will say that one or the other is the best choice for everyone. Personally, in my last play-through, I went with bows for everyone. Seems to work so far.

I start them on saddle horses, because they are cheap, switch to coursers while I'm running without troops, and finally to heavy chargers once companions no longer spend the battles running from the enemy.

Armor? Well, if you cannot be bothered micromanaging companions and aesthetics do not matter to you, you should go full tin can. Plate armor, winged helmets, steel gauntlets, iron greaves.

Personally, I actually invest in their athletics, and give them a bit lighter gear (heraldic armor with tabard, Khergit boots, scale gloves, a functional helm) Then I micromanage the hell out of them, at least in the early game. Most of my combat companions hit level 20 by the beginning of the second game month. The eggheads trail behind, but not by much.

Whats a good level for each specific skill? I like microing and prefer not wasting points if possible. My main will basically be a passive girl with all the good passives like say 10 in training and 10 in surgury to lessing wasting points on the heros since i have horrible reflexs which makes bows for me anyway almost impossible to hit which sucks.

Originally posted by Mountain Man:

If you're going full micromanagement, you might actually want to give them two shields when you plan on using them as tanks/distractions. But yea, full lordly plate, reinforced huscarl shield, balanced elite scimitar, heavy chargers (imo). Level them in shield and ironflesh. Since they're terrible at killing at any rate, just use them to break up enemy groups. You can also use them as line archers or harasser horse archers if you want but I usually just specialize them.

I was thinking of something like a sword or maybe a blunt weapon since my main will have a ton of passive skills like prisioner management and 2 shields with a throwing weapon since ive always disliked that bows and crossbows take 2 spaces and only have a small number of arrows/bolts.

Originally posted by MiKye200:

When it comes to armour, companions tend to go for the lesser quality but "lordly" items.
They cannot be trusted to be properly armoured later in the game if allowed to upgrade their own armour(possible in mods using Diplomacy mod, I believe).
Safer to give them the best, then turn off the option for them to upgrade their own armour if playing such a mod.

The type of crossbows that can be used mounted tend to not pack much punch until the companion is very skilled.
Personally, I like Tuidjy's idea of giving them all bows.

Throwing weapons might be an idea if you want some companions to use a lance in combat with a one-handed weapon as backup, with shield.
I like giving my companions Heavy Cavalry Mace(Sarranids), for the prisoner capture.
They have good reach and speed and are the best blunt one-handed weapon for cavalry in Floris Evolved.

Sadly i dont use mods in any of my games ever. Im a weird one. The mod has to be really special for me to do it like hearts of iron 4 old world blues where it converted the whole game into the fallout universe with its own evens for every nation and stories etc. Also thanks for mentioning throwing weapons. I didnt even realize that was an option that was perfect to combine with 2 shields and a sword. Whats the best vanilla blunt weapon? Replenishing my army with maxed ai troops would be nice. I wonder how many points of persuasion you need for it to do anything since it didnt do much in the round i played before i restarted yesterday once i relearned all the mechanics. Ah i remember when i first played mount and blade warband and i sparred my swadians up to knights with no horse matchs or training skill.

Originally posted by Tuidjy:

Originally posted by MiKye200:

The type of crossbows that can be used mounted tend to not pack much punch until the companion is very skilled.
Personally, I like Tuidjy's idea of giving them all bows.

To be honest, the bows that eggheads can handle are no great shakes in the damage department, either. But the high rate of fire gives them enough kills in field combat to speed up their progress.

The 21 damage of a masterwork hunting or Khergit bow is not much, even with the +30-40% from power draw and proficiency, but it still results in plenty of kills. See here[i.redd.it].

Ah well bows make sense but i dont like that they take up 2 spaces and seems like a waste plus even though im horrible as an archer thats my main and they do like nothing if i hit anyone with armor plus i hate the range so i tend to like crossbows more. I love the idea of giving them 2 shields and a throwing weapon though. I wonder what the best throwing weapon is.

[MiKye200]

I've got to try native again; haven't played it in ages.
It'll be interesting.

[Tuidjy]

Originally posted by MiKye200:

I've got to try native again; haven't played it in ages.
It'll be interesting.

I'm doing my first Native run since 2010.

It's surprisingly entertaining. But the enemy soldiers are kind of pushovers, even at 149% difficulty, when you are used to The Last Day's stats and especially combat A.I.

[The Shadow Rose]

Oh right one thing i wondered was if items are random in every town or if certain types only spawn in specific towns for gear.

[MiKye200]

Originally posted by Tuidjy:

Originally posted by MiKye200:

I've got to try native again; haven't played it in ages.
It'll be interesting.

I'm doing my first Native run since 2010.

It's surprisingly entertaining. But the enemy soldiers are kind of pushovers, even at 149% difficulty, when you are used to The Last Day's stats and especially combat A.I.

Just playing some Native now.
The tournaments are a lot easier in native, as well.
Just went on a tour of Calradia to collect companions and won several tournaments along the way.
Sea Raiders in Native hit very hard; they run out of throwing weapons very quickly.
And the Forest Bandits are very accurate but not so much damage.

[crazyorse]

Playing on Native
Kitted out Nizar with really good gear and he defected :(
Met him weeks later and he wanted to come back (the weasel)
Took him back and got all his gear and HIS horse :)
Now he is riding around almost naked on a lame horse LOL

[crazyorse]

Originally posted by The Shadow Rose:

Oh right one thing i wondered was if items are random in every town or if certain types only spawn in specific towns for gear.

I think most towns will produce specific goods.
For example Curaw is iron if I remember correctly.

[The Shadow Rose]

Originally posted by crazyorse:

Originally posted by The Shadow Rose:

Oh right one thing i wondered was if items are random in every town or if certain types only spawn in specific towns for gear.

I think most towns will produce specific goods.
For example Curaw is iron if I remember correctly.

Ah okay. Do you know if the game follows a supply and demand style? Im wondering if i waste 200k on the velvets in every city if itll tank everything. I prefer raw amount per month over a better deal and i prefer not having to rebuild something later.