I need the best archers

[bonbon]

Vaegir marksman or Sarrinaid master archer?

Rhodok sharpshooter or swadian sharpshooter?

[wendigo211]

Depends on what you need. In the field it's probably the Khergit Veteran Horse Archers (because mobility is a hug boon if you lead them in a circle around the enemy). For seige purposes, It's a tough one. Crossbowmen have a slower rate of fire meaning they'll probably keep shooting through more enemy waves. On the other hand archers give you spike damage which can be valuable for getting the upper hand early on. I think I probably prefer crossbowmen for defending a siege and archers for attacking.

As far as individual units. I tend to favor the Vaegir Marksman as an archer unit, the Sarranids aren't bad, but the lower rank units are just so fragile compared to the Vaegir units, that the Vaegir are easier to train up. I prefer the Rhodoks over the Swadians, mostly from experience fighting them, I find the Rhodoks are tougher than the Swadians. The Nord archers aren't bad since they tend to be better melee fighters than the others, which could be a boon if you need them to hold the top of the ladder during a siege.

[lionhart]

Originally posted by wendigo211:

The Nord archers aren't bad since they tend to be better melee fighters than the others, which could be a boon if you need them to hold the top of the ladder during a siege.

The Nord Veteran Archers are really underrated. They are almost as good as Vaegir and Sarranid tier 5 archers while being only tier 4, so you can train them up in large numbers much more quickly.

[lionhart]

Originally posted by bonbon:

Rhodok sharpshooter or swadian sharpshooter?

The Rhodoks are better because they carry siege crossbows and steel bolts, whereas the Swadians only have heavy crossbows and regular iron bolts.

[JtDarth]

Originally posted by lionhart:

Originally posted by wendigo211:

The Nord archers aren't bad since they tend to be better melee fighters than the others, which could be a boon if you need them to hold the top of the ladder during a siege.

The Nord Veteran Archers are really underrated. They are almost as good as Vaegir and Sarranid tier 5 archers while being only tier 4, so you can train them up in large numbers much more quickly.

If you are using them for a siege, than yes nord vet archers are amazing. But for field battles they aren't as good, becasue they are in a weird place damage output wise, and don't have the accuracy that the other nation's archers get.

[happy]

sieges= you want to destroy shields fast= rohdoks

field= whatever you want.

[bonbon]

thanks for the help!

[lionhart]

Originally posted by DarthNachoz:

If you are using them for a siege, than yes nord vet archers are amazing. But for field battles they aren't as good, becasue they are in a weird place damage output wise, and don't have the accuracy that the other nation's archers get.

Sieges are pretty much the only time I ever use archers. I have never seen the point of using them in field battles, especially against cavalry.

[Esce]

I think Rhodoks are the best, because of their ,,shields,, more like doors. They can tank through the hailstorm of throwing weapons from Nords/Sarranids/Khergits. Attacking Nord towns without shields is a nightmare.

[JtDarth]

Originally posted by lionhart:

Originally posted by DarthNachoz:

If you are using them for a siege, than yes nord vet archers are amazing. But for field battles they aren't as good, becasue they are in a weird place damage output wise, and don't have the accuracy that the other nation's archers get.

Sieges are pretty much the only time I ever use archers. I have never seen the point of using them in field battles, especially against cavalry.

In mods where heavy cav spam isn't viable, archers can be very useful. Using a recent run of the 1257 mod as an example, I used spearmen and other lighter infantry, backed up by a smaller group of heavy infantry, to draw the enemy, with a group of cav as a interdiction force to protect my archers. The archers accounted for a great many of the kills, since the AI infantry and cav were focused on my own infantry, and as such not pointing their shields toward the archers. Similarly, in mods that change horses into something less terminator-like, archers become extremely powerful as a way to blunt a cavalry charge.
In vanilla, massed archers are absolutely terrifying, especially if you as a player on horseback, draw the enemy's attention so that they aren't focusing your archers. If you are decent at managing aggro (and dodging projectiles), a group of 20 mid-level archers + you on your horse can savage any field battle against a minor lord, with little actual risk. In a siege that doesn't involve a tower, you can siege with massed archers, and then retreat and come back once they run out of ammo, allowing you to pick apart the garrison with minimal losses, provided they don't sally out.

[lionhart]

Originally posted by DarthNachoz:

In vanilla, massed archers are absolutely terrifying, especially if you as a player on horseback, draw the enemy's attention so that they aren't focusing your archers. If you are decent at managing aggro (and dodging projectiles), a group of 20 mid-level archers + you on your horse can savage any field battle against a minor lord, with little actual risk.

I guess it depends how you like to play the battles. I am sure the strategy you describe works, but kiting around the enemy to buy time for your archers to finish them off sounds like a slow and boring way to play. I prefer to charge straight in and take my losses; troop replacement is easy enough once you have some points invested in training, plus there are always mercenaries in a pinch.

Originally posted by DarthNachoz:

In a siege that doesn't involve a tower, you can siege with massed archers, and then retreat and come back once they run out of ammo, allowing you to pick apart the garrison with minimal losses, provided they don't sally out.

I've used that strategy myself, but it feels like cheating. I almost wish the game didn't allow it, like maybe have the defenders stand back from the wall (and out of range of the archers) unless you have troops on the ladder.

[Brick Slayer]

Vaegir marksmen or Rhodok Sharpshooters.

[Кiт Максим]

Originally posted by lionhart:

sounds like a slow and boring way to play

>using tactics is boring
>f1 f3 is fun
wats wrong with you

[Cato]

Originally posted by lionhart:

Originally posted by wendigo211:

The Nord archers aren't bad since they tend to be better melee fighters than the others, which could be a boon if you need them to hold the top of the ladder during a siege.

The Nord Veteran Archers are really underrated. They are almost as good as Vaegir and Sarranid tier 5 archers while being only tier 4, so you can train them up in large numbers much more quickly.

They are cheap and therfore value for money

They also make effective garrison troops.

They can be recruited at the same times you are getting men to turn into Huscarls. (so logisically easy)

They are not as good as V.Marksmen or Rhodok Sharpshooters tho*

* bear in mind this will depend on stat distribution which is semi random.

[arthum.inglorion]

To be honest I usually go with Vaegir archers(top tier ones), put up some infantry up the front and lead a cavalry charge back up the enemies flank, leading harassing hit and run tactics not getting in into a melee ball with my cavalry not to lose as many of them. Usually archers can wittle down the enemies forces before they engage my infantry in melee, I like the better rate of fire on the archers compared to crossbowman. A couple of nice cavalry charges and the battle is won :)

[lionhart]

Originally posted by Swadian Butterlord:

>using tactics is boring
>f1 f3 is fun
wats wrong with you

Trying to use complex battlefield tactics in a game that is not designed for them is boring, yes. I have said this many times (and I know a lot of people disagree with me) but Warband is not a strategy game, no matter how badly people want to insist that it is. It is a real-time third person action game at its core, and for me it is most exciting when it is played that way.