What faction has the best troops for each type?

[Jediboyejb]

So I don't really know which troops for each faction are the best in the game. I do know there is a difference for each tier, but not much between factions, and its how you use your troops. But I do know that there is a best troop for each category (infantry, archers, cavalry). Does anyone know which ones are the best for these, as well as for defending a castle? Thanks!

[AxeKnight]

threre are tons of guides out there answering this exact question
http://mountandblade.wikia.com/wiki/Factions

[BrigadierBill]

Favorite cavalry are the Swadian Knight and Sarranid Mameluk. However the Khergit Lancer can be trained more quickly than either (fastest-trained elite unit in the game).

The best infantry is the Nord Huscarl (slowest-trained elite in the game, huge shield) followed by the Rhodok Sergeant (really good blunt weapon, heavy armor, gigantic shield).

The best archers are Rhodok Sharpshooters (in addition to high crossbow damage, they are actually good in melee and carry a huge shield; also, since crossbows shoot slower they retain their ammunition longer in a battle rather than wasting it early).

For castle defense the Nords or Rhodoks are amazing (Rhodok Sharpshooters are hilariously-effective, so are Nord Huscarls) and in general, crossbowmen are lethal against all troops due to their high damage even at low levels and since walls help to cover their lack of armor. Javelins are great but since their ammo count is pathetic javelineers are not the best ranged troops. Archers generally suck, so Khergits and Sarranids are not great at castle defense (mixed results against Vaegirs). Look for troops with good blunt weapons as well (Rhodok Sergeants, Khergit Lancers, Sarranid Mameluks; Nord Huscarls need no blunt weapons :P).

AI Rhodoks are terrible in the field but human-controlled Rhodoks will build formations and are extremely effective. Khergits and Swadians are excellent in the field, since Khergits have all-cavalry armies (fighting 90% horse archers is pretty difficult with large amounts of infantry) and Swadians have a good balance of all unit types.

Low-level Rhodok troops don't feel as well armored as other factions' low-level troops (particularly Nords, which have excellent stats at all levels), although Sarranids are worse. Khergits are the most reliable with an unleveled army since you can keep low-level troops on the move away from enemy infantry and they level up to elite status faster. Though Huscarls are the slowest unit to upgrade in the game, the different levels preceding it are all generally effective infantry (although you'd be better off with other spear-armed infantry to back them up, such as Rhodoks). First good Sarranid unit is the tier 3 Veteran Footman, followed by the tier 4 Archer and Horseman (Skirmishers are dangerous but very vulnerable, and have little ammo; veteran footmen have javelins as well albeit fewer). Not particularly fond of Vaegir troops although they're okay as supporting troops if you can't recruit your preferred style and have a partial army set up (ideally focus on their archers).

If the game is on lower difficulty, you can win with all cavalry. Their effectiveness goes down a lot as you raise the difficulty, but using infantry effectively in formations (or simply having them hold their ground on a slope or hill) is always effective.

[Handsome Jack]

Rhodok has best crossbowmen and best cost effective infantries.

[Jediboyejb]

Thanks all of you!!! especially you BrigadierBill!!!!

[Chonobataar]

Sarranids have the best balance I reckon, Cavalry is heavy like Swadia, infantry is tough like Nords and archers are effective and powerful like Khergits (without the horses)

[Esper Rain]

Originally posted by *Chairman Mao*:

Sassanids have the best balance I reckon, Cavalry is heavy like Swadia, infantry is tough like Nords and archers are effective and powerful like Khergits (without the horses)

Sassanids do you mean Sarranids?

[Chikuwu]

It kinda depends on what level of difficulty youre playing at.

if its on full easy settings = no matter what troops you use, you dont need tactic to win, just charge and you lose one or two troops.

on full difficulties, it comes to what equipment they carry. I think i wrote a small patch of this on one of my guides. this is a quote from it.

Swadians - Best Cavalry troops (Swadian knights) which will kill any other Infantry or Cavalry or Archers really fast in the game, on open fields. same with Sieges. Only troops they are having hard time against is Nord huscarls, on foot battle. Quite high costing to maintain an army. baddest archers ingame, decent to slow speed on world map. Best siege army for conquering.

TL:DR Best Cavalry, Kills anything open battle, Dont Bother using Archers, For Conquering, moderate to high cost.

Nords - Best Infantry troops (Nord Huscarls) that can rake trough anything on open field, infantry vs infantry. Highest costing infantry units in game also the slowest to train, really high cost to maintain full infantry army if wanted to be unbeatable. NO Cavalry. slow speed on world map Due to not having horses. (Best defence units)

TL:DR Best foot soldiers, Slow on map, High to Really high cost, Good for defending and attacking

Khergits - Fastest, fully cavalry dependent Nation. Khergit lancers are decent, Low costs on maintaining army and, also the fastest to raise from low to high tier troops.. Also fast on world map speed. BAD, and i mean, BAD at Attacking towns and defending them (LOW ARMORED UNITS) bad against higher tier archers and Rhodok spearmen. Good for fast capturing lowly guarded areas.

TL:DR Fastest on map, Full Cavalry army, Low Cost, BAD at Sieging and Defending, Low Armored troops

Rhodoks - Best Ranged troops in the game with Crossbows. aint nothing that can penetrate Rhodok Sharpshooter group, most damage dealing troops ingame. Decent other infantry, Rhodok Sergeant is about the same as swadian Infantrymen. No cavalrymen, as in Nords dont have either. Quite high cost on weekly basis, Slow movement on map. Good defenders, good backup on attack.

TL:DR Best Crossbowmen, High armor, Moderate to High cost, Slow to moderate speed on map, Bad attacking head on.

Sarranids - Decent army alltogether. Only good troops ive found to be is the Master Archer, and Mamlukes. Other troops tend to get killed really easily by other same tier troops on other factions, mostly due to their really bad armors. Mamlukes and Master archers are Decently equipped, although not as good as for example Vaegir Marksmen, or Swadian knights. Normal costs, not little or much. The "punchbag faction" From all the others (isnt best or bad in anything.)

TL:DR Not good or bad at anything. Low to moderate armor, Moderate cost, moderate everything.

Vaegirs - Best Bow and arrow Archers in game, Vaegir marksmen. Quite fast on the map, many cavalry based classes, vaegir knights being the lowest armored top tier unit in the game. These troops are useless against good Rhodok crossbow line, gets hammered pretty easily due to little to no shield usage. Quite low costing, Hard to play for newcomers.

TL:DR Superb Archers, Bad Cavalry with low armor, No shields most troops, only good on defence, Moderate to fast speed on map.

to clear this up the preference comes down to what difficulty you play on. on easy its the same what you use, but in the end, on highest difficulty settings, you need to plan ahead (Do this unit have a shield or not, how capable they are against THIS specific troop etc.) to be on full capacity.

one example is that on high difficulty, Khergits get rekt most likely by anything if the damage threshold is 1/1 on player, own troops and enemies.they have no armor at all compared to most troops, are bad at sieging due to that, lack of shields means they get killed before siege machine is on the wall, and means they can getmore easily killed before than any other units.

[Chonobataar]

Originally posted by Professor Oak:

Originally posted by *Chairman Mao*:

Sassanids have the best balance I reckon, Cavalry is heavy like Swadia, infantry is tough like Nords and archers are effective and powerful like Khergits (without the horses)

Sassanids do you mean Sarranids?

lol yeah.. typo -.- was playing attila total war =P

[KilldeerGER]

Archer: Vaegir
Cavalry: Swadia
Infantry Offensive: Nord
Infantry Defensive: Rhodok
Horse Archer: Khergit
Crossbowman: Rhodok

[Fumbles]

Nord Veteran Archers were buffed years ago and are now superior to Vaegir Marksmen.

[Jediboyejb]

Thanks everyone! Feel free to keep posting on this discussion, so other new players can see it! Hopefully it will help them, like it for me! Thanks again! <3

[|AyyLmao|]

I don't know why so many people put the mamlukes under the swadian knights as cavalry. Mamlukes are much more cheaper, faster and the armor is slightly lower but still strong. I finded out that I get faster and much more kills almost anywhere in the map (except maybe in rhodok territory) with them rather than with knights. I still like the swadians because I can use them on the field and they seem to be better at siege offense than the mamlukes (mamlukes most of the time don't use their shield on offense which cause many deaths while getting to ladders/towers due to their not top tier armor, specially against crossbows), also I think they are a bit better at melee even with the same stats as mamlukes.

So for me it's like: If you are looking for a better than good calvalry to use while you are besieging castles and running around the map (and money isn't an issue) use the knights. But if you are looking for superb cavalry to crush armies on the field go with the mamlukes =D

[Sirsucksalot]

Mercenary infantry and cavalry are the best. You get loads of 'em and they rek. Sure, mercenaries don't have archers, but infantry and cavalry > Archers. xd

[Morifan]

lol do you know that mercenary horse men are worst cavarly in the whole game xd

Originally posted by ☧High PriestSirsucksalot☦:

Mercenary infantry and cavalry are the best. You get loads of 'em and they rek. Sure, mercenaries don't have archers, but infantry and cavalry > Archers. xd

[NinjaFoxMaster]

Originally posted by Destroyer:

lol do you know that mercenary horse men are worst cavarly in the whole game xd

Originally posted by ☧High PriestSirsucksalot☦:

Mercenary infantry and cavalry are the best. You get loads of 'em and they rek. Sure, mercenaries don't have archers, but infantry and cavalry > Archers. xd

A Spear To The Rear End Still Hurts :(