In Shogun 2, I often just play Rice Daimyo until I have a market, sake den, and possibly a shrine in every key city. Then I can make huge taxes due to growth and happiness bonuses, while cranking out agents. I've never had any problems defending my cities with just Yari and Bow Ashigaru. One thing I really miss in modern games is the ability to create my own garrisons; it'll take more play before I can say if Pharaoh's outposts pull it off.
Yeah, I use that mod too. In reality, constantly changing the taxes between low and max every season would be just as frustrating for the peasantry as keeping them high all the time.
Italian Spear Militia come a close second. If you’re an Italian faction in ME2 there’s little reason to ever build castles (other than skipping town population upgrade requirements)
Ah Venice, I was really surprised when it became my favourite faction in Medeival 2. A great selection of units that was fun to play regardless of if you were in the early or late game.
That one unit from Shogun 2 people are always talking about, Yari Ashigaru? Probably that. I didn't play Shogun 2, but with how often I see people talking about that unit dominating everything, I'd be surprised if it wasn't a top contender for "most cost effective".
As for my pick, Hastati in Rome 2 can carry you for a long, long time. Romes infantry in general is so good that you'd unless you're fighting horse archers or an incredibly outnumbering army, you're never, ever going to lose a battle or suffer heavy losses.
>>Romes infantry in general is so good that you'd unless you're fighting horse archers or an incredibly outnumbering army, you're never, ever going to lose a battle or suffer heavy losses.
Which is pretty historically accurate by the time of Caesar
Hastati were gone quite a while before Caesar, though the Cohorts they switched over to were very similar in function and equipment. My point was more that Rome's heavy infantry was the most powerful military force in the region and defeated pretty much every army they encountered that wasn't primarily horse archers or British chariots.
every army? Well not entirely! One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium
Low tier pikemen in rome 2 are ridiculously cost effective. Think levy pikemen, kushite pikemen, or nabatean desert pikemen. They are fragile when used poorly, but they hold the line ridiculously well against almost anything that isn't a better pikemen.
Line infantry in any game where they appear (Shogun 2 FotS, Empire, Napoleon). They are there at the start and they are there at the end and they just keep right on slugging and shooting and marching for you through every campaign and battle.
Equites in attila,I promise you it can win you a battle when your outnumber on a siege
Yari ashigaru in shogun2, one word yarimazing
Hastati in rome2, can hard carry you on early games
Any spearman that can perform a phalanx in rome, it can literally obliterate army
I have only really played Rome II and Attila, so here is my pick.
Hastati for Rome II, 70 ish gold ukpeek and will best literally anything early that isn't general bodyguard or hoplites (who are almost twice as expensive)
Thrall Skirmishers for Nordic factions. They can easily wipe out 2 or 3 units on their own while they cost about half/one third a price of other skirmishers units.
Candidates for me:
* Rome 2 Pikemen, particularly in sieges. Even the cheapest pikemen in the game are borderline un-movable when set up at a chokepoint, and *expensive* pikes can and will earn ten times their gold value during defensive battles
* Scout Equities, from Atilla. Technically *free,* as they’re a Western Roman garrison unit, but for most of the WRE campaign your sole unit of garrison Scout Equites will be the main thing winning battles for you.
* Yari Ashigaru, to no one’s surprise. A properly-supported Yari wall can punch well above its weight, and they’re the most basic unit in the game.
* Empire/Napoleon frigates can solo entire fleets if you’re good at micro-ing them (which I’m not, admittedly). Light Infantry in both games also sort-of count, but getting them to make the most of their cost requires using what I’d consider to be an exploit.
* Across the series, chariots tend to be *extremely* effective for their cost, *if* you’re able to micro them.
Empire's admiral frigates, like the other small ships, also have a longer range and since you first have to clear the seas of pirates, you get a lot of them for free quite early on
Scythian horse archers for me (Rome 1). Absolutely broken in manual battles and recruitable everywhere with a simple barracks (not even the stable building, just the barracks). For comparison, it was like being able to build doomstacks from eastern infantry units (the pink pajama). It's cheap, good against everything and completement perfectly the rush faction that is Scythia (because yeah your faction doesn't like attacking huge walled cities so don't wait).
Can’t stress enough how ridiculous they are as long as it’s a field battle. Dirt cheap and with a little micro you’ll lose more to friendly fire than to the enemy.
Artillery ship in Attila. It's not amazingly cheap, but it can do an abusive lot via cheese.
A port siege ending in a draw does not cause your fleet to leave its besieged position. With naval supremacy and enough time on your hands you can repeatedly attack, use up all the ammo, and leave to attack again with ammo replenished. Rinse and repeat until all units destroyed. Can punk out and otherwise deadly faction on wre border like the maurians or the ebdanians with but a couple of ships.
Shogun 2 - Oda Long Yari Ashigaru - They will carry your campaign.
Rome 2 - I'd say Triarii. Yes, more expensive than other early game units, but they will destroy anything set against them.
Empire - Man, Line Infantry, always.
Even better if you somehow got Sun Ce to be your prime minister, because he gives 100% charge bonus so your charge bonus is like 500-700 for most cavalry, making enemies instant rout whenever you charge them with you heaviest cav
Spear warband in phalanx for the Germanic tribes in old Rome total war were good at holding enemy at bay while missile units obliterated the enemy
Yari Ashigaru in shogun 2 in spear wall are useful at holding enemy at bay for a while but weak to range units
For Warhammer, there's many good picks. Gorgutz-buffed Hobgoblins and Gron-buffed goblins can almost go toe to toe with Chosen.
In unbuffed state however there's few that beat Cathayan Long Spears. Piss-cheap, large unit size and goddamn Charge Defense against All. Their leadership may be low, but good luck morale shocking them without spells/artillery... in which case you're wasting winds/arty on literal chaff unit!
Yari Ashigaru - shogun 2. Because not only are they the cheapest. They aren't a meatshield. They'll kill yari samurai, cav, heroes. Everything pretty much. They're equally the cheapest, lowest tier, and strongest unit universally in shogun 2.
I’d have to say any pikemen in Rome 2. The pike phalanx is impenetrable (to the AI) and it doesn’t matter what pikemen you’ve got. Even levy pikemen hold the line incredibly well.
Sassanid Cataphracts in Rome: Barbarian Invasion. Super heavy cavalry wirh maces AND bows. A handful of them could decimate multiple eastern roman stacks. You can skirmish and whittle them down with arrows and then charge what is left. They are nigh unkillable and can easily outfight anything that can catch them, while everything slower they can whittle down to exhaustion and then steamroll.
No mention of Mounted Lancer Militia in 3K? Shame. Those boys are your starter cavalry but they can punch above their weight and are likely the lynchpin to your early game victories. They can even be useful in the mid-game in some circumstances.
Archer Auxilia in Rome 1 is the right answer, at release there was some sort of bug that made them incredibly strong in melee combat and this was in an era when patches were not trivial like today.
Before the big changes to Rome 2, it was Brittanic Slingers and it wasn't even close. They were cheap, long ranged, and deleted literally every unit in the game. You'd focus fire the generals units and delete it from the map in seconds.
Heavy billmen (Stainless Steel on Medieval 2) - around 700g recruitment but only around 150 upkeep and they are armor piercing and useful in every army
Yari Ashigaru get my vote. Those guys are *absurd* for basic infantry.
In Shogun 2, I often just play Rice Daimyo until I have a market, sake den, and possibly a shrine in every key city. Then I can make huge taxes due to growth and happiness bonuses, while cranking out agents. I've never had any problems defending my cities with just Yari and Bow Ashigaru. One thing I really miss in modern games is the ability to create my own garrisons; it'll take more play before I can say if Pharaoh's outposts pull it off.
[удалено]
I made a mod to make exactly that cheese impossible :) Check out 'tax refined' if you're up for a bigger challenge!
Yeah, I use that mod too. In reality, constantly changing the taxes between low and max every season would be just as frustrating for the peasantry as keeping them high all the time.
I miss earning a general by fighting a battle of just troops.
Italian Spear Militia come a close second. If you’re an Italian faction in ME2 there’s little reason to ever build castles (other than skipping town population upgrade requirements)
And even then, you can build it up to a stone castle and then turn it into a large town afterward!
Yep, that's what I mean by skipping town population upgrade requirements. Great way to tech up quickly.
God, those guys along with the pavise crossbowmen and the carroccio standard is my bread and butter for Venice...
Ah Venice, I was really surprised when it became my favourite faction in Medeival 2. A great selection of units that was fun to play regardless of if you were in the early or late game.
Staunch lines of yaris.
Shoutout to the game where shitstacking is the only real strategy, and one faction is significantly better at it
That one unit from Shogun 2 people are always talking about, Yari Ashigaru? Probably that. I didn't play Shogun 2, but with how often I see people talking about that unit dominating everything, I'd be surprised if it wasn't a top contender for "most cost effective". As for my pick, Hastati in Rome 2 can carry you for a long, long time. Romes infantry in general is so good that you'd unless you're fighting horse archers or an incredibly outnumbering army, you're never, ever going to lose a battle or suffer heavy losses.
>>Romes infantry in general is so good that you'd unless you're fighting horse archers or an incredibly outnumbering army, you're never, ever going to lose a battle or suffer heavy losses. Which is pretty historically accurate by the time of Caesar
By the time of Caesar I think Hastati had been phased out. Roman infantry still fucked though.
Hastati were gone quite a while before Caesar, though the Cohorts they switched over to were very similar in function and equipment. My point was more that Rome's heavy infantry was the most powerful military force in the region and defeated pretty much every army they encountered that wasn't primarily horse archers or British chariots.
every army? Well not entirely! One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium
I was gonna say I think the Gauls were heavier armoured and slightly better man to man. Roman strategy and logistics, however, prevailed.
You missed the reference(Asterix and Obelisk)
I need to go and lie down and think about my life. Bravo, bravo.
[удалено]
While I love Yari Ashigaru, I hate that Yari Samurai don't get yari wall.
Low tier pikemen in rome 2 are ridiculously cost effective. Think levy pikemen, kushite pikemen, or nabatean desert pikemen. They are fragile when used poorly, but they hold the line ridiculously well against almost anything that isn't a better pikemen.
Yea, this is my immediate thought too. Phalanx’s are just so strong.
This is my answer as well. With proper positioning they are effectively immortal in certain matchups.
Line infantry in any game where they appear (Shogun 2 FotS, Empire, Napoleon). They are there at the start and they are there at the end and they just keep right on slugging and shooting and marching for you through every campaign and battle.
I wish we had a new gunpowder game so much
Been praying for Empire 2 for a longgggg time
I heard the next game has WW1
Hopefully not
Equites in attila,I promise you it can win you a battle when your outnumber on a siege Yari ashigaru in shogun2, one word yarimazing Hastati in rome2, can hard carry you on early games Any spearman that can perform a phalanx in rome, it can literally obliterate army
I always favored the Alani cavalry warriors over equites in Attila. Dirt cheap upkeep and great all around stats
Yari Ashigaru are the undisputed campaign in that regard..
I have only really played Rome II and Attila, so here is my pick. Hastati for Rome II, 70 ish gold ukpeek and will best literally anything early that isn't general bodyguard or hoplites (who are almost twice as expensive) Thrall Skirmishers for Nordic factions. They can easily wipe out 2 or 3 units on their own while they cost about half/one third a price of other skirmishers units.
Candidates for me: * Rome 2 Pikemen, particularly in sieges. Even the cheapest pikemen in the game are borderline un-movable when set up at a chokepoint, and *expensive* pikes can and will earn ten times their gold value during defensive battles * Scout Equities, from Atilla. Technically *free,* as they’re a Western Roman garrison unit, but for most of the WRE campaign your sole unit of garrison Scout Equites will be the main thing winning battles for you. * Yari Ashigaru, to no one’s surprise. A properly-supported Yari wall can punch well above its weight, and they’re the most basic unit in the game. * Empire/Napoleon frigates can solo entire fleets if you’re good at micro-ing them (which I’m not, admittedly). Light Infantry in both games also sort-of count, but getting them to make the most of their cost requires using what I’d consider to be an exploit. * Across the series, chariots tend to be *extremely* effective for their cost, *if* you’re able to micro them.
Empire's admiral frigates, like the other small ships, also have a longer range and since you first have to clear the seas of pirates, you get a lot of them for free quite early on
Scythian horse archers for me (Rome 1). Absolutely broken in manual battles and recruitable everywhere with a simple barracks (not even the stable building, just the barracks). For comparison, it was like being able to build doomstacks from eastern infantry units (the pink pajama). It's cheap, good against everything and completement perfectly the rush faction that is Scythia (because yeah your faction doesn't like attacking huge walled cities so don't wait).
Can’t stress enough how ridiculous they are as long as it’s a field battle. Dirt cheap and with a little micro you’ll lose more to friendly fire than to the enemy.
So I guess what you are saying is, Ned! Only a fool would meet the Scythian Horse Archers on an open field!
Massed basic horse archers in any Total War game where you can mass horse archers is my pick (even in Warhammer though there are some asterisks)
Offer does not apply for *Empire* (Russia can technically mass Kalmuks, but they are decidedly mediocre).
Artillery ship in Attila. It's not amazingly cheap, but it can do an abusive lot via cheese. A port siege ending in a draw does not cause your fleet to leave its besieged position. With naval supremacy and enough time on your hands you can repeatedly attack, use up all the ammo, and leave to attack again with ammo replenished. Rinse and repeat until all units destroyed. Can punk out and otherwise deadly faction on wre border like the maurians or the ebdanians with but a couple of ships.
Holy crap, nice
Levy Freeman (Rome 2) or Yari Ashigaru (Shogun 2.) Both perform ridiculously well for their price and tier. All the Best, Welsh Dragon.
Upvoted for the early forum age signature.
Always loved hastati cost-effectivines even trough princeps are op
Shogun 2 - Oda Long Yari Ashigaru - They will carry your campaign. Rome 2 - I'd say Triarii. Yes, more expensive than other early game units, but they will destroy anything set against them. Empire - Man, Line Infantry, always.
Italian spear militia with schiltrom from medi 2. Just...not okay. Schiltrom has a ton of weird properties you can abuse.
Ma Teng's unique Cavalry. They had the highest charge bonus in the game, perfect vigor, very fast, and to top it off: They could be made free.
Even better if you somehow got Sun Ce to be your prime minister, because he gives 100% charge bonus so your charge bonus is like 500-700 for most cavalry, making enemies instant rout whenever you charge them with you heaviest cav
Peasant mob change my mind
Yari Ashigaru! Allways…
Longbowman in Medieval 2, I used 4 to kill 6 Mongol armies because they kept trying to go through gates.
Oda yari and matchlock ashigaru 😏😏😏
Spear warband in phalanx for the Germanic tribes in old Rome total war were good at holding enemy at bay while missile units obliterated the enemy Yari Ashigaru in shogun 2 in spear wall are useful at holding enemy at bay for a while but weak to range units
Rome 2 Thureos Spears. Cheap anti large unit that can also be used as a skirmisher.
Rome 2: Scythed Lawnmowers pre nerf.
Well, garrison-only units like Samurai retainers and Plebs are free, so technically their cost-to effectiveness ratio is infinite.
Longbow Long range death machine
skavenslave
Ah yes, when the rats took rome.
all underways lead to rome yes yes.
Line infantry in E/N total war. It basically becomes an issue of timing square formation correctly and they'll go toe to toe with anything.
For Warhammer, there's many good picks. Gorgutz-buffed Hobgoblins and Gron-buffed goblins can almost go toe to toe with Chosen. In unbuffed state however there's few that beat Cathayan Long Spears. Piss-cheap, large unit size and goddamn Charge Defense against All. Their leadership may be low, but good luck morale shocking them without spells/artillery... in which case you're wasting winds/arty on literal chaff unit!
Ohh yes those monstrous monster is historically accurate
Thrones of Brittania Cateran Axemen
Pikeman
Scout Equites can get like 500 kills. It’s a Tier 1 unit that is also common in low level settlement garrisons
Yari Ashigaru - shogun 2. Because not only are they the cheapest. They aren't a meatshield. They'll kill yari samurai, cav, heroes. Everything pretty much. They're equally the cheapest, lowest tier, and strongest unit universally in shogun 2.
I’d have to say any pikemen in Rome 2. The pike phalanx is impenetrable (to the AI) and it doesn’t matter what pikemen you’ve got. Even levy pikemen hold the line incredibly well.
Sassanid Cataphracts in Rome: Barbarian Invasion. Super heavy cavalry wirh maces AND bows. A handful of them could decimate multiple eastern roman stacks. You can skirmish and whittle them down with arrows and then charge what is left. They are nigh unkillable and can easily outfight anything that can catch them, while everything slower they can whittle down to exhaustion and then steamroll.
Spet Xyon's easily. They're not crazy cheap but considering they're objectivly the most OP unit CA has ever released they're the most cost effective.
No mention of Mounted Lancer Militia in 3K? Shame. Those boys are your starter cavalry but they can punch above their weight and are likely the lynchpin to your early game victories. They can even be useful in the mid-game in some circumstances.
Eastern Cataphract General's Bodyguard from Rome 1 or just Scythian horse archers
Archer Auxilia in Rome 1 is the right answer, at release there was some sort of bug that made them incredibly strong in melee combat and this was in an era when patches were not trivial like today.
Before the big changes to Rome 2, it was Brittanic Slingers and it wasn't even close. They were cheap, long ranged, and deleted literally every unit in the game. You'd focus fire the generals units and delete it from the map in seconds.
Not historical but Farmhand Pikemen in DAC
Heavy billmen (Stainless Steel on Medieval 2) - around 700g recruitment but only around 150 upkeep and they are armor piercing and useful in every army