Pikemen

[Mabzie55]

I always get as many pikemen as possible early game to staff my armies.

Anyone else really like pikemen in this game?
I find them very effective at stopping charging inf/cab/melee inf.

Even late game I try to have at least 2 in each army.

Any tips on most effective use?

[Baldwin of Jerusalem]

I've never really considered them, preferring to disband them right off the bat to save money. I might give them a try though...

[The Useless Member]

Yes, they're useful, especially in Darthmod.

[gangster19]

I really miss them in the Ottoman Empire!!! Until the Square Formation I don't have any way to defend properly against cavalry charges...

[Aymer de Valence]

Anyone who has played a British campaign knows the Huron will always attempt to take your Canadian region within the first 5 turns - the pikemen stationed there are the key to holding it. Thoroughly under-rated unit.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

I don't know any of that. I always disbanded them if I could garrison the settlement with anything else.

[Mabzie55]

I don't know any of that. I always disbanded them if I could garrison the settlement with anything else.

When playing as Poland-Lithuania I purposely leave the government building in Belarus undeveloped for the first 10 turns or so to recruit enough Pikemen to staff most of my armies for the rest of the game.
I've found them to be very useful, even late game against elite cavalry and the melee troops of India, North America, and the Ottomans.
Next time you do a GC you should try to get and use a decent amount of then-- I think you will enjoy them very much.
I've found in melee they can go toe-to-tie with line infantry for the same upkeep cost as militia.
With the Pike-wall and Pike-square formations they will absolutely destroy a cavalry charge, or leave melee infantry exhausted without making any real progress.

[Lord Oda Nobunaga]

I'll definitely try it next time I install Empire.

[DarthShizNit]

Trash unit in my opinion. Disband them all at start and don't look back.

[Prozn856]

Pikemen are insane units at melee before bayonets. One unit of pikemen will destroy a unit of line inf in melee unless the pikemen are exhausted and line inf are fresh.

[poa]

they suck in vanilla, they lost in melee vs a unit of line infantry

[Wolves In The Throne Room]

Check this out http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forum...ialism-1600-AD

[LuciferM]

They're good for sponging both bullets and your income.

[James the Red]

For some reason I love Pikemen, I guess its because they are underdogs. However I don't train any more than the ones I start with. For France, England and Spain I ship them off to the new world because they are useful against the Natives. The other European factions I just use them as garrisons. However, as Sweden I train and try to use them a bunch because I hear Sweden used pikemen a lot historically until the 1730s.

[Venomousmonkey]

I once defended 5-1 odds against Morocco because I had made a circle with 4 different pikemen units each standing behind one militia. Each one had it's own calvary shield (Wooden spiked fence) and my militia had a the bunkers. That was the only time they came into good use.

Otherwise, you just have to play them as much as you can against Calvary.

[TR00PER7]

They're about the only unit that can actually beat melee units in early mode custom battles, Native american Warrior units and Indian Hindu and Sikh warriors in melee, but thats only if they are on a pike-wall formation, their flanks secure and their formation is fairly deep, 6-10 ranks deep. Getting them trained early on in campaign will help, but obviously you'll need a decent cavalry and missile units (skirmishers or line infantry) to contend with the enemy on the flanks of your massed Pike wall.

[D@gget]

They are excellent defensive units, specially against cavalry and the melee units of other factions. Very durable and useful on holding chokepoints or breaches in your fort walls. If line infantry is shooting at them, you can charge them and still win as long as they don't get isolated or flanked.

[gettrocker]

I'm still using them in my Prussia mid game and they do a terrific job for a cheap prize!

[Sir Furlong]

I've never really cared much for pikemen, I've always disbanded them right at the start, at least in Europe. That said the native and Indian units are really hard to beat in the early game with just regular infantry, but I've always tried to rely on cavalry more in those theatres.

[Patronus86]

Not really that useful IMHO. Infantry square can deal with cav threats just as well while still retaining firepower. I use the few pike units I started my Great Britain campaign with for garrison duty and guarding trade ports (from pesky pirate raids). Otherwise, I've never had a need for them.