The point of Gendarmen?

[Zombimode]

I wondered whats the point of gendarmen in this game?
Statwise they are far worse than chivalric knights
Gendarmen Attack 10/11 charge 8 Defense 16 (with armor upgrade) Moral 9
Chiv Knights Attack 14/15 charge 8 Defense 19 (armor upgrade + exp through jousting fields) moral 11 + x through exp

So, I thought, maybe there are some hidden stats like mounts mass or something, and tested them in custom battles against feudal foot knights.
And again the chiv knights proved themselves as far superior to the gendarmen.

So what exactly is the point of those guys? Dont they are suposed to be the creme of the spanish and french cavalry forces?
And dont come me with costs. Sure, the gendarmen initial costs are "only" 770 oposed to the 930 of the chiv knights, but the upkeep of 320 makes them the most expansive unit in the spanish roster.

[GiorgioIII]

Gendarms are late period cavalry while chivalric are high period

[mrcrusty]

And they are recruitable from cities, not castles.

[Zombimode]

Gendarms are late period cavalry while chivalric are high period

Which would only make a difference if the campaign had an era related recriutment system - which is not the case.

And they are recruitable from cities, not castles.

And yet this is another point why the chiv knights are better. For Gendarmen you need a metropole + 2nd trier military akadamy, while you olny need a fortress for the chiv knights. Thus, they are far easier to replace and retrain.
Again: why would anyone recruit Gendarmen instead chiv knights? (aesthetics doesnt count)

[Zhou]

And yet this is another point why the chiv knights are better. For Gendarmen you need a metropole + 2nd trier military akadamy, while you olny need a fortress for the chiv knights. Thus, they are far easier to replace and retrain.
Again: why would anyone recruit Gendarmen instead chiv knights? (aesthetics doesnt count)

There isn't really a reason to recruit Gendarmes currently other then the fact that they do look cool. I think CA made a mistake by having mailed/armored horses have the same mass value as barded horses. Maybe this will be changed in 1.3 or maybe not...we'll see

[Crusader Invasion]

They look cool, simple as that.

[Kalos]

You need cities to make money. You can recruit them in cities. You can't with other heavy cavalry. Case closed.

[MattErickson]

I'd just prefer to stick to good old spears, but in this case I'd use Gendarmen because they look perty.

[guyline]

I think Gendarmes have a few things up their sleeves. Chilvalric knights need shields to stack up 15-16 def. Gendarmes, despite having a point or so lower in def, they do have full plate armor wrapped around their entire body. This, I believe, make them less vulnerable to arrows from all direction. Chilvalric knights are less vulnerable when arrows are coming from the side of their shields. By this reasoning, Gendarmes should fight a little more effectively while being crowded from all sides. Last but not least, Gendarmes follow orders nicely; that is, they don't charge at spearmen head-on when you never told them to (happened to me a few times).

[DisgruntledGoat]

I think Gendarmes have a few things up their sleeves. Chilvalric knights need shields to stack up 15-16 def. Gendarmes, despite having a point or so lower in def, they do have full plate armor wrapped around their entire body. This, I believe, make them less vulnerable to arrows from all direction. Chilvalric knights are less vulnerable when arrows are coming from the side of their shields. By this reasoning, Gendarmes should fight a little more effectively while being crowded from all sides. Last but not least, Gendarmes follow orders nicely; that is, they don't charge at spearmen head-on when you never told them to (happened to me a few times).

First off the way the unit looks in game has no effect on the defensive ability. Just because they have plate all over doesn't mean they are protected all over. So your hypothesis on being better in crowded fights is incorrect. However its sorta correct at the same time I think. I can't remember the stats but I believe their defensive skill stat (this stat governs being attacked from all sides) is what gives them the edge over chiv knights as the knights def stat are higher thanks to the shield stat, which gives them 19 defense from the shield side and the front. I'd like to see what the break down of defensive skill and armor are for the Gendarmes and Chiv Knights before I can give a more in-depth analysis.

Also I don't believe chiv knights are impetuous so that last comment about lack of discipline is also kinda incorrect.

[Lost Crusader]

First off the way the unit looks in game has no effect on the defensive ability. Just because they have plate all over doesn't mean they are protected all over.

But it does, since the armor protects from all sides. Gendarmes' armor gives them better protection when attacked from behind, compared to the Chivalric knights.

[DisgruntledGoat]

But it does, since the armor protects from all sides. Gendarmes' armor gives them better protection when attacked from behind, compared to the Chivalric knights.

No it doesn't. The higher defensive skill and the added armor points give the Gendarmes' the better performance. It has nothing to do with armor being all over the unit. The unit could look like it is only wearing rags and as long as the stats were the same it would preform the same.

[Lost Crusader]

I'm not talking about the looks, but actual stats. Gendarmes have defense 11-4-0 (armor-skill-shield), and Chivalric knights 8-5-4. Since the attack from the rear negates the skill and shield, that leaves 11:8 in the Gendarmes' favor.

[pwijnands]

No it's not. An arrow fired into the back of a unit ignores shield and defense skill. I'm not sure if a melee attack at the rear takes defense skill into account (I think that it ignores skill, but not sure).

[Lost Crusader]

Only the armor counts when attacked from the rear. Everything else is ignored.

[Roman Knight]

Only the armor counts when attacked from the rear. Everything else is ignored.

With an arrow, yes, with a melee attack, no.

[guyline]

The 11 armor rating comes with the looks. Assuming the gendarmes and chilvalric knights units in comparison are at the same experience level.