Halberd Units.

[timmy1992]

Halberds just don't seem to be good at anything. They aren't very good at stopping cav charges, can't take any infantry on, and are very slow.

How am I supposed to use them?

[Sher Khan]

Good shock troops, and excellent at taking down General's Bodyguards. Their +4 against cavalry coupled with their effective against armor trait makes them excel against armored horsemen.

European Halberds have little armor, and are only good as pure shock troops and makeshift pike walls. If they're not in formation, don't even dare putting them in direct combat unless you plan on pulling out after their initial charge. Hold the enemy with heavier troops and flank with your halberds.

Middle Eastern Halberds, however, have decent armor. These troops can be used for frontline assaults as your first wave of charging infantry, along with making excellent flanking troops. They, however, are unable to act as pikes and thus unable to stand against a cavalry charge.

[evolvedbullet1]

Good shock troops, and excellent at taking down General's Bodyguards. Their +4 against cavalry coupled with their effective against armor trait makes them excel against armored horsemen.

European Halberds have little armor, and are only good as pure shock troops and makeshift pike walls. If they're not in formation, don't even dare putting them in direct combat unless you plan on pulling out after their initial charge. Hold the enemy with heavier troops and flank with your halberds.

Middle Eastern Halberds, however, have decent armor. These troops can be used for frontline assaults as your first wave of charging infantry, along with making excellent flanking troops. They, however, are unable to act as pikes and thus unable to stand against a cavalry charge.

I suppose your saying that their "advanced" spearmen sorta-speak.

[Sher Khan]

Well, spearmen can be counted on withstanding a charge. But halberds not in pike wall formation will be decimated like most other non spear types.

Their greatest asset is their cheap price and effective against armor trait. And unless you're an Italian/Iberian/Muslim/Danes faction, they're the best militia unit available to you. The above factions get advanced spears, pikes, and swords, so it's iffy to say that the halberd militia is that useful for them (Saracen militia, Italian Spear Militia, Sword-Staff militia, Swordmen militia, etc).


I use Western halberd militias only as a cheap but flexible substitute for a true pike wall, able to deal good damage to armored foes after holding off a charge. I use Middle Eastern halberds as cheap first line units ready to charge into the enemy and cause good damage in the initial stages of melee combat.

[evolvedbullet1]

Would you highly suggest them for a defensive army in a city? Or is a spear/pike wall a better solution for holes in walls?

[Sher Khan]

I've had great success with ME halberd militia when teamed up with Saracen militia when facing down a Mongol siege.

I simply stock the gates with Saracens in schiltrom formation and then pepper the lines with some halberds. The mongol cavalry get stalled on the spearmen while the halberds do their work cutting down the armored horses just as easily as the spears. It's one of the quicker ways to cut down an enemy Mongol general, especially when he charges through the gate.

[timmy1992]

Thanks for the advice.

One more question, though: When using them as shock troops charging the flanks, what should I have guard/spearwall set to?

[billerator]

If I was charging flanks with them I'd keep guard mode off and spearwall off, until just before they made contact in close combat btw

[townie33]

now you are talking about using halberds against hvy infantry and cavalry, is this with any unit upgrades like armor? i've done quite a few test with the danish halberd and the only way they can defeat cavalry or hvy infantry is with one cheveron and a armour upgrade.

[Sher Khan]

One on one the halberds will suffer severe losses. Western halberds simply do not have the armor, defensive skill, or even shield to stay in prolonged melee. ME halberds fare better with their +3 armor rating, but will still crumble against heavy infantry with armor, shield, and good defense skill.

Test another battle where you engage the enemy cavalry/heavy infantry with spearmen or another heavier troop, then circle around and flank attack them with halberds. Since the enemy will be distracted, the halberds will literally chop through them like butter.

[townie33]

i tried it a few times and they do go through the enemy fairly quickly but that works with just about every other unit, maybe not as fast. now if halberd units had stats similar to heavy billmen then i think they would be better but hey i can live with them like they are

[Sher Khan]

Well, not many units are armor piercing, especially militia units.

Billmen are basically superior halberds, as are Volgiers. They would do better than normal Halberd militia, of course. But not every faction has a halberd unit that's superior to the militia one, so they make due.

Like you say, any unit will do well in a flank attack, but the halberds have the advantage of being cheap, good attack, plus effective against armor.



Personally, I never use them when playing a Catholic faction, but I love having a few when playing a Muslim faction. They make short work out of heavier Western troops while Saracen militia hold the lines.

And since both saracens and halberds are militia units, I'm surely spending half as much as my foe when I cut down that unit of dismounted knights.

I'd spam JHI if I could, of course, but sometimes I gotta pinch that florin every now and then.

[townie33]

i do have to agree with you there, when working with another unit they show their true colors, but please dont get me started on volgier. i am not their biggest fan .

[Battlehawk]

Well the danes have a couple decent armored halberdiers, the sword staffers and the obudshur thingies, decently armored with decent attack.

[Serious Spamurai]

A really good use for them is making a line of pikemen and then placing the unit of halberds (in spearwall) in the units of pikes, so that 2 units are occupying the same place.

[Mad Mac]

I find Halberds do massively better against infantry with Sheildwall off. I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes the difference, but with shieldwall off they seem to space themselves out better and make more effective use of their reach, as well as getting more guys in on the action at one time.

[Kalos]

You mean spearwall... right? :/

[Mad Mac]

Heh, yeah.