Mayan Hornet Throwers

[FightingSpirit]

Is it just me, or are they completely and utterly worthless.

1) they have very short range

2) they cant fight melee whatsoever

3) the nests do very little damage

does anyone know how to use them effectively?

[pwijnands]

Aren't they just used to lower morale? I never seen them in action but saw them in the intro movie.

[nibbles04]

They make the units that get too close (friend or foe) become sick. Like the rotting cow the trebuchets can launch.

[Pyrebound]

I think practically theyre good as they make your enemy easier to rout but still, to rout you have to pretty much go into melee with them. Due to the short range of the nests, i think your own soldiers also get the reduced morale from the nests.

[pwijnands]

Too bad the Mayans didn't train the bees properly before using them in combat. Bees that could tell the difference between friendlies and enemies would be great (like the supertrained wardogs from Rome).

[Strom]

I think that part of the problem is that the hornet throwers are quite situational.

For example if you are defending a bridge then put the hornet throwers right on the river bank just to one side of the bridge. When the enemy charges over the bridge then throw one volley at the first unit and then cease fire. This will put a bunch of hornet's nests on the bridge which will infect every unit that charges over them for several minutes, but not affect any of your troops until you chase the routing enemies back (at which time a morale hit on your troops wont matter.)

You can do a similar thing in siege battles. Put a unit of hornet throwers on the gatehouse and drop hornets on the ram. Now every unit that enters the breach will be hornetised.

If you couple the hornets with chanting priests (scary) and, umm, temple guards (not sure if that's the right name) who are also scary then most units flee on contact if surrounded on three sides at a breach or bridge.

In open battle using hornets is harder. If you're up against a native army then it can be worth covering your guys with hornets just to lower the enemy's morale too (put the hornet throwers just behind your lines and have them throw into the melee). Native armies (e.g. the Spanish hiring native club militia) just disolve into rout when up against a decent Mayan force. Really you don't need more than one hornet thrower as once the rout starts it generally envelops the army. They're much less useful against Spanish regular armies as those have different dynamics.

[fishjie]

did the mayans actually use hornet throwers in real life? because that's awesome if they did.

[Drox]

Good god, I can't even put into words how much I despise hornet throwers. The only thing they are good for is making all my damn units flags flash and give me a headache.

[Silent Assassin]

They are worthless, Apachean Tribes are better

[Arcinatus]

i just use them like i would naffatun, just not to as large an effect (hornets not being as LMAOLOLOMGEEEEVVVVIIILLL!!!!! as fire)

[courbet]

Its not just you this unit is completely worthless and possibly worst unit in entire game. They should probably reduce enemy morale but due to their short range your own units will get reduced morale as well. Useless in mellee.

[Insurgent]

Its not just you this unit is completely worthless and possibly worst unit in entire game. They should probably reduce enemy morale but due to their short range your own units will get reduced morale as well. Useless in mellee.

I think this unit is excellent on a city wall in a siege defence if there are siege towers/ladders set up on them. pelt the enemy with hornet nests to lower morale then when they reach the top of the wall your more powerful infantry will be able to route them easier. But yeah, in field battles...

P.S Did some of the Mayan factions actually use hornet throwers in real history, or are they merely a CA invention to make the Mayans cooler?

[Drox]

P.S Did some of the Mayan factions actually use hornet throwers in real history, or are they merely a CA invention to make the Mayans cooler?

I’m not 100% certain, but my gut feeling tells me that if they did actually use something like that it was probably only once and out of desperation, and most likely not anything like how it is portrayed in the game. However, until I see some sort of reliable source saying either Hornet throwers were or were not used I will give CA the benefit of the doubt.

[StalkAndStrike]

The only possible utility these seemingly handicapped units are at anything, as mentioned before, seems to be clouding up wall or gate house breaches, or bridge defences, which arent exactly common to players more on the offensive side of the fence, so as dark prince said, mayans suck go for the apaches!

[Double A]

So basically they suck in campaign (except VH/VH sometimes) but they're fun to use in custom battles when you hopelessly outnumber yourself against the enemy on the other side of the bridge and you get a crapload of archers, siege weapons, etc.

[StalkAndStrike]

Why dont we all just agree to never use them, and eventually they will become extinc like their whole culture will!

[Mikiez]

More fuel for the foreign meat grinder?

[platinumkiller]

i uno it would be fun to use them against peasents? im pretty shure we all like peasant slaughter

[Grimmy]

They coulda been a darwinian type weapon. Use em in battle to clean out anyone from your own forces that is alergic to bee stings.

[Skooma Addict]

I like them. Let them hide in the forest and lure the enemy to you. Surprise attack your enemy with them and then retreat behind your real forces. After engaging, sweep them behind the enemy lines and hit them in the back. You have to use guerrilla tactics with them.

You can also just put them in the front of your line and throw one or two volleys and then retreat.