Broken Axemen?

[steelcap]

I have been reading Forlornehopes excellent Total war unit guide (v2.0). He states that many two handed units such as English Billmen and most 2H axemen are broken. I have not noticed, but I generally use these units only as shock troops and in-masse (often a mob of 4 units swamping a single target). All the same, I still do seem to loose a fair amount.

Can anyone else tell if these are still suffering the same problems. I am using LTC (also thanks).
Doest anyone know what the 'bug' is or just they are ineffective because of bad unit spacing, no shield and slow attack?.


Cheers,

[Viking Prince]

do a search and see what you can find. As a teaser start, here is a classic thread: Billmen bug?

[steelcap]

Thanks VP, Should have thought of that.

Anyway it seems that people are very divided on this topic. I think that I will continue to use them
as I have been doing.

[gluteus maximus aurelius]

Axemen aren't really bugged so much, it's just that they're purpose was to break up an enemy formation with their initial charge. Any sort of prolonged melee against a half decent opponent is likely to balls them up pretty good. You say you're mostly using them as shock troops, which is what they're there for and so if you really want to keep them alive for long periods of time (and to use them to their best effect) you're best off putting them on the flanks of your army and letting them tear into the enemy from the side. Trust me it will destroy most enemies, plus they seem extra good when they get a good run into any heavy cavalry involved in melee, have killed many a general that way. But don't leave them exposed to enenmy cavalry, coz they will get raped.

[cursedronin]

Is it just 2h axe wielders, or do sword wielders also get this bug aswell? (like the galloglaich?)

[Hakomar]

I had this problem too, I had about five units of heavy billmen in a french city, and some mailed knights charged at them, and not one mailed knight died, but 50/60 billmen died in the first charge, was massacred and repeated the process on my four remaining billmen, which makes me think cavalry is a tad (alot) overpowered, or billmen are underpowered.