Companion Cavalry

**ROFL Copter** · September 09, 2010, 09:09 PM

Companion Cavalry. Hetairoi. They suck.

A lot. I demand to know why they were deliberately made lousy.

They aren't even the best cavalry available to Macedon. Why is this?

EDIT: I've just realized that they may have other attributes. Do they have other things than just their numbers that make them the greatest cavalry in the world? Or are they considered weak in this timeframe?

**Centurion90** · September 09, 2010, 09:21 PM

Yeah, I also noticed they aren't that great... maybe to represent their devolution from Alexander's time?

**Velico** · September 09, 2010, 09:30 PM

Weird... Whenever I used them in beta they rocked nearly any other cavalry I threw them against save for cataphracts and skirmisher cav. How are you using them?

**Dodge** · September 09, 2010, 09:35 PM

Are you charging spear infantry head on?

**Centurion90** · September 09, 2010, 09:48 PM

I use them either against lower level non-spear armed infantry/skirmisher units, and to strike at the rear of spear units currently engaged with my front-line phalanx.
I usually get identical results using roman equities... >.>

**Velico** · September 09, 2010, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by Centurion90

I use them either against lower level non-spear armed infantry/skirmisher units, and to strike at the rear of spear units currently engaged with my front-line phalanx.
I usually get identical results using roman equities... >.>

Identical results from the initial charge? Because Equites should not last long in prolonged melee but Companions should excel in that field.

**ROFL Copter** · September 09, 2010, 09:48 PM

No, actually I seem to be wrong. I just checked their stats, without trying them. Stupid mistake. They have proved to be extraordinary in routing enemy units, even if they don't hit them that hard. Well done.

Are you charging spear infantry head on?

I'm not THAT stupid!

**Centurion90** · September 09, 2010, 09:55 PM

Well, perhaps I just need to spend more time experimenting with them. Could it be because I'm playing battles on VH?
Another reason might be that they usually aren't in a very prolonged battle, since I usually bring up more infantry not long after the cavalry.

**Velico** · September 09, 2010, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Centurion90

Well, perhaps I just need to spend more time experimenting with them. Could it be because I'm playing battles on VH?
Another reason might be that they usually aren't in a very prolonged battle, since I usually bring up more infantry not long after the cavalry.

Yes, VH battle ups the AI stats +7 I believe so you're at a severe disadvantage when you play with that setting. H/H is what the mod was tailored for in beta for a hard experience without being completely unrealistic.

Companion are good in two ways: cavalry on cavalry they excel because their stats are better than most. The other way is when you lock down the enemy infantry, wait until they start to get fatigued then throw your Companions in their flanks. They have high stamina and will cut through tired infantry very quickly.

Generally what I do with them is immediately at the start of battle go straight for their cavalry (unless they have a lot of skirmisher/archer/cataphract) and crush them while my infantry advances. By the time my infantry engage the Companions are usually cleaning up with the enemy cavalry. If the enemy infantry aren't tired enough for me yet I just let my companions rest near the infantry (I believe they have frighten enemy? I'm on my laptop atm and cannot check) until fatigue sets in and I'm satisfied enough to throw them in the mix. Give that a try.

**Centurion90** · September 09, 2010, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by Velico

Yes, VH battle ups the AI stats +7 I believe so you're at a severe disadvantage when you play with that setting. H/H is what the mod was tailored for in beta for a hard experience without being completely unrealistic.

Companion are good in two ways: cavalry on cavalry they excel because their stats are better than most. The other way is when you lock down the enemy infantry, wait until they start to get fatigued then throw your Companions in their flanks. They have high stamina and will cut through tired infantry very quickly.

Generally what I do with them is immediately at the start of battle go straight for their cavalry (unless they have a lot of skirmisher/archer/cataphract) and crush them while my infantry advances. By the time my infantry engage the Companions are usually cleaning up with the enemy cavalry. If the enemy infantry aren't tired enough for me yet I just let my companions rest near the infantry (I believe they have frighten enemy? I'm on my laptop atm and cannot check) until fatigue sets in and I'm satisfied enough to throw them in the mix. Give that a try.

Cool, I shall, thanks.

**DarthLazy** · September 09, 2010, 10:56 PM

The companion was not the norm in this timeframe anyways, they were dissapearing , being replaced by the hetaroi aspidophoroi

**ROFL Copter** · September 09, 2010, 11:51 PM

Yes, I was completely wrong. Companions are extremely good. They slaughter enemy cavalry and when they are used properly against infantry they are very effective. Plus infantry seems to rout instantly sometimes after a successful charge. They were the sole reason I beat Rome out of Greece within one turn. Great cavalry.
BTW, what other factions can recruit them?

**Mulattothrasher** · September 09, 2010, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by ROFL Copter

Yes, I was completely wrong. Companions are extremely good. They slaughter enemy cavalry and when they are used properly against infantry they are very effective. Plus infantry seems to rout instantly sometimes after a successful charge. They were the sole reason I beat Rome out of Greece within one turn. Great cavalry.
BTW, what other factions can recruit them?

Seleucids and Ptolemies can recruit them, and Pontus has a different, more eastern look to it's Companion cavalry. I think that Pergamon might have them too...

**Ostrogoth** · September 10, 2010, 12:39 AM

Comanion cavalry is very good unit, of course not as good ad catafract but they are very effective aganist enemy cavalry and non spearmen units. I think they are balanced.

**Mirionis9** · September 10, 2010, 01:59 AM

Judging from my long long long experience from EB I the hetairoi are underpowered. They were after all the best cavalry in the world. Only the cataphracts could match them-and that was not always the rule. So when i see the (almost cataphract) seleucid/ptolemaic hetairoi with this kind of statistics i am thinking that something is wrong. The macedonian hetairoi should also be equal to them though less(?) armoured.
So i propose that the defence of the hetairoi should be 27-28, they should have a decent powerfull charge (48 perhaps) and maybe +1 when fighting cavalry. What do you think?

**ROFL Copter** · September 10, 2010, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by Mirionis9

Judging from my long long long experience from EB I the hetairoi are underpowered. They were after all the best cavalry in the world. Only the cataphracts could match them-and that was not always the rule. So when i see the (almost cataphract) seleucid/ptolemaic hetairoi with this kind of statistics i am thinking that something is wrong. The macedonian hetairoi should also be equal to them though less(?) armoured.
So i propose that the defence of the hetairoi should be 27-28, they should have a decent powerfull charge (48 perhaps) and maybe +1 when fighting cavalry. What do you think?

That is what I expected coming from EB.

**Sebastos Abdes Pantera** · September 10, 2010, 02:18 AM

They have good stamina, considering the armor them and the horse is wearing. Also consider charging correctly. You don't want to get too close or they wont lower there spears.

**tone** · September 10, 2010, 02:29 AM

Just make sure that you charge them properly otherwise you won't see huge effects as a lot of their value is in their charge.

**ROFL Copter** · September 10, 2010, 02:31 AM

But their charge rating is not very high for cavalry.

**torzsoktamas** · September 10, 2010, 03:27 AM

The hetairoi are elite cavalry,and I think they have the right stats.They are strong enough.And don't forget that the Hetairoi weren't the best cavalry in the world.Eastern cavalries like cataprakts or sarmatian and scythian cavalries will be better.