Unbreakable Papal Guard

[Dahoota]

I'm running into my first head on conflict against the Papal States as the Romans in the Late Campaign and at one point the Pope controlled the majority of Italy, meaning there are a lot of stacks coming my way. The large majority of these armies being made up of Papal Guard.

Has anyone ever actually broken Papal Guard units and made them run?

I was completely unprepared for this - even when the general dies, they are surrounded, flaming missles, etc etc they simply don't break and fight to the last man. This in large numbers is something I have simply never encountered playing a TW game. I'm using BGR IV so I simply don't have the numbers of high quality troops to compete with them.

I have resorted to holding them in place in combat and going behind them with HA/missile troops and Siphonatores and wiping them out to a man. I am slowly beating the Pope at great cost. Anyone have more effective ways of taking them down?

[Caesar Clivus]

They cant be broken. They will always fight to the last

[Basileus Antiochus]

I think what you are doing is pretty much it, those fellows are fighting for the pope, so they are unbreakable, so are the swiss guard if I remember correctly. But the papals states is the only one that has unbreakable units

[ihranator]

Can siphonatores, elephants, mangonels, rotting carcasses etc. affect unbreakable units?

[Caesar Clivus]

No they are unbreakable. Their morale is locked.

[vtec.dominion]

Two handers are great papal guard killers, tested many times with different factions. Two handed axmen chop them into pieces (ie: Varangian Guard) taking very small percentage of losses.

I think what you are doing is pretty much it, those fellows are fighting for the pope, so they are unbreakable, so are the swiss guard if I remember correctly. But the papals states is the only one that has unbreakable units

Not the only one. IE, Lithuanian religious units like Dievas Guard, Giltines Chosen and Perkunas also have locked morale. Few more has it as well (religious usually, thus fanatic).

[Alfonzo over Innsmouths]

Not the only one. IE, Lithuanian religious units like Dievas Guard, Giltines Chosen and Perkunas also have locked morale. Few more has it as well (religious usually, thus fanatic).

Perkuna's chosen aren't locked - I've had them break on walls before.

[Ichon]

Papal Guard can be killed by many different means but a head to head fight is tough. Two handers can beat them but unless you have a very good supply of them its usually not the most effective as the Pope will have masses of Swiss Guard as well. Papal Guard falls much easier than Swiss Guard.

Flank with crossbow/handguns, naptha, siphontores, or good archers. Javelins work but usually run out of ammo before killing entire unit.

Repeated charges can kill Papal Guard fairly easily as well but Swiss Guard will inflict large losses on even heavy cavalry after a few charges.

[Dahoota]

Interesting stuff. I didn't even know you could lock a unit's morale. I just assumed their morale had been set so stupidly high it basically amounted to the same thing.

I'm becoming pretty adept at taking them on. Lots of friendly fire, but still effective. Goddamn religious fanatics