How do you effectively use Gun units

[Gametrail]

Putting them on the front lines and they only get in one volley before the enemy infantry charges them. Then I have to move my infantry up to engage theirs or else my guns get slaughtered. Can't fire through my own men, and if I move my gun units to the flank of the enemy units, they either have several group of reserve infantry to engage my guns or my infantry has already defeated theirs on the front line because of the long amount of time it takes to correctly position my gun units.

Seems kind of worthless if I can only get in one volley.

Even army numbers here, opponent just has more infantry.

[Kanaric]

I just used handgunners since they were also good melee ans had then fire one volley then charge like legionaries

[13lackGu4rd]

To answer your question well we first need to know which "gun units" you're using? Hand Gunners, Arquebusiers, Musketeers or artillery of sorts? In any case, "gun units" in general have larger range than standard "bow units" of sorts, so you should be able to get more than 1 round off(especially with Musketeers and the long range artillery). You can also use terrain such as elevations, to both increase your "gun unit"'s range and slow down the enemy, as they charge uphill. You can also use other techniques to slow down the enemy, such as using horse archers and light cavalry to harass the enemy and kill them from charging your front line. Other than that, try out different army deployment and unit composition options, perhaps splitting your army to confuse the AI or draw the attention of the AI with a lone general's bodyguard unit, and other such shenanigans.

[Aeratus]

Putting them on the front lines and they only get in one volley before the enemy infantry charges them.

That's because you're using handgunners rather than musketeers.

[Teutonic Warlord]

I am not sure if you are using handgunners or not, but you should try using the pike and shot strategy. Line up your gunners in front of your forces, and then put your pikemen (even pike militia will work) right behind them so that their pikes stick out in front of your gunners. This will greatly protect your vulnerable gunners from a cavalry charge, and at the very least will slow down the enemy infantry (until your stupid pikemen decide to switch out your weapon).

[Surgeon]

Hand gunners are decent in melee, just have them shoot to make the enemy lose morale, then engage them hand-to-hand.

[PrestigeX]

Depends who you're fighting, but I'd say that you should try .. 'Batteries of fire' - that is, instead of one solid line of 4 musketeers (or any missle unit) and then infantry behind, and reserve infantry behind that...

you can have Battery 1 .. and Battery 2 , and accompaning infantry for both batters . While battery 1 reaches its position, battery 2 can move up / re=position (battery 1 will be able to fire) - basically one group being in position while the other is moving. The accompaning infantry protects them so if the enemy charges on a broad front -- battery 1 is clsoer and firing, battery 1's infantry moves forward to engage. Battery 2 is in a different location, its firing on the enemy . Battery 1's muskets re-positioning as infantry engages. Battery 1 re-positioned , battery 2's muskets are to re-position as 2nd group infantry engages .

idk its confusing how I describe it perhaps lol, but try ... group 1 -- 2 muskets, 3 infantry.. Group 2 - 3 muskets, 4 infantry... you might even have 3 or 4 "groups" of combined infantry and missile.

[El Cid99]

The historical battles of Pavia and Otumba provide good tips for using gunpowder units, so here are a few:

GET MUSKETEERS or at the very least, Arquebusiers. They have a much longer range than Hand Gunners.

Pavia: Gunpowder units are on a hill, so they can fire OVER some solid defensive units (pikes, halberds).

Otumba: Place your gunpowder units on top of an impassable ridge (also like the French cannons at Pavia), and protect the flanks with heavy infantry. The ridge will allow continuous fire, without friendly fire casualties, and the muskets are invulnerable as long as the heavy infantry holds out.

General: The Turks/ English/ Polish are good at using gunpowder, as they have archers which can lay stakes, meaning the muskets/ arquebuses can use them to protect against cavalry, and simply move to the flanks when infantry approaches.

[ckndr]

What about defending during siege? Are gunpowder units good on wall?

[Aeratus]

What about defending during siege? Are gunpowder units good on wall?

No, they're nearly useless on walls, because they can't arc over the crenelations.

[Bluebags]

Haven't played with gunpowder in ages, but I always used to like hiding my arquebusiers inside rows of pikes, kinda like a Tercio formation I imagine. In actuality there's not an awful lot more protection for the shooters, but the pikes spell the difference between a unit holding its morale long enough to charge your gunpowder units, and breaking rather quickly from the combination of gunpowder/pikes/losses/your numbers.

[Bringer Of Storms]

I tend to only use gunpowder units if I'm playing as the Turks or Russians. The Cossack Musketeers and Janissaries I find are the only ones worth it. I don't see the gunpowder units being efficient enough for me. Archers do the job at every angle, literally. Quicker fire rate and cheaper.

[TheDarkKnight]

Though they aren't very effective, I like using them for the fear factor and for the plain fun of it.

[Willowran]

ive found a way to get multiple vollys off (in shogun, i rarely-never use guns here)...but it should be applicable here too. just have a broken line of infantry. checkerbox formation. most effective with the spear-circles. place your units close enough together that if someone tries to rush between theyll start fighting someone. have a reserve lin of inf just in case, if someone starts leaking through a gap too much or too quickly smack em from the side with reserves. guns face the gaps, shoot into the sides of the squabbling enemy. tight enemy formation actually increases both fear factor and death rate amongst the enemies formations.


inf_______inf________inf
inf_______inf________inf

_gun_gun____gun_gun__

[Double A]

You don't.

[Sursion]

I don't know why you're all having so many problems. I've found them useful, and they always have some of the highest kill-counts of any of my other units. And they do well on walls, too. I had 2 units of Handgunners on the walls next to the gate and they took out a good chunk of the enemy (about 1/4?) by the time they got in.

Put them on fire at will, and skirmish mode. They'll never fail. Unlike archers, they don't shoot your own troops.

[Macunaíma]

Hand gunners suck at field battles (when defending walls they're good). Arquebusiers can be used on both, but your main missile force must remain crossbow/archers, since gunpowder units take a long time to reload and can't shoot on angle. Musketeers have good range I heard (never played with a faction that can recruit them).

The main pro of having gunpowder units is causing fear to the enemy, decreasing their morale significantly. If you someday spam a Naffatun attack, for example, I don't doubt you win the battle by routing all the enemy army.

[Avatar]

I don't know why you're all having so many problems. I've found them useful, and they always have some of the highest kill-counts of any of my other units. And they do well on walls, too. I had 2 units of Handgunners on the walls next to the gate and they took out a good chunk of the enemy (about 1/4?) by the time they got in.

Put them on fire at will, and skirmish mode. They'll never fail. Unlike archers, they don't shoot your own troops.

Handgunners on the walls are useless when firing outwards, as explained above. Any success would come from turning around and firing down into the mass of enemy troops surging through a gate/breach. Even then you have a high chance of catching some of your own troops with friendly fire.

[RomanKiller]

try placing them at a strategic position

for the most part they're useless ... you might be able to rout some of the lesser units that have lower morale ... but they're certainly not worth how much they are to recruit ... even the jannisaries and cossacks

[13lackGu4rd]

try placing them at a strategic position

for the most part they're useless ... you might be able to rout some of the lesser units that have lower morale ... but they're certainly not worth how much they are to recruit ... even the jannisaries and cossacks

Or learn how to use them properly rather than mislead the less experienced folks around here...