Most realistic looking unit?

[trinhbot]

Which unit, in your opinion, is the most realistic looking unit in the game? Though the game is more historically accurate than other medieval games, it's impossible to create completely historically accurate units, since medieval troops all had different equipment (to the best of my knowledge), until munition armor came out.

In my opinion, I think the pike/halberd militia and billmen of the European armies look the most realistic because of the great variation in clothing/armor/headwear, compared to units like armored sergeants, where every soldier is equipped with the same uniform and headwear. I can't say much about the middle eastern armies because I don't have enough interest in the medieval middle east to determine how realistic the units are, but I'm sure units like the mongol lancers are close to accurate. Any thoughts?

[Highlander of Scotland]

SHERWOOD ARCHERS

[Comrade Roboto]

ELEPHANT CANONS

[Maklodes]

I don't know about little inaccuracies here or there, but I think the Sicilian Norman knights with their unique Italo-Norman helmets and long hauberks show a pretty good attention to detail. Although I think maybe they should have had kite shields rather than heater shields?

[Aeratus]

I can't say much about the middle eastern armies because I don't have enough interest in the medieval middle east to determine how realistic the units are, but I'm sure units like the mongol lancers are close to accurate. Any thoughts?

The lances on the Mongol heavy lancer and units like Qapukulu are inaccurate because they are way too thick.

These lances shown in game are actually European jousting lances, which were made thick but hollow so that they would break on impact (and thus not kill the jouster). On a battlefield, this would be no good because you want to kill the enemy. If lances of that thickness were not hollow, it would be too unwieldly for combat.

For the same reason, the lances are also inaccurate as battlefield weapons even on European knights, except maybe the later knights, since knights similarly did not carry lances that thick into battle.

Otherwise, the Mongol heavy lancer is reasonably accurate. The face mask on the riders is a bit iffy, because face masks were mainly a style on the western steppes, but is not too big of a stretch here.

For comparison, here's a good illustration of a Mongol heavy lancer.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[shikaka]

I think in vanilla, the desert units (desert archers, lamtuna spearmen, camel riders) are quite ok with the robes. Also the musketeer/pike units look good (of course originally those were not wearing the same color, but the general appearance seems good).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[tudor93]

I wouldn't go into battle dressed like that.

[lolIsuck]

Yea, not something you would like to be found dead in.

[Highlander of Scotland]

well really i always found the peasants realistic. My computer is so good that I can smell them

[trinhbot]

well really i always found the peasants realistic. My computer is so good that I can smell them

middle eastern and byzantine peasants may seem realistic, but i think the european peasants are too uniform to be realistic, they should have followed the pike/halberd militia model and armed them with the peasant weapons

[FountainGuard]

I think the numerous Viking axemen units without any armor upgrades are realistic.

[Kaiser Nonsense]

Mailed Knights.

[napoleonic]

I think the pope is the most realistic

[Comrade Roboto]

I think the pope is the most realistic

They were all jerks?

[General Sultan V]

lol, a good deal of units in M2TW are represented well and realistically but also a good deal is'n, I especially don't like the all-TW style "faction coloring" so that all the turkish units have green clothes, green armor, and all byzantine units have purple clothes and shields and all of that. Its not historically accurate and somewhat unrealistic.

[DizzyRainbow]

Plus the byzantine purple looks outright nasty :|. Some factions look nice with colours though (just a little too coloured however).
I'd have thought that something like alan light cav would be most realistic looking along with maybe a few horse archers.

[Parzival2211]

Compared to RTW, the looks, especially the colour intensity, in M2TW was a huge leap ahead! I found RTW almost unplayable due to the shininess of the units. I had to wear sunglasses. :-P

[dc_ae]

The Aztec units...


don't you dare come and flame on me!

[MonkeyD]

Knights looked good.