Stradiots are Invinicible!

[Kythras]

EDIT: Sorry About the typo in the title

Okay, I've always been a fan of light cavalry, just the idea of hussars is way cool, and they perform well in M2TW I was rather disappointed that Hussars were essentially the only light cavalry with considering (not including Mongol Light Lancers), but I've always been a bit of a Venice fan (despite never getting far in the campaign) And lo and behold, they too have a light cavalry unit, with "Fast moving" Intruiged I gave them a shot... and found them excellent.

In the words of Billy Connelly "Purely for reference and research purposes..." I ran some tests, here's how they went

Dismounted Gothic Knights = Win to the Stradiots (no supprise)

Janissary Heavy Infantry = Win to the Stradiots (no suprise)

Swiss Guard = at first I didn't even consider a head on charge, and using tactics (breaking the spearwall by running along side them, and then running into the guards) result: Win to the Stradiots. Then, for ***** and giggles (the getting thrown fromt he horse animation never fails to please) I charged my poor Stradiots straight into the waiting halberds of the Pope's finest... result: Win to the Stradiots

Aventuros = the same as with the Swiss Guards

Mongol Heavy Archers = Win to the Stradiots (Thank you Fast moving!)

Dvor Cavalry = Win to the Stradiots (as above )

Lancers = Win to the Stradiots

Qapukulu = Win to the Stradiots

Royal Mamluks = These were the only guys to give the Stradiots a run for their money, In a straight slog they're pretty even, but using their Stradiot's "Fast moving" to recharge, results in a win for the Stradiots almost every time.

If M2TW is a good source to go off, remind me NEVER to pick a fight with an Albanian guy.

Is there anyone Stradiot's can't beat? Discuss...

[Chuffy]

Swiss Guard = at first I didn't even consider a head on charge, and using tactics (breaking the spearwall by running along side them, and then running into the guards) result: Win to the Stradiots. Then, for ***** and giggles (the getting thrown fromt he horse animation never fails to please) I charged my poor Stradiots straight into the waiting halberds of the Pope's finest... result: Win to the Stradiots

This is more down to the fact that cavalry is ridiculously overpowered in M2. Charge any cavalry unit into some spearmen, 50 spearmen will die in about 2 seconds.

[Kythras]

Yeah, but they still managed to win against the creme de la creme (the best cavalry). What's up with that..?

[Town Watch]

i gotta try them sometime. I just wonder why all the traditional hats suck in M2TW... Wizard's hats are sooo last year...

Do any other cav units have the Fast Moving ability?

[Kythras]

Stradiots are the Only Light/Heavy cavalry to have it... Kazaks, maybe Mongol Horse Archers, and I think a few of the middle-eastern lower level horse-archers have them, Oh, and Jinetes...

[Lusted]

Easy - they have an armour piercing secondary weapon which makes them very effective against heavily armoured opponents. They are however very vulnerable to missile fire, and with mods with the shield bug fix they can get taken down pretty easily by spearmen.

[Kythras]

I don't know about the shield bug, but they're just too damn fast to be worried about missile toting foes, they can catch cavalry and be kept out of danger from infantry until they can flank/rear charge...

[Thorongil]

I don't know about the shield bug, but they're just too damn fast to be worried about missile toting foes, they can catch cavalry and be kept out of danger from infantry until they can flank/rear charge...

I only play in Single Player and I think that any fast cavalry in the hands of a human are unstoppable. In the hands of the AI they are only useful for raising the Experience of my missile troops and Merc spears.

Hopefuly when the modders start adding units then we'll see more variations in cavalry move speeds. My favourite unit in MTW1 (MedMod obviously) was a type of Khazar fast lancers. They had really cool skins as well...

[billerator]

"Stradiots are the Only Light/Heavy cavalry to have it"

There are at least a few other non-heavy cavalry units with the fast moving trait. I can't think of them all now but border horse is one example. Its quite useful I agree.

[Kythras]

There are at least a few other non-heavy cavalry units with the fast moving trait. I can't think of them all now but border horse is one example. Its quite useful I agree.

My bad

Put it this way, you could count them on one hand with room to spare...

[Janissary]

It doesn't mean anything since you are fighting against the AI lol and besides any infantry dies to any cavalry even cheap horse archers like Turkomans in a head on charge.

[Slaists]

EDIT: Sorry About the typo in the title

Dismounted Gothic Knights = Win to the Stradiots (no supprise)

Janissary Heavy Infantry = Win to the Stradiots (no suprise)

Swiss Guard = at first I didn't even consider a head on charge, and using tactics (breaking the spearwall by running along side them, and then running into the guards) result: Win to the Stradiots. Then, for ***** and giggles (the getting thrown fromt he horse animation never fails to please) I charged my poor Stradiots straight into the waiting halberds of the Pope's finest... result: Win to the Stradiots

Aventuros = the same as with the Swiss Guards

Is there anyone Stradiot's can't beat? Discuss...

Probably, you are playing a game without the pike fix (that drops the secondary weapon for pikes). With the pike fix in place, Cavalry charge goes dead if charged straight into pike spearwall formation.

[Jack-O]

Stradiots are likely to die quick if faced with any pike unit with a spear-wall formation in a long two-row position, though it also depends how the Stradiots are positioned (note: a PIKE unit, not a halberd or spearmen), even a mere Pike Militia could obliterate the likes of Stradiots, Lancers and Gothic Knights alike.

[Kiki52]

You should try 20 camel gunners versus 20 Stradiots. I think that would be a fun battle, but I would bet on the Camel gunners.

[Mega Dux Bob]

Yes, but put a cart full of medieval porn in front of those Stradiots like the French did at Forvono and then let us see how great you think they are.

It seems a little over powered don't you think? I got the impression that Stradiots were like Napoleonic Hussars; for scouting and raiding and not really meant for stand up fights.

[chewy]

Thier hardly unbeatable...the only reason you won agianst heavy units is really due to the shield bug which makes armored units worthless. The second factor is more likely due to the fact that you are facing the AI. Since your facing AI horsemen and if you do a run charge your units will charge thier horsemen w/o the AI's horsemen doing a charge back giving you a major attack bonus and crippling thier first line. Go fight the lighter russian heavy cav the Druzihna while only using a walking charge your stradiots aren't going to win.

[I am Dvor]

Stradiots? more like Idiots, hehe

[Old Geezer]

I think Jack-O has it right. Pikemen with their secondary weapons removed will crush even Stradiots - but only if they are not able to pull out thier silly rubber knives. Against the AI Stradiots can beat pikemen merely by attacking from the rear, repeatedly.

Why would one walk Stradiots (or any cavalry) into a fight? The whole point of having a horse is to charge (and to run away fast when things don't look so promising).

[Marcus Septim IV]

If M2TW is a good source to go off, remind me NEVER to pick a fight with an Albanian guy.

Is there anyone Stradiot's can't beat? Discuss...

lol indeed historicaly those guys held off the ottoman empire for years until their leader died but they where fine cavalry though alot of thems erved as mercenaries

[Leutrim]

EDIT: Sorry About the typo in the title

Okay, I've always been a fan of light cavalry, just the idea of hussars is way cool, and they perform well in M2TW I was rather disappointed that Hussars were essentially the only light cavalry with considering (not including Mongol Light Lancers), but I've always been a bit of a Venice fan (despite never getting far in the campaign) And lo and behold, they too have a light cavalry unit, with "Fast moving" Intruiged I gave them a shot... and found them excellent.

In the words of Billy Connelly "Purely for reference and research purposes..." I ran some tests, here's how they went

Dismounted Gothic Knights = Win to the Stradiots (no supprise)

Janissary Heavy Infantry = Win to the Stradiots (no suprise)

Swiss Guard = at first I didn't even consider a head on charge, and using tactics (breaking the spearwall by running along side them, and then running into the guards) result: Win to the Stradiots. Then, for ***** and giggles (the getting thrown fromt he horse animation never fails to please) I charged my poor Stradiots straight into the waiting halberds of the Pope's finest... result: Win to the Stradiots

Aventuros = the same as with the Swiss Guards

Mongol Heavy Archers = Win to the Stradiots (Thank you Fast moving!)

Dvor Cavalry = Win to the Stradiots (as above )

Lancers = Win to the Stradiots

Qapukulu = Win to the Stradiots

Royal Mamluks = These were the only guys to give the Stradiots a run for their money, In a straight slog they're pretty even, but using their Stradiot's "Fast moving" to recharge, results in a win for the Stradiots almost every time.

If M2TW is a good source to go off, remind me NEVER to pick a fight with an Albanian guy.

Is there anyone Stradiot's can't beat? Discuss...

I love being Albanian, more to the point, stradiots are awsome units, I'd only wished for there to be more native Illyrian units.