[/quote]Trash have a lot of use, the point is to make them so good people will get incentives to make them, hence the beta testing. Tarkans are not made, because paladins are better and easier to make atm.
All the civs with palas never use their UU after all :P
Well, beta team is in full progress. I'll update once we have good concrete resultscysion update the first post pls
make it big in a new post then 11Well, beta team is in full progress. I'll update once we have good concrete resultscysion update the first post pls
I really think u could add the Elite Elite Skirm
I was reading the comments of _Matte_ and Cysion above about the EE-skirmisher, and this made me think off what i read about Slavish warfare.
Historical report by the Byzantine writer Procopius tells us that the Slavs "fight on foot, advancing on the enemy; in their hands they carry small shields and spears, but they never wear body armour".
"Arrayed for battle the majority advance on foot against the enemies, with small shields and javelins, nor do they in any way don corselets. Some have neither a chiton nor a short cloak, but having put on only trousers up to and including the genitals, they are thus arrayed for a clash with enemies."
According to the Byzantine writer Strategikon, the Slavs favoured ambush and guerrilla tactics, often attacking the enemy's flanks.
He mentions: "they are armed with short spears, each man carries two, one of them with a large shield" (the spears were used as javelins) (http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n79/fulop99/slavs/tarcz2.jpg)
"Leading a life of banditry, they like to carry out undertakings against their enemies in the forests, passes, and precipitous regions. They utilize skillfully ambushes and surprise attacks and thefts, at night and in daytime, devising many methods. They are experienced beyond all men in the crossing of rivers and bravely endure in the waters." (sounds like drushing to me)
"They are armed with short javelins, two to a man, and some of them with stout shields that are cumbersome. They use wooden bows and short arrows smeared with a poisonous drug, and this kills if a man wounded by it is not safeguarded in time by a draught of antidote, by other aids known to the science of the doctors, or if the wound is not cut away immediately so that it does not spread to the rest of the body. Being without leadership and hating one another, they do not know order nor do they practice closed battle, nor do they appear in open and level places. Or, if it should happen to them to venture into an open clash, shouting, at the same time they advance a little. And if those opposed to them give in to their voice, they attack violently. But if not, at that same moment they turn, not attempting to test by hand the strength of their enemies; they flee toward the forests, having much success therefrom as knowing suitably how to battle in narrow places"
Furthermore procopius mentions in his work "Bellum Gothicum III" that Slavs were great horse archers, unlike Goths who only fought with spear and sword.
Like in many rural society's it seems the Slavic army relies heavily on the participation of peasants. Those peasants usually wielded the slavonic axe (http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n79/fulop99/slavs/slav2.jpg )
Off course this reports all concern the early ages of slavic warfare, and guerilla techniques in this age are not a unique feature. What is however, is that they heavily rely on the javelin warrior. (http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n79/fulop99/slavs/tarcz2.jpg) This might suggest some kind of unique Slavic Elite Skirmisher upgrade. (in qualitive or in quantitive way)
In later ages the Slavs became skillfull cavalrists, mostly because they learned this from their neighbouring Avars.
The same counts for the use of siegecraft. The use of this advanced siege was however restricted to the south-Slavs, who lived under influence of the more advanced civilisations. The Slavic siege warfare was generally very poor. The South Slavs mastered the siege art a little better than other Slavs because often their armies tried to capture Byzantine cities.Therefore this tactics are not typical for this civilistation.
The art of war the Slavs learned from war nations standing on a higher level– the Avars, Huns and Germanic tribes or later Byzantine people. In general, the Slavs,inhabited areas which were often moors and covered with waters and rivers. For that reason, the tactic of fight was adjusted to the terrain on which they lived and where they fought. Infantry troops were the main strength of all Slavic armies, combined with bows and javelin.
Last to mention is a special unit, called the Družina.
The Družina was unlike most Slavic infantry, a professional soldier, serving a chieftain as a permanent force and bodyguard. Unlike the peasant army, they were better equipped and armoured. They were the military elite of the Slavic society. This must be seen as a military class however,not as a specific type of unit. A Družina could be mounted on horse, or on foot, wielding a bow, spear or sword. Most likely though they must have preferred the horse if they went for war at greater distances, wielding a spear and shield. (btw, why is it that mounted units dont wield spears in AOC?, except some hero's)
About the Slavic society i already mentioned they were mostly rural, reigned by local chieftains, later forming small kingdoms. They were however, never a unified force. Only in the late middle-ages Poland and Russia formed really large states cq. empires. Their states benefited a lot from their contacts with more developed civilisations, most of all the Vikings and the Byzantines. Vikings made the local chieftains first organize in the first Russian state in Kiev, which later came strongly influenced by Byzantium.
The Slavic agriculture was exceptional, mostly in the early ages. They were ahead of the other European civs in agricultural techniques. The Slavs did contributed more to agriculture innovation then to the arts of war. Their use of crop rotation and the mould-board plow allowed for greater production in tuff soil. The mould-board plow according to Medieval Life & the Hundred Years War, by James F Dunnigan and Albert A Nofi, allowed the early Slavs to become efficient farmers. “This elaborate metal and wood device was developed by Slavic tribes and spread west from the 6th century on. Its design allowed six or more oxen to pull a plow and break up virgin ground, or the heavy, clay laden soils typical of northern Europe. As an example of the impact of this new plow, consider the huge population growth that occurred after its introduction.” History has proven over and over again, an increase in food production allows for an increase in population and a larger population can be converted to military force. One ancient writer noted that if the vast number of Slav tribes ever united no nation could resist them.
However, whatever edge they may have lacked in military innovation and organization they made up for with the disruptive raids and the sheer brute force of overwhelming numbers that their advanced agricultural allowed them to support. In fact their agricultural nature, combined with their self-sufficient lifestyle, meant that when they took over areas they were there to stay. In fact their decentralized nature made them extremely difficult to defeat, as they had no great king to bribe or defeat in battle.
Well enough said about this i presume...
Some interesting links on this subject:
- http://www.ancientmilitary.com/ancient-slavs.htm
- http://armieswiata.com/armies/aslav.html
- http://www.polisharms.com/knowledge-base