Last updated: 9/23/98

Pikeman debate is officially over. So stop sending me email about it :)

My views

Lets start out with the facts. Pikemen have the strongest defensive rating in melee in the game. Their ranged defense is good not great. They have the lowest combat attack rating in the game also, excluding bowmen and peasents. They are also the slowest unit in the game. The pikemen stats are on the Weapons Guide.

The fact that they are the strongest defensive unit, but the weakest offensive unit, means that it is limited to defensive roles. Its best use is to defend castles with, and I believe it is EXCELLENT in that role. However, pikemen will have trouble against crossbowmen and archers. Their ranged defense is good, but their speed makes them easy targets. (Archers can miss if you get out of the way. . .) In normal battle, if you have trouble defending archers (which I generally don't) then Pikemen can be used for that, but other than that, they are not useful to me.

Another factor is their speed. After they are positioned, they will more or less remain stationary for the rest of the battle. Moving pikemen long distances in the middle of a battle is stupid. Pikemen are sitting ducks to faster units and archer attacks while they are moving. Its lack of speed pretty much regulates it to front-line or rear guard duty. Its inability to deal significant damage makes it useless in front line duty, however.

One instance where Pikemen would be effective in any situation is if you use like 900-1000 archers in your armies. Then the remaining 300 or so pikemen can adequately defend the archers while they pound on the enemy. However, thats only if you use that specific army composition. I tend to use a more footsoldier-heavy army, in which Pikemen aren't nearly as effective.

So now the question: What should we use? Knights are too expensive to deploy in numbers. Macemen are too weak defensively. Swordsmen, however, are the most balanced unit in the game. They have better ranged defense, MUCH better attack, and more speed than pikemen. They are somewhat expensive, but still they are relatively easy to mass-produce. Knights and Macemen are best for rear and side flanking.

Many people are saying "Pikemen are good early as a replacememt to Peasents." Well ANY armed unit is better than peasent. I'd rather have macemen because early, the unconquered towns tend to have archers, and macemen are fast enough to run around and chase the archers.

One more thing: Many people are saying, "Pikemen are good for doing (something)." I agree that Pikemen have some uses, but other than that, I think they are pretty bad and not versatile, like the Swordsman is. I'm not saying that units like Macemen are versatile, either. I just happen to like their abilities more.

Current Standings:

Good: 184

Bad: 139

Hmm I wonder who won? :)

POSTS

As you can see those pikemen are great defenders

--------
Ilya Novikov

Yes. Pikemen are good in the early stages of a game. They are inexpensive and very good defenders. After you have enough resourses to make swordsmen and a few knights, you should dump all your existing pikemen into your castles.

I thought this was a rather interesting use for pikemen after the beginning of the game. . .

--------
Mark B. Lincoln

Some people actually decided to make some interesting posts for the other end. (finally someone to defend me:)

Pikemen are weak, they're slow not cheap and they're not that powerful. I say just take your 5000 crowns you start out with buy 250 maceman and see how successful the 75 pikemen they get are then!!

--------
paladin877@aol.com

I thought this was interesting.. Macemen are MUCH cheaper to buy in the beginning of the game, although his point only works if you have it set on max. resources :)

Back to my main Lords of the Realm 2 page