Kievan Rus Unit Additions

[AlexiosThe1st]

Hey guys, I've been playing a lot of Rus lately and I thought I'd post my two cents on a few units that could flesh out the Rus roster and give them a few more options.

Firstly, I think a higher tier spear unit, something like "Kievan Guard", would be a nice addition. With higher armor than the Rus spearmen and greater moral, it offers not only a great option to combat cav but an option to strengthen the main lines or flanks.

I would really love to see a low tier shock infantry unit. Perhaps something long the lines of "Heavy Bardiche Militia" where they've fair/heavyish armor and high damage (maybe higher than that of the Rus guard axes) but with much lower moral and melee attack/defense. The add a more expendable shock unit, and plus we get some bardiche's in the game

Lastly, I think a mid tier bow unit would help. Rus has great archers and piss poor archers. Both serve their role, but I think it'd be great for their roster if they had a more middling option, maybe a dismounted version of one of the horse archer.

I'd love to hear criticisms and more thoughts on increasing Rus' roster!

[Bobi_TWR]

Hey guys, I've been playing a lot of Rus lately and I thought I'd post my two cents on a few units that could flesh out the Rus roster and give them a few more options.

Firstly, I think a higher tier spear unit, something like "Kievan Guard", would be a nice addition. With higher armor than the Rus spearmen and greater moral, it offers not only a great option to combat cav but an option to strengthen the main lines or flanks.

I would really love to see a low tier shock infantry unit. Perhaps something long the lines of "Heavy Bardiche Militia" where they've fair/heavyish armor and high damage (maybe higher than that of the Rus guard axes) but with much lower moral and melee attack/defense. The add a more expendable shock unit, and plus we get some bardiche's in the game

Lastly, I think a mid tier bow unit would help. Rus has great archers and piss poor archers. Both serve their role, but I think it'd be great for their roster if they had a more middling option, maybe a dismounted version of one of the horse archer.

I'd love to hear criticisms and more thoughts on increasing Rus' roster!

Well in my opinion Rus don't need a high tier Spearmen because they have the Rus Guard Axemen which is in my opinion a lot more effective than Spearmen in destroying cav . But about the archers you are probably right

[AlexiosThe1st]

Well in my opinion Rus don't need a high tier Spearmen because they have the Rus Guard Axemen which is in my opinion a lot more effective than Spearmen in destroying cav . But about the archers you are probably right

I don't know if that's entirely true, but I'll do some testing with that

But even if the Rus Guard Axes are good at taking out cav, better than spear and shield spears, it's not their dedicated role. They're a heavy shock/anti-infantry unit which would be far better used elsewhere than in the cav fight. They're also extremely vulnerable to charges. I think Rus could use a good dedicated anti-cav unit, and perhaps to make them different from the other Rus spears, the "Kievan Guard" or whatever could use spears in both hands, with shields on their backs. Not quite pikes, but more in line with bills and glaives, functioning in a similar way. If so, this unit could have lesser armor piercing damage than billmen or halberdiers, but with a longer reach. This would give Rus a bill/halberd-like unit without giving them halberds or bills.

[Påsan]

Actually in the vanilla Attila meta two-handed axemen are the go-to infantry unit for dealing with cav while spearmen are hardly used. The general idea is to tie down the cav with your own cav and then charge in the axemen (Or athars chosen with their daggers of DOOM) to shred the Cav (And then win the game because the one with the most heavy cav late game always win)


Attila's meta was weird though. This mod is already better and its not even finished yet xD

[AlexiosThe1st]

Actually in the vanilla Attila meta two-handed axemen are the go-to infantry unit for dealing with cav while spearmen are hardly used. The general idea is to tie down the cav with your own cav and then charge in the axemen (Or athars chosen with their daggers of DOOM) to shred the Cav (And then win the game because the one with the most heavy cav late game always win)


Attila's meta was weird though. This mod is already better and its not even finished yet xD

A strange meta indeed. I'm also new to Attila....the only reason I bought it was for this mod XD

I suppose for this mod it'd be good if axes weren't monstrous against both infantry and cav. Regardless, I think the two-handed spear unit, functioning similarly to a bill unit, would be a great addition to Rus and would give them a polearm option

[Slytacular]

Could probably take a look at the Kievan Rus mod for Medieval 2 on ideas for units.

[AlexiosThe1st]

Could probably take a look at the Kievan Rus mod for Medieval 2 on ideas for units.

Was there a mod specific mod for Rus or are you referring to Stainless Steel?

[Slytacular]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forum...ichi-Total-War

This mod has a lot of information on the timeperiod and area. I played it before, it was a very well done mod.

[AlexiosThe1st]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forum...ichi-Total-War

This mod has a lot of information on the timeperiod and area. I played it before, it was a very well done mod.

Thanks, I'll dig around and see what I can find

[AlexiosThe1st]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

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Some various units from Rusichi

Possible cavalry addition could be "Kievan Nobles", with models similar to those of the Rus Guard Axes on armored horses.

[AlexiosThe1st]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Troops under Alexander of Novgorod at the Battle on the Ice (1242).

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[Slytacular]

Kievan Rus are always depicted as very colorful. I don't ever see any artwork from the medieval era depicting the Kievan Rus. I'll have to look around online for them.

[AlexiosThe1st]

Kievan Rus are always depicted as very colorful. I don't ever see any artwork from the medieval era depicting the Kievan Rus. I'll have to look around online for them.

Don't know the year on these but they look 13th. They were presented in the context of the Battle on the Ice (1242), though I'm not entirely sure if the images represent that conflict.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Slytacular]

Wow, the Kievan Rus look very redundant in this artwork.

[AlexiosThe1st]

Wow, the Kievan Rus look very redundant in this artwork.

Don't give up on the vibrant color quite yet, I'll keep looking

[AlexiosThe1st]

Sorry about the constant double posting, but here's a bit more color for the soldiers of Rus

The battle is between Novgorod and Suzdal (both Rus cities), and the image was made in the 15th century.

[Slytacular]

Byzantine stuff very similar although I'm a bit confused why the Kievan Rus would be using tear-dropped shields in the 15th century? The Rus would be very outdated if that is the case.



Druzhina's illustrations of Byzantine stuff

http://www.warfare.altervista.org/14...s-Betrayal.htm

[jim501]

Byzantine stuff very similar although I'm a bit confused why the Kievan Rus would be using tear-dropped shields in the 15th century? The Rus would be very outdated if that is the case.

What shields would they be using ?

[AlexiosThe1st]

Byzantine stuff very similar although I'm a bit confused why the Kievan Rus would be using tear-dropped shields in the 15th century? The Rus would be very outdated if that is the case.

The battle took place in 1170 I believe.

[Slytacular]

That does make sense, although I do see some return of the tear-drop shield in 14th century Byzantine art.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

@jim, The Islamic factions would be using some sort of concave round shield, and Western Europeans would be sporting late versions of modified heater shields or pavises.