stakes

[Aryaman]

What is the bonus given to longbowmen when the deploy their stakes? and is it only against cavalry or against all kind of units?

[deadtorius]

Stakes give a +POA against mounted, other than elephants nothing against foot and do not provide cover from shooting. This is from the TT rules so it should be the same in the PC game. The + POA counts in both impact and melee.

[SirGarnet]

Any visual cue that stakes are carried or down? I can tell before charging because of the PD modifier in the estimated hits display, but I think their presence is somewhat more obvious. Each man standing before his stake can conceal them, but is that assumed to always be the case? If they are being carried, I think it wouild tend to be visible.

[Blathergut]

You can see them when they have been placed, but looking at the longbows as they face you, you only see these little beige dots beside their feet...if you rotate the map you can see the spikes a bit better. Always keep your eyes on longbow feet!!!

[deadtorius]

thats more than we see from the backside, I can only tell who has them out by clicking on them to turn them and it showing rotate/place stakes or pack stakes.
Keep in mind once placed the archers cant rotate and if you move off the stakes they are gone. You have to take a turn to pack them up if you want to move and keep them

[rbodleyscott]

Stakes give a +POA against mounted, other than elephants nothing against foot and do not provide cover from shooting. This is from the TT rules so it should be the same in the PC game. The + POA counts in both impact and melee.

If the rules are the same as the TT game, they also prevent the combat from counting as in open terrain, hence they cancel enemy lancers POA, and stop the archers from counting as MF in the open when charged by mounted.

So for MF longbowmen being charged by knights the POAS should be (if the same as the TT version):

Without stakes:

Knights

Lancers +
Mounted vs MF in the open +

Archers
0

Knights therefore on net ++

With stakes:

Knights
0

Archers
Defending field fortifications +

Archers therefore on net +.

As you can see it makes a huge difference.

In melee:

Without stakes:

Knights
Armour Advantage +
Swordsmen +

Archers
Swordsmen+

Knights therefore on net +

With stakes

Knights
Armour advantage +
Swordsmen +

Archers

Swordsmen +
Defending FF +

Combat therefore on net 0

Less difference here, but improved chance of the archers staying steady, in which case the knights have to break off and then get the bad impact factors when they charge in again.

[Blathergut]

But is the PC version treating stakes the same way as above?

[rbodleyscott]

But is the PC version treating stakes the same way as above?

No idea. You would need to ask Iain/Keith.

[deadtorius]

From what I have seen when knights end up charging my archers with stakes put in place, and I forgot to place them in one game when they got charged, I would say yes. I find that knights will lose most of the time taking up to 40% casualties if the stakes are placed compared to the archers getting slaughtered if the stakes are not placed.
Big thing about the knights is they dont really seem to take any cohesion losses till they hit their break point. Even in melee they seem to shrug off mass losses or adjacent friends breaking, until they hit autobreak. tough buggers.

[Blathergut]

1. I'd still appreciate (probably many would) hearing from a dev. if stakes are treated as RBS described.

2. Knights fight as if at 100% until they hit 50%.