My source is this:  http://illyriad.honoredsoft.com/wiki/Military_Chart" rel="nofollow - http://illyriad.honoredsoft.com/wiki/Military_Chart

2. Some second tier units are less valuable/efficient compared to their costs? 

1) You are looking at the wrong units defence value. Look at all 4 troop types for attack and defence! It's interesting calculations... trust me!

2) You may want to recalculate that for upkeep to numbers... it make interesting reading... trust me! Be sure to adjust the figures for min and max market prices when calculating costs. Attack and defence are two completely different things! *cough* hint *cough*

try that

 

65000 attack for the knights Vs 29000 defense for the pikemen, open ground, both nub commanders.

 

If this is the way it's calculated, then somebody needs to do a bit of reading, as sending Cav into pikemen is suicidal, I don't want to hear any stories about the Cavalry "Could" ride around to the flank, as "could" is every single engagement by this method.

 

Crossbow armed peasants could kill a knight who had trained all his life, which is why they were outlawed in many nations during the medieval period.

Don't make the mistake of thinking knights were the princess saving heroes of the age, they were the rich and Noble, usually the one's who would benefit from the wars.

And don't write off the Spear or pike units of the period, the Swiss pikemen, the German Landsknechts, the Scotts, these are trained and drilled Pikemen, not spear armed rabble.

 

And you are right Aurordan, many knights did end up fighting on foot, as they would be more effective against the Pike/spear than mounted, but then all they had to worry about were the longbows and crossbows.

 

Including apparently Illyriad, because only shady races like dwarves use them.  Ironically the superior longbows are a dime a dozen apparently.  

Olek wrote: Don't make the mistake of thinking knights were the princess saving heroes of the age, they were the rich and Noble, usually the one's who would benefit from the wars.

Cause they were good at it.

Olek wrote: And don't write off the Spear or pike units of the period, the Swiss pikemen, the German Landsknechts, the Scotts, these are trained and drilled Pikemen, not spear armed rabble.

 

 

A bit of reading if your interested. (C&P)

 

 

Description of Pike
The weapons used during the Middle Ages include the Pike. The description of the Pike which provides basic facts and information about the weapon is as follows:

• Pike - This weapon consisted of a sharp spike blade mounted on a wooden shaft, or pole - referred to as a pikestaff

• This weapon had a wooden shaft, or staff, between 10 and 14 feet (3 and 4 meters) long, mounted with a steel head resembling a spear

• Used as a versatile weapon against knights on horseback. The weapon was constantly developed and refined to include metal rims over the shaft making it even more effective against cavalry starting with knights on horseback . The pole, or staff, increased in length to become more effective fighting weapon

• The weapon was used as a means to combat enemies on horseback. The spear end could apply significant injury to a knight in armor, or a knights horse. Horse armor was developed to counteract such injuries but the sheer force applied from a long pole, or pike, was extremely effective against horses. The Medieval horse, called a Destrier was the favored horses of knights in the Middle Ages

• Pikemen were also armed with a dagger and a sword to enable them to battle enemies who had been unhorsed. The pike was far too unwieldy to use in close combat

• Type or group of weapons - Polearm - A group of pole-mounted weapons. Were all variations of poles measuring between 4 and 14 feet long with different 'heads' - spikes, hammers, spears, axe etc

...

That wasn't something I made up, it was a weapon that historically existed.  Thanks for that definition I guess.