Gunpowder?

jsoob

Hi guys,
Does anyone know the turn/year that gunpowder units can be recruited? Can any nations recruit these units earlier?
Thanks,
Jsoob

Tyer032392

It is around 107 to 109 I believe. Can't remember for sure but it is before 115 and after 100. And the year should be before 1492.

Dionysius the Mighty

1492 is the year for the World is Round event, gunpowder comes much earlier, around the time of the first Mongol invasion.

jsoob

Thank you very much!

darkstar

a bit after the mongol invasion, but its soon enough that youll be able to arm yourself for the timurids

Tyer032392

Be sure to choose wisely though because some faction might have great cannon units but lack effective musket units while other factions have superior musket units but lack cannon units.

jsoob

What would you recommend more? Better muskets or more powerful cannon?

Skollops

Depends on who you're going to fight. Againt the Timurids I would go for cannons, but against almost everyone else muskets.

Che

In my current Venice campaign, gunpowder weapons were discovered in 1290 A.D., if I remember correctly....

WiskeyBob

You don't really have to make a choice though. Siege artillery is nice to have but you only need one town or castle producing it per region. Arquebuses and musketeers (if you're one of those factions) come from high level city barracks. While your towns are busy building up the economy or upgrading barracks you can make one or two castles get gunsmiths for artillery.

glamourishous

which building lead you to gunsmiths, do you need the seige branch to trebuchets, or you armoury?

ok so Gunpowder was just discovered in my current campaign. (thought it had been already). I know have gunsmiths available. So artillary is online, but where do the missle troops come from? they have to come from the castles, right?

darkstar

they come from cities, so i hope you built those up earlier

glamourishous

what level militia building do you need? do you need your markets upgraded too? or is that to give gunpowder units exp?

Maklodes

glamourishous wrote: »

what level militia building do you need? do you need your markets upgraded too? or is that to give gunpowder units exp?

You need militia barracks for hand gunners. You need army barracks for arquebusiers and Sudanese gunners. You need royal barracks for musketeers. Exceptions are Hungary, who can get arquebusiers from militia barracks, Russia, who can get Cossack musketeers from any huge city, and Byzantium and Scotland, who never get any gunpowder troops.

Market upgrades play no role, except providing more trade income. However, alchemist's labs, alchemy schools, and universities play a role in improving gunpowder units, as do alchemist's guilds.

The Kestrel

Cannons are preferable to muskets in my humble opinion. They allow me to attack without regard for fortifications.

Che

WiskeyBob wrote: »

You don't really have to make a choice though. Siege artillery is nice to have but you only need one town or castle producing it per region. Arquebuses and musketeers (if you're one of those factions) come from high level city barracks. While your towns are busy building up the economy or upgrading barracks you can make one or two castles get gunsmiths for artillery.

That is true, however, please bear in mind that you can only get alchemist guilds in cities, not castles. These guilds improve gunpowder weapons. I don't remember whether their effects are global, or only for units trained/retrained in the city with the guild (I bet it depends on the level of the guild building). However, I AM pretty sure that the more gunpowder units you produce in a city, the higher your chance to be offered an alchemist guild in that city....

Che

glamourishous wrote: »

what level militia building do you need? do you need your markets upgraded too? or is that to give gunpowder units exp?

Remember, you can check this information (for the faction that you are playing) yourself. All you need to do is open a settlement information window (where you order buildings to be built), and click the "building browser" icon in the lower left hand corner of the window.