(9-10a) Earlier Pikeman (Metal Casting)

[azum4roll]

Counterproposal of:

Thread '(9-10) Earlier Pikeman (Engineering)'

Jan 1, 2026

Motivation:
Pikes are not very good. They don't stand up to Knights yet they unlock at around the same time.
They also leave a huge gap between Spearmen and their upgrade, which means if someone comes along with Knights and you only have Spears... Exit to Main Menu.
There are several places you can go from here.

If Pikes were stronger Knights would be useless and Longswordsmen redundant, so that would necessitate a larger change.
After a lot of back and forth with myself over the last year+ I eventually arrived at making them 1 column early (and so, cheaper)
I acknowledge Azum said...

• hokath
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Failed Proposals

• 

Related:

Thread '(9-11) Early Game Combat Balancing Except Pikeman'

Jan 3, 2026

Motivation
Certain units are a bit too weak or too strong early game. For the most part, the core of your army progression is Archer/Spear -> Composite Bow -> Knight -> Crossbow -> Musketman/Lancer with a few Siege units to help capture cities and a few Skirmisher units for flanking bonuses. Most of the other units are only used if you have a UU for them or a specific situation. The weakest unit is probably Pikeman which needs a bit more adjustment and there are separate proposals addressing it so this will focus on the rest of the early game units.

Core principles should be that...

• redrum68
• Replies: 16
• Forum: Failed Proposals

• 

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Proposal

Current Pikeman
Cost: 135 / 300
Moves: 2
Strength: 17
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Free Promotions:
• Formation I
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Required Buildings for Investment: Barracks
Prerequisite Technologies: Steel
Becomes Obsolete With: Gunpowder

Proposed Pikeman
Cost: 110 / 250
Moves: 2
Strength: 17
----------------
Free Promotions:
• Formation I
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Required Buildings for Investment: Barracks
Prerequisite Technologies: Metal Casting
Becomes Obsolete With: Gunpowder

I'm putting Pikeman at Metal Casting as I want to move Composite Bowman to Engineering where they originally were (would be in another proposal if I make it on time).

Unique units:
Berserker: stats unchanged, but cost is lowered following Pikeman
Goegendag: 18 , cost unchanged (still cheaper than Pikeman and same as Swordsman)
Maori Warrior: 19 , cost is lowered following Pikeman
I think the UUs were made too strong in Hokath's proposal.

Free Company:
19 -> 20 , stays at Steel
It was classified as a Pikeman replacement and couldn't be too much stronger than Pikes. Now the restriction is lifted and it can be an advanced Pikeman instead.

 

[redrum68]

I think we should consider separating balance and renaming.

 

[hokath]

Yes I will split mine since they are independent.

 

[redrum68]

Berserker: stats unchanged, but cost is lowered following Pikeman

Berserker is already a top UU. Lowering their cost seems crazy.

 

[azum4roll]

Berserker is already a top UU. Lowering their cost seems crazy.

It's really not. Everyone will have Pikeman on the same tech and can hold off the Berserkers for a bit. Unlike currently where you have to deal with them using Swordsman (no Iron = instant loss).

 

[redrum68]

With that logic then why are the other pikeman UUs much weaker than berseker? This change would also seem to really reduce the potential swordsman rush window.

 

[azum4roll]

I don't see how they're "much weaker than berserker", not factoring in civ traits.

 

[redrum68]

Bersker and Maori would have the same CS but berserker has 1 more move and better promotions.

 

[azum4roll]

Bersker and Maori would have the same CS but berserker has 1 more move and better promotions.

But it's the status quo. Berserker has always been overpowered due to the difficulty of balancing an early unlock unit. We can balance it easier when it's no longer unlocked early, but that's not really in scope for this proposal, which already narrowed the difference.

 

[azum4roll]

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[Recursive]

Timestamp post to arrange all the threads in a neat order.