I know there has been a number of threads talking about the lack of synergy with HRE units vs their unique techs but I have one more to point out that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
The Marching Drills unique HRE tech that grants 10% Infantry Speed (while already lackluster) is nonsensical when trying to pair with their Prelates and the Inspired Warriors that grants +1 armor and +15% damage unique tech.
The reason I say this is you need your Prelate to constantly with your army in order to give each unit the Inspired buff, but they also MASSIVELY slow down your already slow infantry army.
For example before Marching Drills:
Spearman: 1.25 speed
MAA: 1.12 speed
Landsknecht: 1.25 speed
Prelate: 1.00 speed
And now after Marching Drills:
Spearman: 1.38 speed
MAA: 1.24 speed
Landsknecht: 1.38 speed
Prelate: 1.00 speed
Absolutely zero synergy to techs that are supposed to make HRE unique and up to snuff with the rest of the factions. Even siege units like the Springalds (speed 1.00) and Mangonels (speed 0.88) get a 20% speed tech to make them faster than Prelates, 1.25 and 1.05 respectively.
HRE Prelates need to be at least the speed of a MAA and also be affected by Marching Drills for these techs to make sense having together.