Elmetto and Li’l bombard were designed as Italian UUs but scrapped, then re-introduced as mercs (enabled in the Industrial Age due to balancing concerns).
However, the late medieval looks of these units do not agree with their late-game super unit status. Also, as Italians have been added back to the game with similar-looking units (papal lancer and papal bombard), I think they’d better be re-skined to more modern-looking units to fit their role, with no change of stats.
Elmetto → Red lancer, the Dutch tech could directly grant this unit instead of turning the stradiot into a lancer unit
Li’l bombard → Armstrong gun, it had heavy versions
Both suited the role of late game super units, and were widely used by foreign powers as “mercenaries”.
It seems like a good idea to me, the Elmetto and Li’l Bombard are units that are too archaic to be used in the industrial age, I am in favor of adding new models for these two mercenary units in addition to the fact that both are already represented by the papal guard with the Italians
Spanish lancers are one of the most requested units to change their appearance since they look too anachronistic for the industrial age, just as the dragoons used by all European factions look strange wearing a cuirass or armor when dragoons in real life were light cavalry units armed with saber and carbine
this would also reduce the amout on different units Dutch can have on the battlefield since currently the Elmetto is enabled by the Mercenary Contractor. As a dutch merc player I don’t like it it but from a balance point it would be better to have less units in the dutch merc roster.
I think all ‘archaic’ units should get some kind of HC shipment that change them to more modern (latter part of AOE3 timespan). Despite the medieval-look these units are all legit in the timeframe - armoured cav were present during the 1500s, with the armour getting smaller as you get to the 1600s.
I think there is still room for 16th century-style Mercs - especially as despite the Italian voices/names, the Elmetto and Lil Bombards pretty much represent all armoured Men-At-Arms and 16th century European bombards/siege guns.
My wishful thinking suggestion would be to tone these merc down in stats and make them available in Fortress (obviously, along with Black Riders and co, available a lot later than their historical use, but it’s a game). You could then have their modern, better versions available in the Industrial age (Tavern/HC shipment conditions apply).
I like the suggestion of the 20 Pounder as a more modern equivalent.
Another problem is that Dutch, French and Italian mercenary contractors unlock only age 4 units, so they have near zero immediate payoff. They could get at least one merc from age 3. The Dutch merc contractor can in turn give stradiot in this case.
I’m in favor of archaic units receiving cards to upgrade in later ages but I disagree with too many mercanary units being crowded into forts and taverns.
I think it’s a good idea, also don’t forget that the Dutch lack the papal guard politician so they can’t improve their pikemen in guard and imperial, which seems a bit strange to me since it is the only faction that lacks this mechanics, most civilizations can upgrade their pikemen
Yeah, cards could be fine (or even as techs as more universal upgrades via a building late in the game).
I do think there is a slight dilution of the power of mercs. In the original, a shipment of mercs was quite awe-inspiring - to witness them pop out from a shipment point, but now there are many mercs which don’t really carry that super powerful weight. The one perk I like from recent years is the variety of them - it’s a nice way to ‘plug’ gaps in certain nationalities or famed mercs. Obviously there is a fine line for balancing to still overcome…
One option would be to eliminate the Comancheros, riflemen and gunmen from the taverns and give each civilization its own mercenaries depending on the nationality, for example the British can have Highlanders, Arquebusier and Irish Brigadier, the Italians can have the Elmetto, Armored Pistoleer and Li 'l bombard and so on with the other European factions
But we also want outlaws. Outlaws are basically a very expensive way to get a skirmisher and dragoon units in Age 2. Most civs cannot train them in Age 2.
How about a middle ground?. you could have local outlaws and then national mercenaries, that way both parts of the colony you are founding would be represented.
You are totally correct in the idea that Elmetti and Li’l Bombards should be replaced as a whole. As you stated, they were originally part of the scraped Italian civ and now the italians are back into the game with equivalent units. Thus, the Elmeti and Bombard lack pourpose.
However, I would go as far as to say that AoE3 should, in general, work as Germany. In a game that now have lever and bolt action guns, why there should still be crosbows. I would make into a arsenal thing to upgrade from early “arquebusiers” into Musketiers and then even riflemen. Crossbows would b replaced by milita type units after researching some tech and some mechanic as such.
wow. Wouldn’t that be neat? All the euro civs can only train archaic units until they build an arsenal, which replaces crossbows and such with rifles and so forth. Very cool. Maybe adiitional arsenals could even improve train times for gunpowder units. It would also “fix” the issue with the AI being obsessed with reconstructing their arsenals above anything else.
The arsenal could make nearby military buildings work at a rate of 8% faster, this bonus would be increased to 15% after we send the advanced arsenal card.
As for the modernization of archaic units, I believe we could have a problem, because after all, in addition to the elmetti and the lil bombard, we have Swiss pikemen, lansquenets, black riders.
Regarding the regular units, the lancer and dragoon, their appearance could even be updated based on the guard status, the dragoon could look like the portrait from the vanilla game.
I don’t think arsenals should have the “speeds military buildings” effect as a core feature. I would argue that this effect make more sense in the factory.
Going back to the mercs that started this thread. Well. Italy was originally designed as one of the more archaic civs, even more than Spain. Lil bombard is literally late medieval bombard and Elmetti is almost a medieval knight. DE’s Itally at least includes more “risorgimiento” XIX century stuff. What I’m trying to say is that they are by far the most problematic units in the merc roster. I get that neither lansknecht nor any pike units scream “modernity”, but as long as they have a distinctive function in the regular roster of the civs and can’t be replaced as Landwehr replaces Crosbowmen, they could still work.
As for the Black Riders… i know they are suppossed to depict altogether a diferent culture than the armored pistoleer (germanic vs mediterranean) but it would made sense if they were a single unit with the dismount ability. That or Black Riders are replaced by Brunswicker dragoons since they are also german units in all black aparell.
