Dutch army composition relies heavily on using mercenaries in the late game as they lack a musketeer unit and their ruyters are weaker, pop efficient Dragoons. Dutch get guaranteed access to Fusiliers but they are rather overpowered in my opinion to give out freely to the Dutch as a barracks unit. Highlanders are cheaper, tankier, but also do considerably less damage making them a more balanced choice. Giving Dutch access to a musketeer unit that they can mass more easily would give the Dutch a much stronger presence in Treaty and probably a better midgame rush as they start to pump out coin. Historically and thematically it would blend well as the Dutch had strong ties with the Scottish.
Sweden got changed so that they can train any merc they sent once permanently in their saloon. This could be applied to all euro civs, if durch get 1 highlander card atleast, then they could train them atleast from one building.
Since it is also just 1 building it wouldnt really affect how the civs are played lategame. Which is good since compete rework of how these good old civs are played is not desirable.
This would change very little as Dutch get guaranteed access to the Fusilier in their taverns with their age 3 mercenary contractor politician which is an even better musketeer (they are honestly OP) and taverns pump out units very slowly. Giving them the Highlander through an Age 4 card would give them a weaker, more reliable musketeer merc that is still pop inefficient to differentiate them from civs with musketeers.
Fusilier cost 300 coin . Have you tried going full fusilier in a sup teamgame? I failed horribly. They are way to expensive you can’t even keep up with the enemy hussar mass even thought you are supposed to counter them, Too cost inefficient
Highlander only cost 200 coin, have more hp too. Overall much more cost efficient in my opinion.
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I play treaty, primarily. Spamming out Fusilier is very easy as the Dutch. Obviously you can’t do that in Supremacy which is just another point in favor of Highlanders, but given how limited the Tavern is getting barracks Highlanders would be a huge bonus for Dutch in the late game Supremacy and treaty matches, hence the OP.
Dutch dont need a merc army or even a Musketeer type unit. They have one of the best skirms and goons compositions in the game and its very pop efficient in the late game. Why would you need musks?
Regarding treaty, if it is 20 min treaty, the current balance is nice and you can either go SA or Imperial, if its 40 min treaty, then why are you playing dutch?
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Your remark about “why would you play the dutch in 40 minute treaty” should really speak volumes as to their current balance. I do not see how giving them an age 4 card to improve their military composition for late game is bad. They can throw Fusiliers out at treaty’s end in the current balance. The huge amount of coin production the Dutch have adheres very well to mercenaries. The lack of musketeer means the dutch lack a Frontline unit. Dutch struggle to push because of this.
halbediers arent that bad actually, could be your frontline unit
It actually does. They have an exceptional army composition but a mediocre late imperial age eco. Which is fine, and shows how balance they are since they do really well both in fortress and in industrial.
Why are you pushing with a unit with low range? Do you suicide musketeers againt walls? The coin production adheres to the mercenary, but doesnt force you to use them. As in late imperial any unit can deal with mercs more cost effectively.
Regarding the pushing. I never had a problem of pushing with an army composition of Ruyters and skirms. It actually is better than musks since their range and counter coverage is total (ruyters can take care of cannon and cav, skirms of inf and light cav), put some Horse Artillery or Mortars with that (dutch need the factories in resources and can spare the time for Heavy Cannon) and you have one of the best armies in the game.
If you are being pressured by elephants by all means put some there, musks aint gonna save you vs elephants either
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Why do you want a musketeer unit?
Ruyter is incredible at this role in late game :
- Higher range damage against cavalery (and 14 range against 12)
- Similar hp to musketeer : imperial ruyter have ehp of 347 (315 +10% range resistance).
- Lesser vulnerability to artillery
- Higher speed
- Very few units have actual modifier at range against it (even the skirmisher, the x1.5 means that they do the same damage that musketeer do against ruyter.
It’s only downfall are its vulnerability in melee (but usually in late game, it’s not much a problem) and it’s overall damage against non-cavalery unit, which is lower than a musketeer.
Ruyer/skirm/artillery and cav (and some halberdier if needed) is all you need,
Honestly, if a civ should be able to train highlander, it’s the british… It think it would be more reasonnable that the blue guard can be recruited after sending the church cards technology. But I don’t think dutch need that.
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Fusiliers feel like they go under the radar with how good they are
I would also like to see this with the native embassy with some civs, e.g 17 Maya Holcan spearmen also enables them in the embassy.