It’s less about the balance than it being a bit too fancy for 1 of the 2 main lines everything is designed around in the game.
I actually like the idea of the unit. But I just think it’s better as a UU than replacing anything in the knight line.
But your proposal would make them extremely powerful against archers, add a huge powerpike in early imp other civs except burgundians and sicilians) don’t have. And it’s already close with these civs to breaking the game balance. The game of palading vs archer civs thrives on the paladin upgrade taking a lot and much time to research. I think it’s very important to keep these powerspikes and don’t mess with them too much.
It’s one of the key elements that keep these matchups interesting. If you don’t know your and your opponents powerspikes anymore cause it’s too convoluted with these various bonusses, the game becomes errative. You need to know each players win conditions, especially general conditions if we have 39 (or even more) civs.
At least that’s my opinion.
That easily could be totally OP, actually.
An interesting idea/concept for a future monk civ maybe.
The main problem with it going to another civ(crusader knight specifically) is that it’s a Teuton unit, and is currently relegated to scenarios and missions but is regardless a teuton unit. The most I could stretch it would be if first crusade were changed to imperial age and have it spawn crusader knights or even Teutonic Knights for the sicilians.
Or castle age non-elite Teutonic knights if kept in castle age
Its a crusader unit that best fits with teutons but that does not make it a teuton unit. Teutons are not the teutonic order. Teutons represent Germans and the HRE with a small side of teutonic order scene in its unique unit.
How would you balance an upgrade that gives you the same resistance to arrows as paladins (120 hp with 8 PA = 60 shots like a pala), makes you unconvertable and gives you 7 melee armor with 22 attack (11 shots to kill a pala and 11 shots to get killed by a a pala). I missed the stats of the unit, you are basically removing the cavalier and pala upgrades to give them back a unit that is basically an uncorvertable paladin who needs only 1 research to get there 11.
You were right, you weren’t nerfing them on arabia. You just added another powerspike on top of better infantry and extra tcs range 11111111111
Atm? It has less attack speed, less speed, and I would increase upgrade cost and time. That and the unconvertable nature starts in imperial, where conversions matter allot less for most players.
The nerf itself as well as the buff of the window where they can push hard depends on a good balancing between cost and research time to make that window smaller or larger depending on what’s most balanced.
My guess? Somewhere around 75% of the cost of paladin, and about 100% of the time it takes to upgrade into cavalier plus 30% of the time it takes to upgrade into paladin
That would allow an early imperial window for the enemy and a mid-imp window for the Teutons
No dear God that’s dven worse. I’m judt not a fan of this idea. I’d rather keep their current cavalry lineup as is. You want the skin? Completely okay with that.
replaced with a donjon tech for +attack/more arrows/garrison space, and/or allows serjeants to repair siege
Cavaliers replaced with crusader knights upgrade.
Tech cost/research time to be balanced
This gives them an early (or late) unit to help vs melee types and to help vs trash if needed while giving a nod to history of them having the Teutonic Order garrisoned with them at some point.
As well as a fun crusader unit of their own for their ‘second crusade’.
However it may be more accurate to replace hauberk with ‘third crusade’ and spawn elite teutonic knights while keeping ‘first crusade’ the same as it is now.
That being said, Teutons have Teutonic Knights and heavy scorpions/hand canons, so halbs can be dealt with and left as a weakness for the Teuton’s version of the crusader knight.
