Poland Faction Guide: Medieval 2 Total War

In todays video I discuss Poland strategy, units and buildings for the Medieval 2 Grand Campaign!

[@Lankyblankman]

Whole of Europe: Why aren you normal!? Poland:*Szcreams*

[@lugotorix6173]

hahaha

[@arczi1309]

shchzheams? even for me that is unpronouncable

[@zekramnordran9526]

*Szczrymmsz*

[@hexxon77]

Woodsmen in early game are in fact very good shock troopers. Cheap like peanuts and when fighting alongside unit with decent morale and/or lead by good general can mash up even heavy infantry. Even if you loose them eventually no big deal, damage they inflict on much more expensive enemy units makes them "a good investment'.

[@ericairlangga2955]

I tried this unit to flank an armored swordsmen, while a main unit attacked them frontally, the Woodsmen killed less than 20% of the enemy but the enemy routed my woodsmen. My main unit stood their ground. I even tried a 1v1 of the Woodsmen against a Town Militia and still lost. Meanwhile the Hungarian Croat Axemen performed much better than the Woodsmen against the same Town Militia.

[@DeezUp4Da3zz]

@@ericairlangga2955i used dismounted polish nobles as the anvil and hammer with woodsman until i can free up cav to finish off

[@Awesomeisme7000]

*AND THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!*

[@huntclanhunt9697]

Except they don't in this game... 😭😭😭

[@szlacha4]

As a Pole myself i can't win this campaign because i just can't wipe out Hungary. Polak Węgier dwa bratanki!

[@hannibalburgers477]

I don't like Polish faction because all the interesting historical units are not in this game. I want good late heavy cavalry and wagons. For similar reason I can't make myself play Turks too. I want okayish horse archers early on,(horse archers are always op against infantry) which will be outdated (other countries must start to get better horse archers) compared to mid and late game. I want okay mid game infantry, and great late game gunpowder units. What I basically want is a little more mediocre version of Scythians with late game musketeers. And I don't even want to talk about HRE. Oh, the HRE 😬😬😬

[@zekramnordran9526]

focus on Russia first, since you can fight them as much as you want without getting in trouble with the Pope and try to make allies with Hungary's potential enemies like Venice or the Byzantines, Hungary is tough to fight against as Poland because Hungary has waaay better infantry, so sieges WILL be a massive pain, so I used some Mercenaries to even the odds

[@szlacha4]

@Krzysztof Cieszyński nie zapominaj, że ludzie wciąż są tam zajebiści. Rządzi nimi pupilek Putina. Tak samo jak Kartoflany Imperator.

[@willlastnameguy8329]

@@hannibalburgers477 The Turks are surprisingly good. Great mix of troops.

[@Вейн-э5б]

I wish if the IA Poland had the same opinion when I play as Hungary. Whatever faction I play Polish just begin WAAAAAAAAAAAGH as soon as I border them!

[@EricTheActor805]

Poland, England, France, Milan, Hungary, Spain, France, HRE and Russia have the same early game strategy for me.... Mad dash to get as much rebel territory in every direction as fast as possible

[@ThasisKidSamurie]

Accurate af

[@superlewus11]

Great video & channel, greetings from Poland

[@90Rush]

Poland being one of the two easternmost Catholic nations, can benefit heavily from a well executed early Crusade, which will allow you to go from North of Black Sea to the holy land by land, and conqure everything on the path.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

My disappointment at the lack of Winged Hussars is immeasurable and my gameplay is ruined.

[@DartVejder1]

Winged Hussars were 16th-18th cavarly, that's why they are not in the game.

[@huntclanhunt9697]

@@DartVejder1 Game ends in 1500s. Also, that wouldn't be the worst offender for historical inaccuracy. May as well have them because why not?

[@DartVejder1]

@@huntclanhunt9697 Imagine a 16-18th century armed hussar charging the knights of the 13th / 14th century. This would create too much of a contrast, the armament of the winged hussars was adapted to later times when there was no knighthood and warfare was completly diffrent. The armor itself was masterfully made in terms of metallurgy and stopped musket shells without any problems even in the 18th century, such looking armor could not have made it in the Middle Ages. Hussars were also using pistols and lances that were 4,5 - 6,2 long, then much longer than in medieval times. The look itself would not fit at all, the armament was completely different at that time. It's like in Rome 1 there were Egyptians modeled on those from the Bronze Age (that was awful for me). That's my opinion. I just like accuracy. Winged hussars are much more suited to the Empire: Total war

[@samm9425]

My homeland! Also my favourite faction, very good cavalry! Thanks for making this! And it's pronounced "st-jel-tsy", by the way.

[@lugotorix6173]

Thanks for the pronunciation help!

[@franciscoromero5122]

I just wish they had more heavy infantry

[@ZecaPinto1]

Doesnt that mean shooters or something?

[@coamadafaka007]

@@ZecaPinto1 archers actually

[@christophersatkowski8548]

My heritage!

[@urban_hoplite7593]

1. Most heavy cav have swords and 2. Portugal and Spain have the jinetes that are jav cav

[@Gremlin_Wizard]

Urban_Hoplite moors! Don’t forget the moors.

[@aleksandersokal5279]

@@Gremlin_Wizard Moors are not European, they just occupy European territory.

[@Gremlin_Wizard]

Lord Alex I wasn’t making a point about moors being European, I don’t know where you get that idea from. Also even if I was, what constitutes as being European? Don’t most European nations today have ancestors who invaded Europe, just way back? I think what makes moors not European by your standards is the fact that they couldn’t get a foothold in Iberia.

[@aleksandersokal5279]

@@Gremlin_WizardThey are not European the same way Turks are not European.

[@Gremlin_Wizard]

Lord Alex How do you count one country as European?

[@huntclanhunt9697]

A fun thing I like to do with the Lithuanian Cavalry is set them to Fire at Will, turn off Skirmish, and order them to charge. They'll fire on the enemy as they advance, often getting one final, devastating, point blank volley into the enemy before impact.

[@Ulfhednar90]

Hmmm Strategy is to be super agresive at start: From Krakau-> attack Breslau, and go for Magdeburg. It's trigger HRE to attack in 9/10 Field army attack Thorn, then Stettin. Later on it depend, but I like to send them to Russia. From Halicz-> Go straight south, for Iasi and Bukareszt, cut Hungarians off, and they will attack You. Thorn and Stettin-> change on cities [for extra profit]. Kiev-> on castle [very deffensive position, next to river, and the Mongols are on their way]

[@Uragan00829]

I know this is "old" video, but I would like to correct you/add fact: Arquebusiers have the same range as peasnt arches, crossbow militia, lithuanian archers,... (I think you get the point) The more you know!

[@Vekhh]

14:57 S-T-R-SH-E-L-CY - "Shooters"/"Marksmen" - transalted word to word

[@henkkoonstra4014]

Polish guard also have higher mass so they hit more units on the charge

[@ericairlangga2955]

It's an amazing unit. One charge could kill half of an armored swordsmen unit. The Polish Retinues delivers the same result too. They're amazing cav.

[@Vekhh]

16:07 Why rare? Javelins usually make more damage - theyre shot from lesser range, true but its bigger missile, it always was a nice damage in history, I love javelinman in Rome II. Its really not the "only in movies" thing that u could just lanuch a man into air and pierce him to the tree.

[@leonvoelker7639]

One of my favourite factions in the game, but one thing I don't really like is that their unique unit the Hussars aren't unique to only them. While I understand that Hussars originate as light cavalry (like they are in game) from Hungary and it makes sense for them to have it too but could have given Poland armored or heavy Hussars in a nod to the later Winged Hussars. Not giving them Winged Hussars directly is understandable, as they appear later in history, after the medieval era but I feel like sharing your "unique Unit" with another faction defeats the point of having one in the first point. Still a great faction with excelent cavalry, decent artillery and other units.

[@rafaborucki7245]

Now we're talking ;)

[@ZecaPinto1]

I dont think alberdiers are to be used against cavalry. I played some battles with them and can only say that even if they have very long spears they still die easy against cavalry than pikemen. They have a bonus against armor and using them against infantry its their only best job

[@wfkardas]

Strzelcy is pronounced s-tshel-tsi :) Quite simply ;)

[@Uragan00829]

Yeah, from our point of view, it's quite simple, but I guess it is hard for them, just like this word from german: Fünfhundertfünfundfünfzig

[@liamcarnahan1346]

Woodsmen with armor upgrades are scary

[@aaronluisdelacruz4212]

Any plans making a shogun 2 total war?

[@rabarba6]

Keeping Thorn as castle is blasphemy

[@rabarba6]

@BlewndziorMLKV because you have Halych as recruitment center and Thorn is relatively good money maker if turned into a town. Furthermore it is in no immediate danger of being attacked if you expand into the baltic region and into western pomerania where Stettin and Magdeburg is although you need to be lucky to snatch it before the HRE.

[@ericairlangga2955]

This comment is an eye opener for me bcs it made me realize that it's more profitable to convert coastal castles in to a city. Other examples would be between Bordeaux and Toulouse, now I tend to convert either one that has less profit if there were more than one coastal castles in the same range. Also I won't convert it if it was my only frontline castle in my territory like Nottingham (facing against Scotland), until I destroy Scotland, I often convert it in to a city.

[@arczi1309]

1. Strzelcy is pronounced S-tzhe-ltsi (zh is pronounced as sh) 2. Hussars (that's a Hungarian word btw) are not pronounced Huhssars but more like Hoosarrs :)

[@drakengarfinkel3133]

Polska!

[@urban_hoplite7593]

Woohoo!

[@thecrazytophatman7304]

Boo yah keep it up

[@lugotorix6173]

Thanks man

[@Whitemoon193]

Wortst catholic fraction, the only one without feudal/normans knights

[@GuilhermeSouza-ux4jq]

dismounted polish knights can do this job.

[@herroberbesserwisser7331]

Hussars are better anyday. 1 less defense than Feudal knights but more damage cheaper and way faster.

[@chieflurtz7766]

Scotland is worse

[@chieflurtz7766]

White Eagle pikes suck, and most of their troops have low armor and get rekt by missles, and they only have like 3 missile units that aren’t even good

[@EricTheActor805]

Best Catholic Faction