| rdfs:comment
| - Although no better than base fanatics whipped up to a frenzy by inflammatory sermons, Tabór Gunners should by no means be sneered at by more gentle folk. These men, although easily as weak as any religious extremists may be, are however armed with crude arquebuses, making them extremely deadly against melee units, in particular cavalry and heavy infantry. They may not be as strong as other unique gunpowder infantry units, or have the cost advantage afforded by Chinese matchlocks, but they have one advantage: the ability to boost the attack of neighbouring units, like religious fanatics do.
|
| abstract
| - Although no better than base fanatics whipped up to a frenzy by inflammatory sermons, Tabór Gunners should by no means be sneered at by more gentle folk. These men, although easily as weak as any religious extremists may be, are however armed with crude arquebuses, making them extremely deadly against melee units, in particular cavalry and heavy infantry. They may not be as strong as other unique gunpowder infantry units, or have the cost advantage afforded by Chinese matchlocks, but they have one advantage: the ability to boost the attack of neighbouring units, like religious fanatics do. This ability makes Bohemia a rather dangerous faction to play, because although its infantry are clearly inferior to others, yet boosted in this manner, and equipped with a slew of mechanical unique units, Bohemia can easily upset the rules of war, making enemy assaults on Bohemian cities in the late era a night mare scenario. However, a Bohemian player should always pay attention to the cohesion of his forces: should the Tabór Gunners become separated from the main body, they will be easily hunted down and killed with heavy cavalry, given how weak they are. Furthermore, Tabór Gunners like arquebusiers are easily outranged by archers, especially Japanese and English archers, and so some form of countermeasures such as the Tabór should be used as a "meat (although mostly wooden) shield" to absorb enemy archer fire to protect your Gunners. The Hussite Wars can be said to be the very first modern war in the world, in which guns made their debut. Although gunpowder had been used sporadically since the 10th century in China and later during the 13th in the West, it fell to the Hussite general Jan Žižka to introduce mass use of firearms as a force in battle. Instead of using pikemen, Žižka had his men deploy carts in combat which functioned as both transport and a portable fortification, manned with militia armed with crossbows and early firearms. The crews of the carts would first fire on the enemy cavalry, which more often than not charged into them with heavy losses. This was then followed by a counter-attack by the Hussite infantry which would mean that both armies would now be fighting on more equal terms. Žižka also introduced the use of firearms and gunpowder artillery, and while the Hussites would eventually be subdued and Bohemia annexed into the mostly German Holy Roman Empire, his methods would continue to live on and influence war in Europe for many centuries to come, with variations by other figures such as Gustav Adolf II Vasa and Napoleon.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)