Rhenish Knights are mercenary units available to Bavaria, Saxony and, in form of the Condottiero, to Genoa. They have armor against anticavalry units, thus making them able to resist pikemen and lancers. They also can heal themselves and are immune to conversion. They are not to be confused with their look-alikes, the Guelders/Frisian Ruiters.
A special form of this kind of trooper is the Genoese Condottiero.
Unit Statistics[]
Vital[]
Type: Trooper
Available to: Bavaria (Requires Hausmacht), Saxony. Note: They are not available to the Teutonic Order.
Trained at: Castle (Saxony) or Stables (Bavaria).
Century: 14th
Cost: 90 Florins
Combat[]
HP: 130
Attack: 11
Armor/Pierce Armor: 2/2
Special: 12 armor vs. anticavalry units. Heals itself, immune to conversion, when created its standard attack mode is defensive, instead of agressive.
Upgrades[]
Attack: Forging, Iron Casting, Blast Furnace, Chivalric Order, Minor Nobility
Attack, Hit Points: Ordonnance Companies
Armour: Scale Barding Armour. Mail Barding Armour, Plate Barding Armour
Speed: Husbandry
Hit Points: Bloodlines
Training time: Indenture
Costs: Landesaufgebot (Bavarian Unique Technology)
Synonyms[]
Condottiero (Genoa)
Scenario Editor Notes[]
The Rhenish Knight is considered a hero by the game and may be found under the Heroes tab in the editor, for all civs.
Commentary[]
Among the most powerful mercenary units, the Rhenish Knights are heroes to the people they serve--literally. The game engine considers them heroes. This provides several advantages. They cannot be converted by enemy priests, and also can heal their own wounds. (A handy trick in single player: use them as anti-priest units. AI-controlled priests usually rout when confronted by heroes.)
Like their contemporaries, the Dutch Ruiters, they possess armor against anticavalry units, and although they don't have quite the ability to plow through ranks of pikemen, they still are formidable foes against pikemen and lancers.
The Rhenish Knight is at best a medium cavalry unit, but their self-healing ability comes in handy nonetheless, while their bonus armor makes it easier for a stronger cavalry unit to defeat it than a pikeman. Careful against the long pikes, though.
Historical Background[]
Rhenish noblemen like the lords of Heinsberg regularly hired out small standing armies of a few hundred men to the highest bidder, and although on their own they may not have made much of an impact, combined they could form a formidable and determined host.