What use are bats?!?

WSNPP: PWP – Edition #4: What use are bats?!?

There was once a bat called pat,

He ate a feline called cat,

He ate all day,

And failed to pay,

And became the Vampire bat.

Like the poem? As it implies, bats are useful and annoying at the same time. SO how useful are bats? Well believe it or not, they can change the tides of many battles in your favour or the enemies depending on how you use them.

Most people don’t use them and I understand why too. They cost 13gp and they’re a level 0 unit that can be killed in one shot with a Heavy infantry during dawn or dusk (not counting traits). However if you’re an undead player don’t neglect the usefulness of a bat or a few bats.

Let’s take a look at ‘bat’ in general, I won’t go to specific details such as defences and resistance but we should all know the basic and common thoughts of bats which is the fact that bats are fast but weak starting off. Upon reaching level 1 (Blood Bats) they’re still pretty bad compared to a spearman or skeleton soldier. However once they reach level 2 (Vampire Bats), they are fairly deadly.

A level 0 bat can be very useful when used correctly. In, the rare cases, where you fight a player who uses bats the most likely strategy that the player will utilised would be village capturing. This is a valid and the most useful tactic however we can go further and level bats. *In some rare cases bats are used as cannon fodder (or bait): not the best tactic but it does work sometimes.*

Level 1 bats or blood bats are basically stronger versions of bats. They have an increase in hp and damage. Same goes for vampire bats (level 2). If you do level your bats you’ll find how efficient they can be. Thanks to their drain and high defences they are good for recon, hit and run or picking of retreating 1 hp units. If utilised correctly you can trap your enemy from behind and the front using the bat’s speed and ZoC. And if you don’t wish to do that, you can always be a pain in the neck and take their villages.

All of these strategies with bats can tip of the balance between victory and defeat. I won’t explain how since you guys could predict the outcome of the tactic. Yes luck can also change the tide of battle but that’s for another edition. ;)

So ultimately bats are balanced, they’re useful and ridiculously annoying to fight against, especially in the hands of an expert. So if you’re undead next time, practise using them. Small things can make a big difference.

Next Edition – Edition #5: The power of 2

Previous Edition – Edition #3: Dynamic strategies; 1 plan failed, 100 more to go

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