Pikeshop

From HiveWiki

The Pikeshop is where the vassals produce pikes for your army.

Pikeshop requires Church Size 5

Pikes are produced at a rate 1/5 of Pikeshop defensive value.. your vassals just sit in the Pikeshop and make them; 1 pike per hour per 5 units of work (health point). The storage of pikes is guarded against pillages by the vassals in your Garrison (all weapons are guarded there).

Stronger weapons provide a 50% bonus in both attack and defense. An armed vassal (regardless of type) always has an advantage (50% bonus) over an unarmed one.

[edit] Which weapons are better

Pikes are better in combat than swords, but worse than axes.

Pikes > Swords but < Axes
Swords > Axes but < Pikes
Axes > Pikes but < Swords

or put another way

Axes > Pikes > Swords
Pikes > Swords > Axes
Swords > Axes > Pikes

This seems to add a "rock, paper, scissors" element to the game. In practice the best defensive arrangement will have a balance of all three weapons, but there will usually be an imbalance that an attacker might take advantage of by arming all attackers with the most advantageous weapon. This can only be determined by trial and error, but may allow a seize that would otherwise be impossible ie if the vassal to be seized is armed with swords and all attackers are armed with pikes the attack may be strong enough to seize when it would fail otherwise.