Catapults and Artillery

[RallyEVO]

Anyone know how to use catapults and artillery etc? Manual says B to bombard but it does nothing when I'm trying to make it bombard a city. I don't see an icon on the unit that allows me to bombard either. I'm pretty sure I'm within range too, adjacent square or one square over. I do know that you can only bombard cities now but I can't even figure out how to bombard a city right now.

[Jon Miller]

should be a little button that pops up..

just click the button, and it does it

it moves down the city defense.. I think required when yuo start fighting cities with 80% defense

JM

[asleepathewheel]

there is a percentage number around where the city name is. that is the defense modifier for the city. I think that's base on culture and other things. press the target looking icon at the bottom and you will see that number fall. once that's at zero, the city doesn't have any defenses and you can't do that anymore.

[AzNtoccata]

Other than lowering defenses in cities, is htere any other useful purpose to them?

Theoritically they coudl cause collaterola damage, but usually their strength is too low to actually WIN the battle and cause collateroal damage.


Oh and what are the best promotions for them? For seige and field (generally fighting outside cities) purposes

[Galumphus]

The main thing I use them for is getting city defenses down to <10%. That's a pretty big bonus there, it makes cities fall so much easier. Sometimes in an emergency (or when I really really really want to take a city that turn) I also use them to cause collateral damage, but you are right, they often die while doing that.

[alva]

Theoritically they coudl cause collaterola damage, but usually their strength is too low to actually WIN the battle and cause collateroal damage.

yes, you should count on the fact that you will/may loose it but doing so will cost you less units in total to capture the city (or defend your own).
Cats ARE powerfull...you'll notice once the AI takes one of your cities you thought was invinceble because of all the units you had in there.

[AzNtoccata]

wait so it causes collaterol damage regardless of whether they win teh battle or not?

what i'm saying is that if they don't win the battle in the first place, they won't be able to cause the collaterol damage, but maybe i'm mistaken?

[alva]

Yup,

They cause CD (collateral damage) each time they win a battle round (battle consists of several rounds).
So even if it dies, if it won a single round, it will cause CD to the other units.
Just try it out and look at the stats of AI's units before and after.

[AzNtoccata]

So in a sense, you're goign to be losing a lot of artillery pieces during battles, but at least you'll be winning the war?

[alva]

Something like that.
They do come with a withdrawl promotion, so there is - besides winning the battle - a 25% chance they survive, even if they lose!

[AzNtoccata]

I thought seige units can't be upgrade for flanking (which is when withdraw comes in)

even so, i thought withdraw only works if you have a movement point left (if not, quick explanation on how withdraw works?)

for field artillery (in open battle) it seems barrage is the best choice, but for seige artillery is city raider or barrage better?

[alva]

I thought seige units can't be upgrade for flanking (which is when withdraw comes in)

Catapults have 25% retreat bonus when build (not sure if they can have more, I'd need to check that).

even so, i thought withdraw only works if you have a movement point left (if not, quick explanation on how withdraw works?)

Doesn't exactly work the same as C3, once they are near death, a dice is thrown, if that dice is positive*, the unit retreats otherwise it dies.
Left movement isn't of any importance (AFAIK)

*let's say the program picks a number from 1 to 100, if the number is less than 26, the unit lives to fight another day, else it dies.

PS: it could be 20% btw but that doesn't really matter.

[DeepO]

Originally posted by alva

I thought seige units can't be upgrade for flanking (which is when withdraw comes in)

Catapults have 25% retreat bonus when build (not sure if they can have more, I'd need to check that).

Can't have more, but that 25% is wonderful! They do sometimes win on their own too, which is needed to gather XP.

DeepO

[alva]

Err I don't think so Deeps, a retreating unit get XP points too.

[DeepO]

Originally posted by alva
Err I don't think so Deeps, a retreating unit get XP points too.

Did that change? Excellent

DeepO