Dedicated MASH unit

[khearn]

In a game I played a couple of days ago, I ended up doing a horse-archer rush, but the first horse unit I made was a chariot, which got Combat I with his barracks experience. I then sent him out to run over a barbarian warrior so he could get the Medic I promotion. This became my MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit, and traveled with my horse archers.

Since a stack will always defend with it's best defender, the MASH chariot would usually be the last unit chosen to fight, so it would thus be the most likely to survive. So I could generally count on having a medic available if my army survived a fight.

It's ironic that the weakest member of a stack is the most likely to survive.

One could also do the same with a warrior for traveling with slower troops.

The ultimate would be a scout medic, since it would be able to keep up with fast units, and would be almost guaranteed to survive if anyone in a stack survived, since he'd be weaker than even most wounded units. If all of your combat troops are wounded below 1.0, it probably won't make much difference if you have a medic after the fight or not.

Of course, a scout is harder to get the medic promotion on, since he can't attack and is weaker than anything he'll meet. You'd have to start him out early enough that he'd still be able to find animals, and then put him on a forested hill and hope he (1) is attacked, and (2) survives. You'd probably want to make one just for this purpose, since most "scouting" scouts are going to want to go the woodsman promotion path for survivability.

Any thoughts?

[amicus curiae]

The annoying thing is that unit will upgrade if you hit upgrade all button. If you build red cross and other exp upgrades then you could probably build a pretty good MASH explorer unit.

[khearn]

I almost never use the upgrade all function, so that wouldn't be a problem for me. I seldom have enough cash on hand to do mass upgrades.

[Jaybe]

Upgrade All upgrades all available unit types to that unit, so it is not of mainstream use. Yes, I like to have the weakest unit in a stack be my medic (or medic II), but NO WAY would I want it to be a warrior if I am running with rifles, infantry or mech infantry (not that you necessarily meant it that way).

The medic should be strong, but everyone else would preferably be stronger. If bombardment units are weaker, so be it.

[Skanky Burns]

Can you put a medic upgrade on a scout? I can get scouts upgraded with two promotions easy enough but I don't recall being able to make them medics.

[Enigma_Nova]

Everything but Armor and Helicopters, Skanky.

[JohnUghrin]

Originally posted by amicus curiae
The annoying thing is that unit will upgrade if you hit upgrade all button. If you build red cross and other exp upgrades then you could probably build a pretty good MASH explorer unit.

Where the heck is the "upgrade all" button? I've been trying to figure out how to do that.

[DeepO]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
Everything but Armor and Helicopters, Skanky.

And medic mounted units like cavs upgrade to medic helicopters, even if they can't get the medic promotion from new XP.

DeepO

[Jaybe]

Originally posted by JohnUghrin
Where the heck is the "upgrade all" button? I've been trying to figure out how to do that.

When you mouse-over the upgrade icon, there is a tool-tip at the lower-left of the map. Read it!

(BTW, is says "< Alt > for all units" as I recall).
If you press the Alt key BEFORE you hover over the upgrade icon, it will let you know how much gold it will require. You probably haven't got that much, particularly in mid-to-late game. You can do it anyway, but from what I have read, it will upgrade first from your capital, and outward from there.

I have personally very rarely used it, especially for melee/gunpowder unit upgrades, since there are so many that qualify.

[Yuufo]

Of course scouts can get Medic promotion, and it is quite easy.
Either find a goodie hut that gives you 5 EXP, or build one in a barracks city and get attacked by an animal (survive ). Promotions are Combat I and Medic.

[Diadem]

Late game you can juist build an explorer with a city that has red cross and barracks. Throw in vassalage or theocracy and you have medic II on your explorer.

Too easy, really

[JohnUghrin]

Originally posted by Jaybe

When you mouse-over the upgrade icon, there is a tool-tip at the lower-left of the map. Read it!

(BTW, is says "< Alt > for all units" as I recall).
If you press the Alt key BEFORE you hover over the upgrade icon, it will let you know how much gold it will require. You probably haven't got that much, particularly in mid-to-late game. You can do it anyway, but from what I have read, it will upgrade first from your capital, and outward from there.

I have personally very rarely used it, especially for melee/gunpowder unit upgrades, since there are so many that qualify.

Oh, Yeah, I know about that one. But that only works for the units in that square, doesn't it?

...maybe it worked, but I just didn't notice it from running out of money.

[bonscott]

I use combat medics all the time. I have at least one in each stack as it's almost required to get your bombards healed back up to attack the next city.

I'll typically have an axeman/maceman as my medics. And I'll use them to mop up in attacks so they can keep getting promoted and get the medic 2 promotion. I had one maceman that had Combat 1-4 and medic 1-2. He was awesome.

I'll also try to have a mounted unit in each stack have at least medic 1 because they are very usefull to keep up with a fast stack if you need to split your stack up or to stay in the city to heal units while your main force moves ahead and then it can catch up.

I'll upgrade my medics but will usually keep them one type behind (upgrade to Rifle if I'm about to get tech to get Marines or Infantry).

Another reason why I love the combat in Civ 4 and the various strats you can use with the promotions.

[bonscott]

Originally posted by JohnUghrin


Oh, Yeah, I know about that one. But that only works for the units in that square, doesn't it?

...maybe it worked, but I just didn't notice it from running out of money.

Yep, using the ALT will upgrade all units of that type anywhere within your culture (assuming you have the money). They do *not* have to be in a city with a barracks or city period. I have done that several times in games. Kinda cool to upgrade your cavs to gunships and the ones near the front lines upgrade as well (so long as they are in your culture borders).

[Stuie]

Originally posted by DeepO

And medic mounted units like cavs upgrade to medic helicopters, even if they can't get the medic promotion from new XP.

DeepO

One of my favorite units! Get as many medic promotions as possible on a Cav unit, then upgrade to Helicopter. Now THAT is a MASH unit.