Biggest strategy changes due to Warlords

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by ben04
I haven't played Ragar yet but his Beserker unit looks good. Those 10% vs cities plus the Combat 1 you get Ragar's traits look good. Just like a free additional City Raider IV

I haven't played Ragnar through a game yet either but to me Berserkers look OK if you treat them as Macemen with a bit extra on city attack. The amphibious capability doesn't look so good as you only have galleys (limited to coastal waters and vulnerable to triremes) to transport them and no naval or air bombardment units to reduce the city defences to zero before the Berserks go in.

Having said that Berserks upgrade to Riflemen or Grenadiers and retain the amphibious promotion. With enough such units, galleons to transport them across oceans and frigates as escorts and for bombardment Ragnar can field an amphibious force with global reach long before anyone else has thought of Industrialism and Marines.

[Blaupanzer]

Originally posted by gdgrimm
Blaupanzer, do you use Drill heavily in general now? Or just when Protective?

I certainly use it heavily when playing Protective trait, but I haven't really used it anymore for general civs.

Ditto. But the drill upgrades carry over to the riflemen upgrades where the protection from collateral damage makes a big difference. But yes, only when drill I is free, do I bother to push on for drill III or IV.

Longbowmen with 2 first strikes are kind of a poor man's Samurai.

[psiekier]

Originally posted by CerberusIV I haven't played Ragnar through a game yet either but to me Berserkers look OK if you treat them as Macemen with a bit extra on city attack. The amphibious capability doesn't look so good as you only have galleys (limited to coastal waters and vulnerable to triremes) to transport them and no naval or air bombardment units to reduce the city defences to zero before the Berserks go in.

Doesn't "Amphibious" also negate the 25% penalty for attacking an enemy unit on the other side of a river? That's gotta be worth something for free!

I found that the biggest change to my style of play is that I'm picking "Protective" leaders. Right now, I'm the Arabs, and man, I love cranking out Riflemen that get City Garrison and Drill for free.

Since I'm also "Spiritual", I can switch my Civics to "Theocracy" and "Vassalage" as I gear up for war without enduring a turn of Anarchy; couple this with a barracks and a Military Instructor and I'm ready to dish out some hurt after only a single field promotion!

[ben04]

I don't know if you can't build a strategy around amphibious. It might be easier to gain the control of the sea than of the land. Especially in multiplayer games where humains often totally neglect their sea forces.

Take the cities with beserkers and then move in on the same turn with city defender longbows.

However the lack of an early sea bombarding unit makes city taking rather though. AFAIK catapults on ships don't work.

Also the strategy would depend a lot on the situation. However on the common continents map it should most often work as there are a lot of costal cities normally.