What Units DON'T You Build?

[Garth Vader]

Originally posted by Bkeela


Axes and swords are fine for the first couple of wars, but I can't imagine just using Riflemen and Grenadiers to wage later wars. Calvary are decisive in my opinion.

I only use a handful of Calvary for their mobility. Riflemen and cannon are awesome.

[Ming]

Grenaders and Cannons is even better

But Calvary is great if you get them fast enough. If all they have is longbowman, you don't even need to take down city walls. You can just waltz right through the opposition with stacks of just Calvary.

[Diadem]

I find it very interesting how the OP mentions all the best early units in the game as 'never build them'.

I mean sure you don't have to build them in SP. You can defend with just axes and spears. And you don't even need many of those. You can attack reasonably effectively with swords and axes. Sure.

But you're making things needlessly difficult for yourself. The speed of mounted units has major advantages. You can steal workers, pick off individual units, hit their SoD and retreat so they can't retaliate, etc. And if you want you can do a much faster attack giving them less time to draft / slave units.

And catapults and Eles? They are just awesome! Sure you don't *need* them in an offence against the AI, at least not on lower difficulties, but they sure make things a lot easier! Elephants are much more effective than swords in attack, and have a longer life to boot. And catapults can reduce your losses by a lot.


And all of this is only true for SP. Try to ignore those units in multiplayer and you're dead. In multiplayer you really need combined arms, you need those mounted units for their speed. And every single game people beeline for construction for a reason...

Explorers even have a use in multiplayer. At later starts you start with one or two of them, and they are good or reasonable (depending on what age exactly you start) defenders. Quite suitable to keep a forested hill in enemy territory occupied

[Eomer]

I usually pass up Crossbows, Pikeman, MAceman, Rifleman, and Infantry. I only use them if I am going to wage a war and they would be the "state of the art" units.. For the first three I aim for Musketmen and for hte later I worry more about getting Marines and Tanks. though I like Infantry with defensive promotions becuase I can upgrade them to Mechanized Infantry. Oh, and I ignore Cannons- go striaght from catapults to artillery.

On the other hand I always have tons of Musketmen, Marines, Machine Guns (which i dont upgrade) and Tanks! Those are my four favorite units.

[Garth Vader]

Originally posted by Ming
Grenaders and Cannons is even better

But Calvary is great if you get them fast enough. If all they have is longbowman, you don't even need to take down city walls. You can just waltz right through the opposition with stacks of just Calvary.

I try to rush to rifling so I get it before the AI. Against anything but Grenaders Rifles are better. Cav lose too often to pikes and elephants for my tastes.

[prelynmax]

Originally posted by Diadem
...And all of this is only true for SP. Try to ignore those units in multiplayer and you're dead. In multiplayer you really need combined arms, you need those mounted units for their speed. And every single game people beeline for construction for a reason...

Explorers even have a use in multiplayer. At later starts you start with one or two of them, and they are good or reasonable (depending on what age exactly you start) defenders. Quite suitable to keep a forested hill in enemy territory occupied

I'm positive the OP has never played a multiplayer game in his life. You do need mounted arms for speed. Without a massive navy, mounted arms, or archers for defense, you're dead meat against those of equal (in his case, I think his post was the most newbish commnet I've ever seen, so I doubt no one can be this pathetic) or great skill than he is. You have made some valuable points and should be looked by the OP.

[snoopy369]

I've only once build a massive navy in MP, and I do just fine The mounted portion certainly stands, though.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by prelynmax


I'm positive the OP has never played a multiplayer game in his life. You do need mounted arms for speed. Without a massive navy, mounted arms, or archers for defense, you're dead meat against those of equal (in his case, I think his post was the most newbish commnet I've ever seen, so I doubt no one can be this pathetic) or great skill than he is. You have made some valuable points and should be looked by the OP.

This is a newbish comment.

Just because he doesn't play MP, he's pathetic?

EoN?

ACK!

[snoopy369]

Not unless he moved cross country

[snoopy369]

I would add, though, that belittling posters as noobs is unacceptable, regardless of one's identity; please critique strategy, as that is beneficial and interesting (and why we're all here), but leave aside the insults.

[Tuberski]

I never built trebuchets because I couldn't see the difference between them and catapults, never saw the +100% city attack.

In the OP, he says that one of the elephants disadvantages is that it's slow. But, he use 1 move units anyway. The cost is not a disadvantage either. Only problem I see with them is lack of ivory.

ACK!

[prelynmax]

Originally posted by Tuberski


This is a newbish comment.

Just because he doesn't play MP, he's pathetic?

EoN?

ACK!

No.
I'm saying he's making desisions that would normally get his civilzation doomed had he played in multiplayer.

By calling me a newbie, you just revealed your own true skill.

[Diadem]

Not everybody plays multiplayer. To each his own.

The relationship between SP and MP is interesting. They are different animals, but still playing (and learning) a lot of SP will increase your MP skill, and the other way around.

I still wonder if teamgames, for example, can 't be played differently. People invariably go for BW first, then archery and AH, then IW, then they religions and oracle, etc. I guess it's nice to have a fixed order because it redudes the time spent thinking on techs (and you really don't have much time to think). But still.

I sometimes feel a bit more creativity would be nice

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by prelynmax


No.
I'm saying he's making desisions that would normally get his civilzation doomed had he played in multiplayer.

By calling me a newbie, you just revealed your own true skill.

I was right, EoN.

ACK!

[snoopy369]

Cut the personal crap, now...