I don't take advantage of promotion options...

[rah]

I thought most mounted units were immune to first strike.

[Blaupanzer]

Most mounted units are immune to first strikes. This "benefit" must be useful for some units, one would think. Perhaps elephants or chariots?

[rah]

ELEs probably, in the reference thread it lists chariots as immune also but I don't remember that.

[Theben]

Oddly enough Cavalry aren't immune to 1st strikes.

[rah]

That's what the doc said, but I was wondering if there was a mistake there.

[slnz]

Cavalry is indeed the unit that benefits from Flanking II the most (though Cataphracts are a close contender). For added fun make a Cavalry general with Tactics and enjoy the 90% withdrawal rate

[Theben]

Or just give Flanking II to an attack sub and enjoy the 80% withdrawal rate.

[Steve Clark]

I do not worry about Drill IV Crossbows (or similar units) because those Crossbows should be Riflemen by the time you have enough XP for such promotions. I very much rather concentrate on upgrading older units to more advance units than to determine how I can squeeze more bonuses out of something inferior.

[Theben]

Native American crossbows + barracks + totem pole + Vassalage + Theocracy= Drill IV crossbows out of the gates. They can be a lot of fun to have when everyone else is still running around with Swords and axes and regular archers.

Later in the game when you've gotten West Point and a couple of instructors you'll have a couple of cities still building Drill IV rifles & infantry.

[wodan11]

I do not worry about Drill IV Crossbows (or similar units) because those Crossbows should be Riflemen by the time you have enough XP for such promotions. I very much rather concentrate on upgrading older units to more advance units than to determine how I can squeeze more bonuses out of something inferior.

Theben pointed out one way, but there's an even easier one.

Xbow time, it's often necessary to have a force of cats/trebs to take down city walls. With collateral, your Xbows don't need combat promotions to win handily, and that XP isn't necessary to squeeze out of a turnip at all... it falls in your lap.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

This is a very cool discussion, and has had an impact on my latest game. Thanks all. One more question: do I understand correctly that people prefer to convert a Great General to a Warlord using a single unit, rather than a stack? I've been having the GG spread his points throughout my SoD, but it sounds like you guys are giving all his points to just one unit. Is that right?

[Theben]

AFAIK most people just use the general on one unit. Aside from the obvious, this will most likely give you a high enough level unit to be able to build West Point later in the game (for non-Charismatic civs, that's a unit with 26+ xp, so use a 6+ xp with the GG).

However 1 time I split the xp between 2 units and gave 1 unit Woods III and the GG unit Medic III, since I already had a high enough level unit but not enough healers for my SoD. Since each unit only needed 3 promos (medic unit was protective infantry) the split xp was just enough to get me what I needed.

[rah]

Yeah, usually all to one unit with very few exceptions. I do remember just once using it on a stack in a city being attacked to get a few promotions for extra healing to hold the city one more turn to get the reinforcements there. But that type of poor planing is rare in my games.

[wodan11]

Generally the 20xp to the one unit means an extra ~2 promotions to the warlord which may be the difference between him dying in battle or surviving. Your warlord is at his weakest when you first create him, so that XP may be critical. Of course, when you create him you don't know whether it'll matter. Given that the alternative is usually a very minor benefit at best, I almost always go out of my way to give all 20 to the warlord.

[Blaupanzer]

Rah, GG as "Great Healer" is very innovative, even if the need for that shows poor planning. I'll keep that in mind.

SAnyone know how the programming determines in which city the GG originates? Seems quite random to me, although it is seldom in the newest cities.