Three-man Chariot = Godly UU

[barbeerhj]

I have played a few games with the Hittite nation for the first time since I got the new Conquests expansion. Looking at them, I assumed they wern't that special, so I decided not to give them a run.

But, one game, using random for my civ, I was given them. After looking them up in the civilopedia, I was shocked to see their UU. It was a chariot, but one with a 2 attack and 2 defence. I thought to myself, "Sheesh, a horseman availble almost at the same spearman come out."

I then played the game and dominated the AI on monarch level with the Hittite's UU. It was an easy win, the nation next door, the Inca, could not even begine to counter my UU with the normal archer counter-attacks that doom most archer rushes. I was even able to capture a few cities that only had warriors in them.

After consuming the Inca's technology and territory, I set my sights on the Romans. Even they we caught unprepared. I took out their Iron roads with my fast raiding chariots. Capture quite a few workers before they could run back to the city. And destroyed most of their attempts to colonize their surrounding area.

The point is that the Hittite UU is a very powerful and versatile unit. Having an 2 attack rating, it can capture cities and counter-attack archers sent out to engage it. Also, its 2 defence can help it hold its ground against an archer sent to defeat it, much unlike horsemen and your own archers.

But, the main strenght in the UU is it's speed and its availability. You can start making your chariots almost at the start of the game. Since the Hittites are expansionist, you can scout for horse and find "the wheel" technology extremly quickly. Also, it is availible to you almost at the same time archers and spearman are being made. Thus you will have a head start in many cases against the defenders. Also, while it takes 3 technologies to begine making horsemen, it takes only one to start making your UU.

Since it is a "fast" unit, it can survive a lot more battles then a normal archer ever could. Also, this makes it a great pillaging and worker raiding unit.

There are a few cons to this UU. One of which is that it can not move on mountains, volcanoes, marshes, and jungles. Also, it cost 30 shields to make. Much more then an archer, but the same as it would for a horseman.

-Ron

[GePap]

I have never found the hittites to be particulalry powerful-they do have to strike fast though becuase by the time we get to iron, swordmen have the advantage in mass.

[barbeerhj]

Perhaps so...

But, if you play them right, the other civ won't get the chance to use their Iron to make swordsmans. Unless they either settle a settle a city right on it and fortify it with a mess of archers and spearman.

Also, just getting swordsman does not assure you victory against their UU. A swordman has a 3/2/1, meaning that any counter attack is open to debate on who will be most likely to win.

In addition, getting iron is relatively easy to do. But, defending it and securing it can be very costly and painful to do. Lets assume that you have a mountain 4 tiles way from your city you want to make swordsman from. You make the road and the colony if it's not in your territory. Now you have to defend not only the iron sorce, but the road leading to the mountain with at least 1 or 2 spearman on the road. This will be very costly gold wise and production wise.

If you don't, then the Hittite player is going to simply pillage a section of the road, and you can't repair it until the UU is driven away or destroyed by an archer. This is because the chariot has a 2 attack value, and there is a good possibility that the chariot might win, even more if they are veterans and the player has multiple ones.

Although, you would not likely see this type of strategy from an AI player, or at least I havn't. But I have used this technique on many humans, and they can't support such a large garrison on their iron source and road leading to a city.

Also, one might get lucky and it appears 2 tiles away, but that rarely if ever happens to me

-ron

[GePap]

Well, you have to figure the opposition:

The Zulu counteract the chance for retreat
The Greeks and Carthage have strong defenders
The celts , if they secure Iron, have a mighty 3/2/2 UU.
The iriquois get attack 3 for their horsemen.
The Maya and Babylonians both have 2/2/1 UU's to use for attack and defense without needing a resource like the Hittites

The point is no unit or set of traits is omnipotent.

[barbeerhj]

Indeed, you are correct

I think, that in these type of problems, you should utilize the UU to what it really did in history: a raider.

In reallity, the Hittites used their chariots as a way to raid the Babylonian empire. They did most of their fighting with infantry armed with iron made weapons.

In fact, I think that the Hittites should have had a scientific trait. This is because they were one of the first societies to use iron-made weapons and be able to cast iron affectively.

-ron

[Dis]

you still need roads to get thru jungle though right?

personally, I don't like the road limtations .

[barbeerhj]

Indeed, dealing with jungles can be a very annoying barrier.

But, I find it rare that jungle prevents me from attacking an enemies city. Also, if they have their cities in jungles, then they arn't going to be much of a challange later

Playing on temperate climate and moderate temperature, I rarely find dense jungles. Perhaps, I should make the world wetter and hotter, then that might make a big amazon rain forest.

-ron

[Kuciwalker]

Meh, it's OK. I prefer Immortals or Sipahi (or especially Dromons )

[player1]

Originally posted by GePap
Well, you have to figure the opposition:

The Zulu counteract the chance for retreat
The Greeks and Carthage have strong defenders
The celts , if they secure Iron, have a mighty 3/2/2 UU.
The iriquois get attack 3 for their horsemen.
The Maya and Babylonians both have 2/2/1 UU's to use for attack and defense without needing a resource like the Hittites

The point is no unit or set of traits is omnipotent.

You forgot to add Romans into the list.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Remember the fact that your GA will be triggered whilst you are small and in Despotism if you use them from the start. This can be a big disadvantage, particularly against human players, who like to make their GAs count.

[player1]

Well, early GA doesn't need to be bad.
If you play it smart, you can use it to get good amount of land to make up for loss of better golden age later.


P.S.
On the other hand peace-triggered Despot GA is always a waste.

[The Mad Monk]

What I want to know is, why did Governor Dean imitate their battle cry at that primary?

[gunkulator]

Originally posted by player1


You forgot to add Romans into the list.

not to mention the Persians.

[barbeerhj]

What does "Governor Dean" have to do with the Hittite UU?

[The Mad Monk]

Next time a three man chariot fights, listen to the sound it makes -- then you tell me.