The Cossack: The Russian Panzer

[barbeerhj]

I was reading up on the three cavalry units shown on the Military Tradition advance, and I happened to click on the Cossack for no reason but to appease my curiosity about it's history.

After doing so, I was shocked to see "can attack multiple times" as one of its militaric traits. This instantly got me wondering, blitz on a 3 movement unit.....sounds like the panzer. With this, I started to wonder why I havn't saw this sooner, surely such a powerful advantage in the late Middle and early Industrial age would be more flambouyant in nature.

Consider the following, can counter-attack enemy units THREE times with one unit, assuming it is right by them and it survives with decent HP. Also, this could mean a powerful and stunning offensive push against a foe who does not have musketmen yet, or even pikemen if he was that unlucky.

In addition, this blitz could all you to "hit, run, hit" against enemy workers and terrain improvements. All of this makes me consider picking the Russians next game just to try out those blitzing cavalry charges.

I remember the unit being ranted upon as being the most unuseful UU in the game, having a 4 defence instead of the normal 3. In fact, when I was still a newbie, I remember Arrian saying "the unit really is not that special compared to other nation's cavalry", perhaps now it is.

-Ron

[Solomwi]

Yep, they juiced it up a bit in C3C, removing the extra defense and adding blitz, but also jacked up the cost to 90 shileds, which disappoints me. As a general rule, I disagree with UUs being more expensive than their base units. While I can see the logic behind it for, say, the Numidian Merc (boost on two fronts), the Cossack doesn't fall into that category, as it has the exact same stats as Cav, with blitz being the only benefit.

Earlier this week in my current game, I got my first view of the new cossack, and had much the same thought process you did. Can we say leader farming?

[barbeerhj]

What ?

Leader farming?!

90 sheilds? Maybe 80 would have been in order, but +20 seems a bit too much.

Yea, I'm going to play the russians soon, I want to decapitate some heads with 3 attacks in one turn!

Seems like the best thing to do for their UU. I mean, if you think about it, you are probably going to get a golden age, thus you are going to be able to PUMP them out with a fury and really begine some AI rapage.

And that UU abillity really seems like a good go for Russia.its enough to turn heads for an "I-WANT-TO-CONQUER-THE-WORLD-NOW!!!" Cavalry player at the late middle and early indy ages.

[joncnunn]

If you like the Cossack, you'll love the Ottoman version!

There's two especally good times to use them:

1. Against an AI that doesn't have Gunpower (or has Gunpower but not saltpeter.) This is much more likely on lower difficulty levels. In this case, you simply put them in a stack, and the defensive units your bringing are simply going to garision the newly conquered cities.

2. Once you also have Nationalism but while the AI is still finishing up the middle ages. Much more likely on higher difficulty levels. In this case, it's generally needed to bring some Riflemen to the front to defend them.

If your oppoent has Nationalism, if you want to keep up the conquer the world, bombardment units are needed. Artillery is better, but not if you'd have to face Inf.

[barbeerhj]

Joncnunn

The Ottman Sipahi is a very obviouse UU to use. Everyone has known about the very powerful offensive attack it had, being an eight compared to Rifleman's 6.

The point i was getting at though it that the Russian Cossack has always been an ingored UU, because of it's lack luster traits. But, i wanted to point them out for other people to investigate and use on their own.

Also, I do not think it was needed to display the uses of Cavalry in general, as most players know what they can and cannot do. But, thank you for reillustrating them for any rookie player who might happen to see this.

-Ron

[Solomwi]

Ron, normal cav is 80 shields, so the Coassack is only +10.

[barbeerhj]

Solomwi

Yes, I noticed that and I was going to post my correction later. But, I never got to it

On a different subject, perhaps they should make the Viking UU cost 80 shields instead of 70. This is because it gets the same damage as a Cavalry, and is avaible much, much sooner.

-Ron

[player1]

Well, longbow does same damage as Knight?
Should it also cost 70 shields like Knight?

Slow speed kills.

[Apocalypse]

Meh, the pairity is good enough already.

[barbeerhj]

Player1

The knight also has 3 defence, a massive improvement over the 1 defence offered by the longbowmen.

Speed is over-rated if you ask me. It is going to do little to take out enemy positions other then being able to retreat from battle. Also, the main advantage of speed early on is that it lowers the amount of time the enemy can reinforce his position, neglegated very much after RRs.

Also, the knight as a unit itself cost the exact amount that a Mid Inf./Longbowmen + Pikeman would cost, thus, you are paying more for a unit that is more versatile.

The case with the Viking UU is that you have cavalry at Invention, giving you a massive offensive edge on land, and an extremely powerful edge on ocean maps. I mean, why not make it more expensive, you basically have an axe that is equal offensively to Cavalry, and needs no natural resources.

-Ron

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by player1
Well, longbow does same damage as Knight?
Should it also cost 70 shields like Knight?

Slow speed kills.

The Berzerker is an amphibious unit; slow speed doesn't matter there.

[barbeerhj]

Kuciwalker

Very good point. On ocean maps, you can kiss your costal cities good-by against the Vikings.

So, as you have pointed out, you now have a 3 (via galley) movement unit that is immune to counter-attack and has a 6 attack value, sounds a bit over powered to me.

Though, one could argue that you should simply attack with your own galley. But, I have seen the horrible battles of galley v. galley engagements.

-Ron

[barbeerhj]

Sorry for the mistake

I was incorrect on the movement with galleys. Since the Vikings are a nation with the Seafaring trait, their galleys have a speed of 4.

-Ron

[Kuciwalker]

So, as you have pointed out, you now have a 3 (via galley) movement unit that is immune to counter-attack and has a 6 attack value, sounds a bit over powered to me.

Even worse, because you could have Caravels. But it is tempered by the fact that it's largerly limited to a particular situation.

[barbeerhj]

Kuciwalker

Indeed, Caravels could really ruin your day if the Viking have them.

The only two nations that could really counter Beserker landings are the Byzantines and the English much, much later on.

I mean, there is no real good way to stop the Vikings on ocean maps, they are going to own you. Well, maybe on Multiplayer if you arn't using them. I don't think the AI can really use that civ the way they should.

-Ron