Worthless unit

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It sounds like what's "useless" depends on your playing style. For me, as a peace-loving democratic leader, many war-making units are useless -- in that I won't use them. I even -- here comes heresy -- prefer destroyers to ironclads, because I'm rarely at war at that point in the game but I am exploring; EST's point about destroyers and the fog of war is a good one.

That being said, my nominee for useless unit is the partisan (useless to build, of course; I love the NON partisan). By the time you get it, you should be able to build stronger offensive units, stronger defensive units, and negotiate zones of control in other ways. The one circumstance in which it could be useful seems so specific (trying to move through a mountain range filled with other civs' units) that it hardly seems to qualify an a use. In second place is the legion, for much the same reason: everything it can do, another contemporary unit can do better.

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Dig trenches, with our men being killed off like flies? There isn't time to dig trenches. We'll have to buy them ready made. Here, run out and get some trenches.
-- Rufus T. Firefly, the original rush-builder

[Laertes]

But the AI loves destroyers. 5 mins after the tech is available, at least one civ will develop swarms of destroyers and you have to spend ages watching them move around in circles. And then they all stack up waiting for one good hit from a battleship "6 units destroyed" Har har har

[East Street Trader]

I agree about chariots. The extra cost over horsemen just doesn't buy anything worth having. In general I don't build legions either (but, yes, I too bribe barb ones). But I sometimes rush one when a gang of barbs with a leader in tow turn up. If you can confront them somewhere where there is a good defensive square you may get the chance to use the legion to kill the free barb unit and then successfully defend against the one accompanying his chief. Meanwhile your horse hovers on the fringe of the battle to pick off the leader as he retreats.

Even if your legion is unlucky and loses he is virtually certain to leave the barb accompanying the chief well in the red so you can safely allow another unit to be attacked and then pick the chief as before. If you keep the legion this represents a healthy profit and if you don't, 150 gold still leaves you ahead (and secure).

I'll also build a couple of legions when I find one of the warlike civs is a close neighbour and I don't manage to pen them in successfully. All out early attack is sometimes then the only game in town. The combination of legion, catapult and settler is effective when the enemy is close at hand.

I must see if I can profit from the comments made on helicopters.

Start using an explorer to tip huts with and I predict you'll subsequently build one early in every game with a sizeable map.

Couldn't get by without triremes. It's nice when caravels come along but that's a longish wait. And the early trireme is very likely to continue serviceable - in a ship chain or linking continents across narrow straights - even without Leo's.

[towigg]

Are Fanatics good for anything? I have never built one (although I have gotten one or two when bribing a city) and they seem kind of weak compared to armour and marines. My tanks just roll over them with no problem at all. Even my Cavalry handles them with no problem.

[Juggler]

Partizans just slow down my advances when they condense round the city I just conquered. But the same thing happens when somebody takes my city so they are really not so bad. Because of their historical importance they have to be in the game.

[towigg]

I usually don't build catapults or cannon, unless the AI has built railroads to the city gates. Then I can move them to the city walls and attack in the same turn. Otherwise, they have to sit out there one turn and most likely get killed by the city's defenders. By the time I can get artillery, the AI has built some RRs and I can start blasting away at their cities.
[This message has been edited by towigg (edited May 02, 2001).]

[drake]

quote: Are Fanatics good for anything? I have never built one (although I have gotten one or two when bribing a city) and they seem kind of weak compared to armour and marines

Close to useless in their era usually. They are great if you're on a budget and need some quick defense for your cities though...........in a walled city they provide reasonable defense, though they certainly won't hold out against any of the powerhouse offensive units.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I have never found a satisfactory use for Marines. I have never encountered a city on a single square which could not be attacked very effectively with air units or simply nuked to allow a Paratrooper to drop in.

[towigg]

quote: Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia on 05-02-2001 03:44 PM I have never found a satisfactory use for Marines.

Marines have both good offense and defense, and I use them for defense before I get Mobile Infantry. They can sit inside a city (or fortress) and take punishment, and if there are enemies at the gate, then counterattack from within the city or fortress. Plus the animation in ToT and assault rifle noise is pretty cool when Marines attack.

[towigg]

Does anyone build cruise missiles? Even if they destroy the target, they are gone, and are expensive to build. I have had vet battleships withstand attacks by 6 or 7 cruise missiles from the AI. Even if the AI sunk the Battleship this way, I have made the AI waste a lot of resources just to sink my one Battleship. And all of my Battleships are vets, since I build them only in cities with Port Facilities.

[Deity Dude]

Marines, explorers, frigates - totally useless
Chariots, legions - almost totally useless

[DrFell]

The AI cheats and gets infinite free cruise missiles. Watch the AI get those cruise missiles as soon as it discovery rocketry, too. Best tested out on the ww2 scenario plsying as Allies.

Lot's of units like archers and even horsemen I never used to build or use, but now playing 2x2x duels all the time building horses ealry on is the only way to go, and I ususally get a few archers from huts which I can use to good effect against my opponent . Even explorers can be useful in certain situations, to pressure your opponent into defending his cities. I usually never build archers, chariots, legions, but they're nice to get out of huts. I find marines, partisans, frigates to be useless units, although not in mp cos I've never got that far

[Mixam]

I have not found any unit that is useless in this game. There is always a circumstance in which i have used one or another. A few of the units may only be useful for stepwise rush building, but at one time or another I have built all the units. The one I probably build the least is the cruise missile though with fighter in a close second.

[ColdWizard]

to me fanatics are the least useful, i very rarely build any at all. i'll build other units with better offense or defense instead.

as for cruise missiles, i'll build and use them in certain scenarios to soften up well-defended cities that my howies can't get to yet.

[airdrik]

I like the peaceful style as well. On my list are some things like horses, chariots, (elephants make a good active defence) crusaders, knights, dragoons, caravels, frigates, gallions (I usually only build trimemes and have them explore the world, not worrying about upgrading them if I don't have Leo's), cruisers, destroyers (I just wait until battleship and build those), fighters, anything stealth, helicopters, paratroopers (I never get that far), partisans (though I keep them if someone takes one of my cities and I take it back), catapults, cannons, and... < scratches head >, I think that is about it, though I sometimes build one or two of some in any given game depending on the situation.

Also, warriors and horsemen are nice for incremental rush-buy.