Creating Great Leaders

[mimi]

I usually get 1 GL the whole game (but I'm a pretty peaceful player)... playing a current game with the French for the first time and I have had 9 GL so far. All were generated by horse/knights/calvary...

I'm kicking bottom this game and this is the only reason why - hard to lose when you use the first for an army and the other 8 for Wonders. Even built Leonardos which I never build 'cause I had a spare leader and thought I might get another later when I needed him for ToE (which, of course, I did - and one for Hoover too!).

Now if it wasn't so time consuming to ship forces to nearest rude continent (Celts/Russians warring with me) I'd have cleared up long before now...

[nuther]

I am begining to rethink my Leader Fishing strategy. I really belives in getting the Leader/Army/Heroic Epic triad as soon as possible. I think is is as very important, along with rexing and tech trading. So, I am going to go back to the sword rush and forget about horses until knights come around. I'll see if that works better.

[Grim Legacy]

Originally posted by Stuie


Actually, they were all killed. It was the AI's turn, and I had foolishly left a bunch of elites alone in the open (as in, they were not stacked together). I lost six or seven elite units, with three of them generating GL's before their demise. It was a sad sight.

LOL ok that's a great alternative method to secure multiple leaders in one turn.

[Mountain Sage]

You can always try fanes7 way of generating 6 GL with 5 units...

[Mad Bomber]

Originally posted by Mountain Sage
You can always try fanes7 way of generating 6 GL with 5 units...

Nuther: I am also a BIG believer in the "holy trinity" (leader/army/HE). Although Arrian seems to have success without t, I believe it is still the best way to go for generating leaders (oops didn't see that Army for leader #2 ).

Thesus: I agree with you about the use of slow movers, but you forgot to mention one of the most important points---Bombardment units are very useful for generating GL's. Taking off just one or two HP's on your target will lead to a longer life for your elites, also make sure you protect them with defensive units. A stack with 10 Slowmovers , 5 bombardment (use catapults only on defense or in open ground) , 5 defenders, and a couple elites will lead you to at least one or two leaders.


Protect your elites, use defenders to protect them, send them back to heal, the AI loves to attack unprotected elites. The longer the elite is alive (and fighting) the better your chances for a GL.

Unless you do not have many elites; upgrade them when possible. a vet Cav is much better overall than a elite horse. When it becomes impractical to attack with an elite (horse/pike; knight/rifle; cav/inf) it is time to think about doing something else with the unit (upgrade or disband is prefered)

[Arrian]

The HE is a luxury. If I feel I can afford it, I will build an army and then build the HE. But if my options are Pyramids or Army, it's Pyramids every time. If it's Palace move/FP rush or Army, again, the Palace move is much more important.

Where it gets tricky is getting a leader after the Pyramids are built, but before you're in position to move your Palace/rush the FP. Do you hold the leader until you fight your way to the appropriate city, or do you build an army, and hope for another leader for the palace move? In that situation, I take stock of 3 things:

1) How many elite units do I currently have?
2) Am I militaristic (how many more elites will I likely get)?
3) How much more fighting will I be doing between now and when I will be ready for that palace move?

If I'm playing a militaristic civ, have a bunch of elites, and have a long list of targets, I'll build the army. Otherwise, I'll hang on to the leader, hold my elites out of battle, and march straight for the city I want my Palace in.

-Arrian

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by Arrian
8) cavalry. Leader used on Universal Suffrage.

My legionaries have fought approximately 5 offensive battles in that game.

-Arrian

Hmmmmm, after your Legionaries finished Universal Suffrage, did they request a budget increase for weapons development?

"Sire, I realize times are tough but could you possibly see to utilizing one of these new factories of the Industrial Age to manufacture something a little more lethal than our leather armor and gladius swords?"

[Arrian]

Unless you do not have many elites; upgrade them when possible. a vet Cav is much better overall than a elite horse. When it becomes impractical to attack with an elite (horse/pike; knight/rifle; cav/inf) it is time to think about doing something else with the unit (upgrade or disband is prefered)

Heh, speaking of luxuries, I hang on to those elites. Even if I'm fighting with Industrial Age units against a relatively advantaced foe, you better believe they will trot out some longbowmen and/or medieval infantry (defense 1, defense 2). Elite horsies can kill those units, especially if I've pounded them to 1hp with arty (which I do). I've gotten a lot of GLs that way (mmm, instaHoover).

If I was in a difficult fight (playing on Emperor instead of Monarch, let's say), it's different. Not that the AI doesn't still bring those longbowmen and med infs to the party, but they have more of the good units and I will need all the Cav I can get.

-Arrian

[nuther]

@GhengisFarb: Your point is well taken. Ironically enough, the gladius is one of the deadliest weapons in the whole history of mankind. In a certain respect, there are very few things more lethal.

@arrian: Just curious, what level do you pay at?

[Arrian]

Monarch, nuther, with occasional forays up to Emperor.

GF - Well, when the legionary generated its leader, I didn't yet have replaceable parts, so the only upgrade possibility would have been med infs. I had some of those. I had plenty of hitting power, since I had cavalry. The legionaries were helping my muskets with stack defense. I was invading Greece, and their best attack units were med infs/longbows. Thus the legionaries weren't obselete.

Later, when I got replaceable parts, I still didn't upgrade the legionaries. Legionaries look much cooler than guerillas, and I had no need for more firepower anyway. I had a bunch of infantry & cavalry. The legionaries were just hanging around at that point, just looking cool.

-Arrian

[Grim Legacy]

Originally posted by Arrian
The legionaries were just hanging around at that point, just looking cool.

-Arrian

Hehe to me that seems to be "looking cool, costing money".

[Arrian]

True, but since I was playing on Monarch, had control of 90% of a 5-civ continent (and control of another 1-civ island for its luxury), and had good palace/fp placement, money wasn't a concern.

-Arrian

[nuther]

Someday I will play a game as Rome and try to conquer the world with just Legions for troops. I will still use arty though, but not knights, cav, tanks, etc. But, then again, it might just become an exercise in tedium.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by Arrian
The legionaries were just hanging around at that point, just looking cool.

-Arrian

Arrian and his civ of male model Legionaries.....

[Shogun Gunner]

Originally posted by GhengisFarb

Arrian and his civ of male model Legionaries.....

Great, I'll try not to remember that....