Post by hauptman on Nov 11, 2005 17:32:26 GMT -5
As I was playing a good MP team game the other day it got me thinking about the best way to attack into a strong neighbors homeland after construction. So i figured I'd write this thread with what I'd consider a good strategy and get some input from everyone else...
The game I'm using and will refer too is my most recent (and really the only good) example in Online play as i spent the first week playing SP games to learn the game in general. It was a 2vs2 team game and i was the border with the enemy. I had aggressively choked my neighbor early, so well in fact that he could not defend against a barbarian attack, I then had to pull my choke units back to his capital to retake it and gave it back to the original owner (it was never my intention to take any cities just slow his growth to secure my own.) and as a peace treaty is mandatory with any trade this ended my choke.
We all went on a growth spree for a while with my side in the total points lead. Then came the time. I began building up military (slowly) and asked my teammate to send his troops up toward the border (as he was nice and secure behind me) But apparently as i was building up at my leisurely pace the enemy had the same plans and acted on them faster.
The border layout was me having 2 cities separated by a lake, which made 2 separated entry points with the north bordering the stronger German empire and the south bordering the previously choked Mongolians. I was India and my ally was Egypt. There was more wilds on the north border as this was actually only a German outpost point not his main lands. But also only an OP for me as well. They attacked me simultaneously. the Mongolian force was strongest with many keshics and foot units stacked together during the immediate entry with the keshics attempting to spread out ahead to pillage on subsequent turns. The Germans had slower units. Elephants and catapult + foot units and had further to move as it was an OP.
Which turned all immediate attention to the south force. Which was thoroughly trounced by Indian and Egyptian forces no more than 2 turns into the attack. I then sent 2 catapults and a few more units to the op in time to slaughter the German forces before they did any damage to more than 2 tiles. Which brings us to the dilemma. catapults make the game way to easy to defend your own homeland. So how do we combat this?
My plan for my eventual attack (which never happened as the enemy dropped the game after they failed perhaps they committed ALL there units with no reserves) would have been a more broad front approach (which works vs AI) with woodsman units taking the lead to scout and keep the enemy honest about not moving ALL units to the front... The way i see it keeping stacks to 3 units per for the first wave with solo scouts ahead would be the best way to use up his catapults or keep them defending in the cities while i pillage the important stuff (reinforcement road network, iron etc..) Then follow up with the main attack force which should be safe in bigger stacks just for ease of control... But heres a good question, the first wave stacks, should they be the Weaker/obsolete units or the more powerful to do as much damage with less risk of leveling up there active defenders? as I fully expect to loose these units id hate to be left with the main force being the substandard. (personally i believe if you can afford to upgrade every unit your doing something wrong!)
With the scouts and first wave moving in to sac harass and pillage to draw out there active defense keep the main force hidden. and if they do send there rear city defense up to the front use your woodsman/cavalry units to rush those cities so they have to draw back.
This however requires a HUGE military advantage to pull off without fail either in numbers or unit strength (technology). as spreading out to do the most damage would require a lot of numbers or time.
After there reinforcement ability is slowed and they used there catapults then its time to send in the main force ( to there dismay) and move on there cities.
But how would this actually fare against a human player with equal military power and deviousness.
lets get some feedback from you all.
/edit 3 minutes later freid posts his same topic epic and mine is dwarfed!~
The game I'm using and will refer too is my most recent (and really the only good) example in Online play as i spent the first week playing SP games to learn the game in general. It was a 2vs2 team game and i was the border with the enemy. I had aggressively choked my neighbor early, so well in fact that he could not defend against a barbarian attack, I then had to pull my choke units back to his capital to retake it and gave it back to the original owner (it was never my intention to take any cities just slow his growth to secure my own.) and as a peace treaty is mandatory with any trade this ended my choke.
We all went on a growth spree for a while with my side in the total points lead. Then came the time. I began building up military (slowly) and asked my teammate to send his troops up toward the border (as he was nice and secure behind me) But apparently as i was building up at my leisurely pace the enemy had the same plans and acted on them faster.
The border layout was me having 2 cities separated by a lake, which made 2 separated entry points with the north bordering the stronger German empire and the south bordering the previously choked Mongolians. I was India and my ally was Egypt. There was more wilds on the north border as this was actually only a German outpost point not his main lands. But also only an OP for me as well. They attacked me simultaneously. the Mongolian force was strongest with many keshics and foot units stacked together during the immediate entry with the keshics attempting to spread out ahead to pillage on subsequent turns. The Germans had slower units. Elephants and catapult + foot units and had further to move as it was an OP.
Which turned all immediate attention to the south force. Which was thoroughly trounced by Indian and Egyptian forces no more than 2 turns into the attack. I then sent 2 catapults and a few more units to the op in time to slaughter the German forces before they did any damage to more than 2 tiles. Which brings us to the dilemma. catapults make the game way to easy to defend your own homeland. So how do we combat this?
My plan for my eventual attack (which never happened as the enemy dropped the game after they failed perhaps they committed ALL there units with no reserves) would have been a more broad front approach (which works vs AI) with woodsman units taking the lead to scout and keep the enemy honest about not moving ALL units to the front... The way i see it keeping stacks to 3 units per for the first wave with solo scouts ahead would be the best way to use up his catapults or keep them defending in the cities while i pillage the important stuff (reinforcement road network, iron etc..) Then follow up with the main attack force which should be safe in bigger stacks just for ease of control... But heres a good question, the first wave stacks, should they be the Weaker/obsolete units or the more powerful to do as much damage with less risk of leveling up there active defenders? as I fully expect to loose these units id hate to be left with the main force being the substandard. (personally i believe if you can afford to upgrade every unit your doing something wrong!)
With the scouts and first wave moving in to sac harass and pillage to draw out there active defense keep the main force hidden. and if they do send there rear city defense up to the front use your woodsman/cavalry units to rush those cities so they have to draw back.
This however requires a HUGE military advantage to pull off without fail either in numbers or unit strength (technology). as spreading out to do the most damage would require a lot of numbers or time.
After there reinforcement ability is slowed and they used there catapults then its time to send in the main force ( to there dismay) and move on there cities.
But how would this actually fare against a human player with equal military power and deviousness.
lets get some feedback from you all.
/edit 3 minutes later freid posts his same topic epic and mine is dwarfed!~