Hey everybody, I thought to try my hand at doing a Quecha rush to knock out one opponent and maybe steal a worker before too much resistance comes up. However, when i tried it the first few times, I found that even one warrior with 20% cultural defense puts my Quecha's chances around 18%, slightly higher when mixed with Combat I and Shock. The odds are even worse when the city is on a hill, which the AI loves to do (odds are about 4-6%). Any advice on number of Quecha's needed, super early tech path or build order, just to get me started in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
-jcw

If you Quecha rush at high difficulties (Monarch or Emperor, I guess), the AI won't have any Warriors. It starts with Arhcers and scouts and gets archery so quickly (start with it?) that it never builds any either.

Build nought but the Quechua until such a time as you are opposed by a metal army, at which point you should sue for peace.

Quechua-rushes are effective only because of their +100% bonus against archers. The way to counter a Quechua-rush is simply by using warriors of your own. The AI however has a fixation with defending its cities with archers, and so your Incan armies will have most of its fighting against archers. It is very inadvisable to send your Quechuas against Warriors, since at best you will suffer equal losses.

It must also be noted that a 0-exp Quechua will have a less than 50% chance of success against a fully-fortified archer in a city. Quechua-rushes depend on superiority in numbers (prepare to lose a quechua for every archer, though you will likely lose less), not just on "innate superiority".

The Quechua is an efficient anti-archer unit, and nothing more. Quechua rushes work because the AI doesn't realize the vulnerability of its archers, and does not mount an effective or appropriate counter. That said, it is still extremely difficult to dislodge a Quechua from your lands, and so a properly executed rush is actually just an act of strangulation; preventing growth and development (and the connection of horses or copper) of your foes while you grow in strength and are able to then overwhelm them.

Hey everybody, I thought to try my hand at doing a Quecha rush to knock out one opponent and maybe steal a worker before too much resistance comes up. However, when i tried it the first few times, I found that even one warrior with 20% cultural defense puts my Quecha's chances around 18%, slightly higher when mixed with Combat I and Shock. The odds are even worse when the city is on a hill, which the AI loves to do (odds are about 4-6%). Any advice on number of Quecha's needed, super early tech path or build order, just to get me started in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
-jcw

Try it on higher difficulties where AI receives archery as free initial tech.

You might want to check out my article for Deity difficulty, but the ideas are applicable for Monarch, Emperor and Immortal as well.

I think Quechua rush is the best tactic at higher difficulty levels. Good luck,

The first quecha's odds are 18%, but the second is much higher! ;)

just build a barracks first and promote city raider one. on the way to attack, hope you find a barb and then you're at city raider two. sometimes i don't even lose a quecha until i hit their capital...

on emperor it's pretty hard to get them before they build at least one city unless they're very close.

I did a Quecha rush a while back against Montezuma! I succeeded because Monty was dim... I used my small Quecha stack to take his second city, which was lightly defended with only 2 warriors. My 4 Quecha were enough. I then contacted Monty and made a peace treaty. He was an idiot. I made more Quechas and took another of his cities shortly after. By that time he had 3 cities, but I was ready with axemen. I don't use Quecha for long, but when they're there, it's vital you exploit their abilities. Eradicate your most aggressive neighbors first.

don't sue for peace. take enough quechas with you to wipe the civilization off the face of the earth. wait for axes and you've waited too long.

make sure to play on epic, better yet marathon, speed. if you play on normal, forget quechas.

As soon as you discover an AI, send your Quecha over to sit fortified on a hill or forest (or better yet, forested hill) next to the AI's capital. If you can steal his Worker on the way, all the better. That will stop him from sending out Workers or Settlers to expand his empire and he'll throw away some units trying to dislodge you while you have the defensive bonus.

While you're doing this, build some more Quechas and then when you have numerical superiority, take the city.

Anybody got any thoughts on which leaders are most vulnerable to Quecha-rushes? I guess what you are looking for is:

Non-creative (less cultural defense)
Non-mining (slower metal-based unit)
Non-Mansa (Skirmishers are a pain you know where)
Hunting (Only for lower difficulties. Don't want that Warrior roaming around)

?Non-Agressive (Archer's don't get free promotion anyway, I think, but these guys tend to build more units, I guess?)

?Industrious (Probably wastes hammers on wonders, might build a Stonehenge for you, but then again, he's getting more cultural defense)

?Mystisism (Wastes bakers on religion, might found a Holy City for you, but then again, he's getting more cultural defense)

Non-hill cities (Those really maul attackers)

My favortie candidate is Saladin, while Mansa, Hatty and Cathy I'd stay away from...Well, bring a couple more Quechas anyway.

I'd say one of the Spiritual ones. It's better to have them researching Mysticism instead of Bronze Working. Plus you get a free Holy City. Sure, they get a higher defensive bonus because of the culture the religion produces, but if you've waited around long enough for that to become a problem, you've already wasted the Quescha Rush.