TheMeInTeam
If A implies B...
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2008
- Messages
- 27,989
Tbh, actually all pre-Gunpowder units are too weak and war pre-Gunpowder is not very funny. There still are possibilities to make it work though, like going for an all-in HA or Elepult rush, and even Maces + Xbows can cause damage. Trebutchets against Castles is horrible and it's usually way easier to fast-tech to Cannons, still, even Trebutchets can work if one's empire is strong enough to produce enough of them, preferably 10+ with 5+ XP to spec Accuracy.
Players going to war earlier and earlier is a sign that the playerbase got much better in term of skill. Draft-Rifles are really the easiest choice to win, followed by Cannons, Cuirrs and Cavs.
I mentioned the engineering bulb specifically because a dedicated rush to that (avoid teching fishing to bulb that path) allows for 1000-500 BC type engineering timings. I think it was HR Oscar that won deity/normal/standard domination using that, around 1000 AD. By the time the AI got castles he had already killed/vassaled a few and had the production base to crank CR III treb + knights at which point nothing the AI gets pre-rifles stops you. Finishing outright by 1000 AD cuts most AI from getting to rifling even on deity and even if a few get it you're talking 3x anybody else's land by then.
That's a niche strategy though, and nations that start with fishing (or need/want to use seafood early) can't use it. Draft rifles are by far the easiest to execute IMO, especially transitioning into rifle/cannon from there.