Impis....

After 1600+ hours of playing civ5, I finally got the privilege of facing Shaka and his impis for the first time just because I decided to try Emperor again at the goading of last thread.

As I found out, they're no big deal at all. Basically, that projectile attack of theirs before they engage in melee is what really seals the deal for them and increases the power of their units alot. I found out the hard way because my slightly outnumbered forces was getting mashed by them when they would've normally survived to retreat and heal.

Plus they was coming at me with no promos = heals making it tougher than it should be to bring them down when meeting them for the first time.

This screenshot is the very first time I have the joy to do combat with Impis.


Shaka had it coming, he denounced me on exactly turn 50 just because I was his neighbor so I happily obliged his hunger for war. Funny thing though, I was the one doing all the dowing not him.

After my introduction to Impis which resulted in the death of five units of mine, I formed another army and marched together this time around. I had a trebuchet and even more knights which was still in production to join this army. And the surprise was busted and I knew Shaka would ask me on what all those army is doing there so I dow'd immediately to run down those settlers and kill them all before they could construct a marshy fortress city. I do not want to fight on the marshlands in a siege with a medieval army. No not at all whatsoever. It does not simply happen unless you have overwhelming advantage.



We traded blows in the marshlands of hell, and my now completed tiny armada sailed down and suckerpunched Shaka for having the insolence to neglect ignore his waters despite having a coastal capital. This struck a blew that make Shaka call for a ceasefire which I happily accepted some tiny village for festival party, we partied bit too hard and the village burned down as the result. Ooops.

After giving Shaka the ten turns of peace he wanted I resumed the war.

And this time around the war was basically massively in my favor as the result. I let Ulundi come out of rebellion first and built a wall then bought a trebuchet there cuz buying a gatling gun was wee bit too expensive while trebuchet was far more affordable!

And started the war after preparations in Ulundi is complete. All those Impis charged into my warm embrace of Frigate's cannons. Annihilation of impis occurred here. .



After Impis did their ill-advised charge at Ulundi where Frigates were protecting it, my medieval army moved in for the kill to bring down that hard to spell named city. Couple of turns of maneuvering, several turns of positioning and eliminating the stragglers outside the city's gates and then couple of turns laying the siege and down it went undefended.



Impi's legendary image has been shattered for me.

I have no idea if my current beakers per turn is good or not at all. Just trying to put on my top game face in this map. I felt like I had to take screenshots and make a thread because I finally got to face shaka for the first time when he was at his "strongest?". aka, face him when his impis isn't obsoleted by my military forces.

Well told story sir! Cheers!

Your write up was quite funny - thanks for taking the time. Now that you've faced them, you should try playing as Shaka. With the bonus to exp, you can quickly get self-healing impis. Then you just pick a civ to kill and click ok. They upgrade to rifles but keep those crazy buffalo promotions. You will wind up with an unkillable force of modern infantry.

Great write up. I hate to admit it, but I always dread starting near Shaka. Though I've been able to hold him off, I lose a lot of units to those impis.

Shaka is wrater powerfull early in the game. Facing him with swordsmen, spearmen and catapults is no fun. It gets better when you have pikemen and longswordsmen, but even then impi's are quiet strong.

^^They're pretty good against muskets and riflemen too, though. Especially when he sends an impi carpet of doom.

Always thought it was a croc that Impi's upgrade to Gunpowder units. All other civs with special spearmen units have to follow the same upgrade path spearman/pikeman/lancer/antitank gun, etc.

Why do the Zulus get to break that mold? And if they can why can't Hoplites, Immortals, or Pictish Warriors?

^^Good question.
That's why I never play as Persia. What's the use of getting XP for Immortals?

sunbeam said:

Always thought it was a croc that Impi's upgrade to Gunpowder units. All other civs with special spearmen units have to follow the same upgrade path spearman/pikeman/lancer/antitank gun, etc.

Why do the Zulus get to break that mold? And if they can why can't Hoplites, Immortals, or Pictish Warriors?

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I think because those are specifically spearman replacements. So you could do something like make the spearman upgrade into a longswordsman, but I don't think you can affect the upgrade path of a unique unit beyond the direct next step.

Why can't you choose? A club or a stone age axe isn't exactly the same as a sword, but that's what warriors upgrade to. Most old timey armies the soldiers would have training in various melee and ranged weapons.

^^I wish we could choose. I only build a few spearmen or pikes because I don't want stupid lancers, nor the eventual helicopters they ugprade to.

Impis are the exception (I will build spearmen and upgrade to Impis).

inthesomeday said:

I think because those are specifically spearman replacements. So you could do something like make the spearman upgrade into a longswordsman, but I don't think you can affect the upgrade path of a unique unit beyond the direct next step.

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The problem is the General upgrade path is bad.

It should go
Spear->Pike->Rifle
and
Knight->Lancer(not obsolete until Combustion)->Cavalry

Anti-Tanks can be built new

and of course
Chariot Archer->Crossbow
and
Keshik, Camel Archer->Gatling

I agree but it's one of the few places the game went with historicity/common sense instead of gameplay/tactics.

Would not Pike -> Musket, Knight -> Lancer, and Lancer -> Calvary also be very much historicity / common sense?

I don’t think the developers have too much justification there!

Chariot Archer, Keshik, and Camel Archer having poor upgrade paths is okay, since the leap to Crossbow or Gatling is too much.

Yeah, you really can't face Shaka with a picket line. You need to be able to cycle damaged units and keep them safe behind fresh fodder in good order, withdrawing without a rearguard will just become a rout.

docbud said:

I never play as Persia. What's the use of getting XP for Immortals?

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My best conquest was getting Immortal Pikes up to March, Siege, Medic and Cover. (Left Honor XP farming.) Four Lancers could just banzai charge a medium sized city and capture it before an army could relieve it. Hill? River? Castle? Didn't care. When their army arrived, my (captured) TGW meant they had to walk through mud whilst we repeatedly hit & run.

I had a half dozen range logistics crossbows. Only used them to crack capitals that inflicted 50% damage on defence. Anything else, they just slowed me down.

Holy Mother of Polders, that is definitely the biggest mashland on the history of CiV, hands down.

Makenshi said:

Holy Mother of Polders, that is definitely the biggest mashland on the history of CiV, hands down.

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Nah I've seen bigger.

Cooked maps (any mod or non standard option) = the AI is less aware of how to win the game, and pre-programmed AI tactics are less likely to be effective.
Marshes come in packs, King level becomes Prince, Shaka becomes a cakewalk, etc. etc.

Lay_Lay said:

Cooked maps (any mod or non standard option) = the AI is less aware of how to win the game, and pre-programmed AI tactics are less likely to be effective.
Marshes come in packs, King level becomes Prince, Shaka becomes a cakewalk, etc. etc.

Click to expand...

Nah, ain't cooked map. The mapscripts is present in my signature. It turns a fake looking world createdy by firaxis into real looking world with actual working tectonic plates. Sometimes it produces truly a beautiful world.