[Fall Update Time!] Have Cavalry Become your New Staple?

[ense7en]

Not really, but i would say they have become a fair bit more useful.

I just finished a Songhai domination game and the Mandekalu Cavalry were amazing.
Built and bought a ton, and proceeded to use them to do some serious damage to cities and then pillage heal every tile around them to keep them alive and attacking.

Went honor and and by the end had a few nice March + Medic 2 + Blitz cavalry (they only showed 18% penalty against cities instead of normal 33%) after being upgrade, so still not bad against cities.

 

[RonMar]

One disadvantage the lancers do have is the comparatively higher cost of upgrading to the anti-tank gun. I find I usually leave them as lancers until armored units are in the field and then upgrading them very selectively where I really need their upgrade.

 

[EditorRex]

One disadvantage the lancers do have is the comparatively higher cost of upgrading to the anti-tank gun. I find I usually leave them as lancers until armored units are in the field and then upgrading them very selectively where I really need their upgrade.

You can diminish the upgrade cost through a timely strategy with Social Policies if you want. Cost aside, the anti-tank gun is a unit for which I've never developed a tactical appreciation. In most games I'm in one or the other of these situations:
1) I'm ahead technically and have won before the anti-tank gun would matter.
2) I'm close to even technically and the anti-tank gun won't give me an appreciable edge. But the helicopter might and I could beeline to it if the map dictates.

Obviously there's also the possibility of being way behind in tech when you reach the point in the game that your opponent is using tanks. In which case, I accept that game as a loss and start over if I clearly can't sneak in a Diplo, Sci or Culture win.