im just curious whether anyone uses chariots at all or just wait for horsemen...
it might be worth considering if youve got close neighbours and you want some breathing room
a pop 5 city with a barracks and tile improvements (temple and 2 garrison) can crank em out fast and the ai has real problems dealing with them (colony to some horses if you have to though)
you aint really gonna take cities with em but they are ideal for hampering his expansion by stopping workers improving tiles and ganging up on any settlers that appear (2-3 chariots will deal with the spearmen escorts)
the other thing is that because you are going after the civ early it hasnt got iron (or you pillage any connected) so the best its got will be warriors, spearmen and archers which chariots can handle easy enough (may have to gang up on the spearmen though)
it also helps if you make a road straight from your barracks city to the civ so you can keep up a constant stream of reinforcements
this intial assault has often helped me double the territory gains i usually make in the early phases as the ai cant expand once you meet em and allows you take it out once your established (or you can sue for peace and grab any tech/gold and maybe some cities)
the fast attack ability means they are more durable than you would expect (can force the ai to chase you if neccessary) and the extra time a chariot assault gives you to expand can make a serious difference
so... anyone had any success using em or is it just me thats so aggressive?
it might be worth considering if youve got close neighbours and you want some breathing room
a pop 5 city with a barracks and tile improvements (temple and 2 garrison) can crank em out fast and the ai has real problems dealing with them (colony to some horses if you have to though)
you aint really gonna take cities with em but they are ideal for hampering his expansion by stopping workers improving tiles and ganging up on any settlers that appear (2-3 chariots will deal with the spearmen escorts)
the other thing is that because you are going after the civ early it hasnt got iron (or you pillage any connected) so the best its got will be warriors, spearmen and archers which chariots can handle easy enough (may have to gang up on the spearmen though)
it also helps if you make a road straight from your barracks city to the civ so you can keep up a constant stream of reinforcements
this intial assault has often helped me double the territory gains i usually make in the early phases as the ai cant expand once you meet em and allows you take it out once your established (or you can sue for peace and grab any tech/gold and maybe some cities)
the fast attack ability means they are more durable than you would expect (can force the ai to chase you if neccessary) and the extra time a chariot assault gives you to expand can make a serious difference
so... anyone had any success using em or is it just me thats so aggressive?
Read the strategy article on the chariot gambit in the war academy. IIRC it's by Aeson. It gives the use of chariots a new perspective. You won't forget them any more.
