Assyrian Siege Towers: Amazing

[That Other Guy]

These things are incredible!

For those of you who haven't gotten a chance to play with them, they're a melee siege unit that replaces catapults.

First off, the downsides - melee range only, and they can only attack cities.

Upsides:

• They have 12 strength, over the catapult's 7. This is the same as the trebuchet (and yes, they have the 200% city attack bonus)
• When near an enemy city, they provide all other units within 2 tiles with a 50% boost against that city (ranged, melee, whatever)
• They're melee, so they can capture cities on their own. No more hauling around useless melee units to capture cities.
• No setup period. Roll that sucker in and flatten the city.
• Free cover 1 promotion - if you've got a barracks in the city you can roll these things out with cover 2, for an extra 66% ranged resist
• No sight range penalty

It seems to me that a beeline to mathematics sets you up for a couple of these things (and some archer support) to roll across anybody nearby and steal their techs.

What am I missing?

 

[DeutschDachs]

I thought they were a ranged unit with a range of 1? And I thought they only boosted melee units. Maybe I misremember or did they change things

 

[Evanescence]

Now I gotta wonder why the Huns' rams replace swordsmen instead of catapults like them siege towers. It doesn't make any sense for me.
Anyway, I guess that goes nicely with the Assyrian UA... Get siege towers quickly, go and steal techs from other civs using those.

EDIT: Yes, I meant spearmen. I don't know why I said swordsmen. Probably from looking at my swordsmen on the screen while I was typing that.

 

[Hyperion529]

do they have the "penalty on defense" and "no defensive terrain bonuses" negative promotions like the Battering Ram? does the 50% boost against cities also work on ranged units?

edit: the Huns' Rams are replacing spearmen, not swordsmen, meaning they are available earlier than catapults or their replacement.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I thought they were a ranged unit with a range of 1? And I thought they only boosted melee units. Maybe I misremember or did they change things

They must have changed things, or the media flacks were wrong. That's how it has been recorded. I rather like how the OP describes it. It's like a better Battering Ram. And Battering Rams were already powerful.

And I bet that Siege Towers could be had from militaristic city-states. So imagine the Huns with Rams and Towers, or the Romans with Towers, Ballistas, and Legions.

 

[That Other Guy]

They're decidedly melee units. They get hit back by cities (but they also get the +15% bonus for adjacent units from honor, which regular siege don't as I recall).

Unfortunately, they don't get defensive terrain bonuses.

 

[IkM]

Hate you americans.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

Kidding of course but seriously stop torturing us

 

[Greizer85]

Umm. Sound op as all hell. Especially combined with Assyria's already insane UA. More tech with conquered cities... Which leads to more conquered cities, which leads to more tech etc. It's the biggest virtual snowball of all time -- and yet people go on about how the Shoshone are op and stuff? Is the early lack of gold really severe enough that you can't leverage the Assyrian UA to its full effect?

And then there is their unique Library... Iirc there was some uncertainty about what it actually does. Is it really twice as effective as a normal Library? 'Cause if it is, playing as Assyria is like setting your difficulty to two levels below the actual setting.

 

[Buccaneer]

I didn't check if they upgrade but like the ram, they could have a small window of opportunity.

 

[That Other Guy]

The library replacement doesn't provide a science bonus. The only difference is that it has a great writing slot, and when that's filled it provides +10xp to all units built there.

It's an awkward building, since the effect would be most useful before you get barracks for the first promotion, but you're unlikely to get a great work that early.

I didn't check if they upgrade but like the ram, they could have a small window of opportunity.

They follow the standard siege upgrade path, but I'm not sure I'd even bother with upgrading them to trebs, given that composite bowmen are almost as effective against units and much easier to get.

 

[damnyankees]

The library replacement doesn't provide a science bonus. The only difference is that it has a great writing slot, and when that's filled it provides +10xp to all units built there.

It's an awkward building, since the effect would be most useful before you get barracks for the first promotion, but you're unlikely to get a great work that early.

Does this now increase the maximum possible EXP a unit can have when created? Royal Library + Barracks + Armory + Military Academy + Brandenburg Gate = 70 EXP out of the gate? Am I missing something?

 

[blackcatatonic]

Does this now increase the maximum possible EXP a unit can have when created? Royal Library + Barracks + Armory + Military Academy + Brandenburg Gate = 70 EXP out of the gate? Am I missing something?

Stacked with the Alhambra's free promotion (which doesn't apply to all units, but still) that would be very nice indeed.

 

[The QC]

The library replacement doesn't provide a science bonus. The only difference is that it has a great writing slot, and when that's filled it provides +10xp to all units built there.

It's an awkward building, since the effect would be most useful before you get barracks for the first promotion, but you're unlikely to get a great work that early.

I think it's intentionally designed to be weak enough that it doesn't strengthen the already strong Assyrians, while still encouraging them to build libraries (which they otherwise wouldn't need, since they steal technology).

 

[Jimjemael]

Very glad to hear the tower is as dangerous as I hoped!

Venice, Shoshone? Meh, it's Assyria I'm excited to play!

P.s Yeah the royal library is in about the right place, I don't think Assyria deserves anything more than it has right now.

 

[Ogrelord]

the Siege Tower is powerful but it needs an escort. Plus you don't get a free tech if you already outpaced the conquered Civ technology level.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

The library also provides a benefit to the Assyrians, giving them the ability to steal an opponents GW of Writing before the Assyrians have Drama.

 

[Greizer85]

the Siege Tower is powerful but it needs an escort. Plus you don't get a free tech if you already outpaced the conquered Civ technology level.

Hmm I didn't think of that. Makes sense though. On Deity it will still be very powerful in the beginning, but not so much later on when you'd have tech parity anyways.

 

[Viregel]

I knew that Assyria would be amazing. The synergy is better than it seems, as you can capture a city, get a technology and possibly a Great Work, filling the Royal Library slot and letting you capture more cities, get more technologies and get more XP via buildings. Basically, Assyria is an incredibly focused civ.

 

[Hammer Rabbi]

im still trying to figure out the mechanics of the new stuff like caravans and great works. i decided to play the first 100 turns of Assyria on Emperor. My neighbor cap that i destroyed was Jakarta. I took it with 3 comp bows, 1 siege, and one warrior (before i knew that siege could take a city). I did it in 3 turns against a city def of 15. i took his 2nd city in as many turns even though it was surrounded by jungle. i lost a 2nd siege because none of the tiles were improved for pillaging but it worked out nice for the target bait. but since this was just emperor i cant say how awesome they are yet but i needed less units that i usually roll with for that first city. i took it around t95 and the 2nd city around t105. i first got Sailing for free then Bronze Working. im guessing that stuff is randomized when there are more than one to take? i think that mechanic will be a necessity at Deity level.

i had a good petra start so i ended up going pottery - mining (for salt and gold) - writing - masonry (for marble/stone) - Petra. it was nice that siege was timed well on the way.

 

[Jimjemael]

This is somewhat off topic but the idea that Assyria would have a useless UA once you start teching above people seems foolish.

My solution would simply be to beeline a particular tech route while continuing with the invasion and hence mop up the techs you didn't get via hard research.

Nowhere does it say that Assyria doesn't get the free tech if you have a higher literacy rate. The limit is only that you can't get a tech if you have EVERY tech they do.

I don't know about you guys but on emperor+ at least I rarely tech so far ahead early in the game, such that a UA like Assyria's would become useless for longer than say the information era (by which time you would have already sealed the win).