Building armies: is it worth doing?

Matrix

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So I have built Military Academy and I am able to build armies. But is it worth building an army? Can't I better build 10 apart cavalries instead of one army which has to be loaded as well?

(For once I'd like to see old fashion style posts so I'm not making a poll of it. :p)
 
If you are much more advanced than the enemy (eg. you have modern armour for attack, while they only defend with spearmen), then it is definitely much better to have each unit attack individually, since tanks and modern armour have blitz ability (can attack multiple times in one turn). However, if your enemy is equally matched in terms of technology and its Modern Armour vs. Mech. Infantry, there may be the need for an army.

Usually in modern era, if I am thrown up against Mech. Infantry with my Modern Armour, I'll have a few armies of modern armour as it means that when one unit gets down to 1HP, it will retreat and let the next in line attack. Usually, three (four with the Pentagon) is enough to kill one mech. infantry. I'll also use bombers and radar artillery and possibly cruise missiles if I have that many resources to throw around like that to soften them up. However, if the bombers/RA manage to reduce all defenders to 1HP, individual modern armour will be OK to use for a mop-up.

Due to the unpredictable nature of early warfare however, armies are a MUST!!! If you get a GL in ancient times, build an army immediately, combine three regiments of swordsmen (two archers and a spearman if you don't have iron yet). Make sure that you build the Heroic Epic ASAP when your army wins a battle as it will make it much easier to gain Great Leaders, making it possible to build more armies, and to rush wonders.

As age goes on, armies have less and less significance in warfare, unless your enemy is evenly matched. But if you use enough artillery or bombers, you'll only need individual units to mop up (usually) on their cities (bombardment also helps reduce walls to rubble and the population to something less defensible).
 
I don't really like armies ... and they're quite buggy too.
In 1.17f, stack move (the 'j' command) screws up, individual units cannot be unloaded meaning I often end up disbanding my army of Knights when Nationalism comes along, and they don't heal properly in a Barracks. :(

However, I do generally use my first Leader to build one army (often ends up being Knights) in order to have them win a fight to able Heroic Epic. Making subsequent Leaders more likely. Always nice to have a Leader having around when Fission comes along. :)
 
Under 1.17 armies can blitz, even armies made up of units that normally can't (e.g. cavalry).
 
Armies are useful, but generally not worth the 400 shields until late into the Industrial Age. At the end of the game when a player may have several 70+ shield per turn cities, cost is not a big factor.

Armies are great for establishing beachheads or defending a key city. After railroads get built, the first landing group in an invasion may face dozens or a hundred attacking enemy units. This is when armies are worth the most. Many times a single army will deter any counter attacks and a player can take time taking enemy cities. If the enemy decides to attack the army, they might lose an entire stack in the process, making things a lot easier for the second wave of the invasion.

P. S. my cd-rom drive is flaked out so no Civ for me until it comes back to life or I get a replacement.
 
Originally posted by BillChin
P. S. my cd-rom drive is flaked out so no Civ for me until it comes back to life or I get a replacement.

Apply a "no-cd" patch until your cd driver is repaired.
 
Armies rule!

If I have the academy early - I usually make a beeline for it and have a city producing palace so i can switch immediately - I build armies, armies, armies. Load them up with Cavalry and no defender will stand up to you, even Riflemen will die! Also, there won`t be any counterattacks and I never loose captured cities back!

The other method is using 3 elite defenders and using that army to guard a huge stack of arty. The enemy never attacks them.... More a drawn out war, but if you have three or four stacks you can wipe out a big enemy within 30 turns - to fast for war weariness to grow to a real problem!

btw: I never use any but the first leader for an army, except for the rare occurence that all wonders are already built and a new tech bringing a wonder is more than 40 turns off.....
 
Originally posted by Matrix
So I have built Military Academy and I am able to build armies. But is it worth building an army? Can't I better build 10 apart cavalries instead of one army which has to be loaded as well?

(For once I'd like to see old fashion style posts so I'm not making a poll of it. :p)

I used armies extensively in GOTM5. The first army was very unusual and consisted of a longbowman, sword and musket. It was quite capable on attack and protected cannon the rest of the war. The second army was three cavalry. Then in the Modern Age, I had 5-6 tank armies, each with four tanks.

So yes. Armies are not only useful, but fun.
 
I didn't know that anybody thought armies weren't that useful... when I first had the chance I built armies. They are extremely, EXTREMELY useful when you are outnumbered/outgunned. The Zulu had about double my military, but I formed army after army. They would send literally dozens of armor/modern armor (whoever said AI doesn't use RR is insane), destroying my armies time and again when I tried to invade. But every time they killed my 4 units in the army, they would lose 8 or more of theirs. And with mech infantry costing less than modern armor, even the loss of the army unit wasn't as big a deal as the enemy losing that many of their guys. I was able to crush them because I had armies and they didn't.

I was behind technologically and militarily, but having the ability to produce armies gave me a huge edge.
 
...thanks for the clarification! I guess an army of cavalries can be more useful against an infantry than individual cavalries. ;)
 
I Edited Armies' capacity up to '4', and I'd still never use a battle-created Leader for anything other than a Wonder. As for the Military Academy creating Armies, well, maybe if you lower the cost a bit for the Academy. Either way, Armies have too many limitations to really impress me.

This is why Civ III desperately needed Military Leader units that supply real bonuses in combat that Napoleon, Caesar, or Hannibal would have supplied..
 
Armies are good, but if I am in control of an leader I will use him to rush a wonder instead!
 
Originally posted by Zouave
This is why Civ III desperately needed Military Leader units that supply real bonuses in combat that Napoleon, Caesar, or Hannibal would have supplied..

Are you sure you are using them correctly? Once I have a Great Leader, especially in the ancient age, I am assured of victory over my enemies. In other words, they are decisive. If they were much stronger, they would unbalance the game.

I usually get a couple of Leaders in the first half of the game. The first for an army (and the Epic). The second to rush the Forbidden Palace, usually in the former capital of my enemy.
 
Originally posted by Zachriel


I usually get a couple of Leaders in the first half of the game. The first for an army (and the Epic). The second to rush the Forbidden Palace, usually in the former capital of my enemy.

we don`t often see eye to eye, but

:goodjob: :goodjob: :goodjob:
 
I usually use leaders for wonders or the forbidden, but I do like the Cavalry army, because it combines the blitz ability with a strong, 3-move attack unit. Especially good for cleaning up AI units out in the open.

Armies of infantry work great as artillery protectors. Armies of knights are good multi-purpose tools.

-Arrian
 
Using the military academy to build armies is useful. I generally use armies with defensive units - rifles or infantry. They are like a walking fortress for artillery and cavalry or tanks. I use the academy to build armies until I have three in the field and can build the pentagon. Being able to add a new unit to an obsolete army is useful.

Gotta watch out for that 'j' key though!;)
 
Originally posted by donsig
Using the military academy to build armies is useful. I generally use armies with defensive units - rifles or infantry. They are like a walking fortress for artillery and cavalry or tanks. I use the academy to build armies until I have three in the field and can build the pentagon. Being able to add a new unit to an obsolete army is useful.

Gotta watch out for that 'j' key though!;)


I was playing Japan on Deity. I was losing somewhat, but holding my own. Suddenly the Romans attack with masses of cavalry and riflemen. I moved my "obsolete" samaurai army onto a hill where the enemy had to pass. I collected my 20 cannon onto the hill. When the enemy closed, I let loose a huge cannon volley. The enemy was bloodied. The still unwounded attacked my "obsolete" army, but lost miserably. The enemy retreated, licking their wounds. This was the turning point in the game.
 
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