Calvary useful over ages

[Ninakoru]

Many people stop making calvary when infantry are avaiable, and even some of them mass disband them when infantry or tanks are hitting the world. I will explain my point of view about all this stuff:

-After Replaceable Parts I don't stop making calvary totally even they are not upgradeable... But I try to do less of them.

-When talking AS AN ATTACK UNIT, (correctly backed up by defensive units, they will never have to use their 3 defense value !!) THEY ARE ALWAYS SAME OR BETTER THAT INFANTRY IN ALL AND ANY SITUATION IMAGINABLE. Hope this is clear enough..

-The retreat hability has more value when you are the one that is being attacked. Some infantry roaming arround? Bomb them if possible and rush them with calvary. When War weariness is present this can be not only wise-troop recycle, but wise war waging...

- Production Cost: in cities with a 40-44 shield per turn production, you can benefit of a Calvary each 2 turns instead of infantry in 3 turns. We are talking on 3 calvary for each 2 infantry... I personally think this is a must. Even when tanks are avaiable, this could be an option.

-Even with tanks the 3 movement its unique on them until MA, and in some situations they can make the diference for taking a city 1 turn before.

-And their advantage when talking about pillaging. They can reach faster to key resources and luxuries, and until MA they are the only combat unit that can move, pillage, and move back (or forward)

 

[Xiasar]

When Tanks start to appear the large and useful era of Cavalry simply dies. I think modern warefare really starts with this useful unit (3 movement, effective attack power and a certain grade...even though scarce of defense) but it truly cannot pretend to compete with tanks!!

 

[Shabbaman]

As long as your opponent doesn't have a mass of tanks, cavalry has it's uses. I always feel crippled by the 2 movement of tanks.

 

[Ninakoru]

All this considerations of course have more value when you are playing higher levels of dificulty...

Those that get on their games most of the wonders and/or have all cities maxed-out before starting making units seriously will of course see no sense to most of this advices.

This thread is oriented to those who want to max-out their potencial as human players vs a much bigger and powerful computer, or versus a good human player.

So, i want to clarify tanks of course are much much much much better combat units than calvary (and have blitz, wow !!), but in some special situations the 3 movement Calvary has can help to reach specific objetives...

If you think they are only wasting manteinance, replace some military police on unreachable cities with this calvary until their time comes.

 

[tao]

Cavalry with their movement of 3 remains useful for picking up workers and pillaging. However I usually have "enough" that I don't produce a lot of them after replaceable parts.

With flight discovered, cavalry is air-lifted to other continents where they serve 2 purposes: elite cavalry is fishing for leaders to rapidly build up infrastructure; others may be used to hurry improvements by disbanding them in resisting cities.