Can we talk promotions?

[lockandload]

Not really sure how to handle promotions. I usually just promote to whatever terrain tile the unit is about to attack knowing that will be useful at least once. And then I give my melee units the range protection as soon as it's available. That's always going to be useful. I only heal when rotation is impossible. I only had enhanced range once, but man that was sweet on the artillery.

Any more systematic advice?

 

[wayneb64]

For ranged I split my force into half open terrain bonus and half rough (accuracy and barrage) until I get range +1. For infantry it's always open terrain, (shock), cover, cover2. Rarely use horses, but if I do they usually only get sentry and maybe medic 1 and 2.

 

[Volcanon]

For ships always get range and logistics. Two attack frigates at 3 range and battleships at 4 range is super crispy awesome. Ranged units are the same. Artillery I always get the extra damage to cities and range.

For submaries get the bonuses to damage to ships.

For bombers get the enhanced damage to cities. It's double damage with all three.

For horses, dunno. My cavalry, if I use cavalry, tends to die a lot.

For scouts, get vision and hope to get the ruin upgrade to archer.

If your ranged units aren't surviving to extra range and logistics you might want to be a bit more conservative with them. If you lose your meat shields and the ranged units can't kill off the other army it's best to run away.

 

[LordBalkoth]

Unless I am on a super open terrain map I always go Barrage for ranged. The reason is simple -- I'd rather have ranged units that can all do roughly equal damage to units in any terrain (due to the 25% rough terrain default bonus) rather than do a bit better versus the more vulnerable targets and suck versus the hardened targets. And once you have Barrage 2 you might as well go to Barrage 3 to unlock Logistics.

Horse Archers are an exception since they start with Open Terrain 1 and getting Logistics ASAP is key.

For bombers get the enhanced damage to cities. It's double damage with all three.

I go the opposite: ground unit damage 2, air repair, ground unit damage 3, THEN maybe Evasion/Logistics/Siege depending on the game. The problem is that enhanced damage to cities from bombers doesn't reduce the damage the BOMBERS actually take.

 

[reddishrecue]

I rarely promote only when times get hard and i have a unit that is really unhealthy and is about to get killed then i use the health promotion instead. Promotions i get only when i know that a unit can withdraw and heal or continue to attack if it still survives. A promoted dead unit doesnt get to attack with its new promotion anyways.

 

[Primacide]

Short answer: whatever unit it is, whatever path you pick, GET THREE UPGRADES. All the cool promos (like heal every turn and 2x attack per turn) come after those three. An arty with logistics is essentially two arties on one tile. That's good.

 

[reddishrecue]

An arty with logistics will be like 2 arties if the arty has initially had its shot once and stayed in the same tile for the next turn and the next turn after. If you have to move your arty, you have to get the initial shot out so that logistics can work the next turn without losing the second set up move in the double moving artillery.

 

[Primacide]

That is true, but it is really handy if there is only one tile that you can hit a city from. With logistics, you can cap it no problem. Without, you're gonna be there a looooooong time.

Bedsides, are you really arguing that one logistics arty is worse than two rookies? Nah...

 

[shaglio]

Bedsides, are you really arguing that one logistics arty is worse than two rookies? Nah...

I refer you to post #5.

 

[lockandload]

Just throwing out a thanks for the comments.

 

[dasaard200]

On an Americas map, I've colonized Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, from my capital in the Guianas, 6 cities in S.A.; and have left C.America vacant for barb spawn, and when they do, its "Newbies for Barbies" time !

Of course, it's nice that these 'noobs' start from Armories ... and still get barb promotions .

Why DON'T I settle in Mexico ? To give time for Barbie camps to pump a few barbs by the time my 'noobs' get to the camps ! This is why I built roads from Quito and the Guianas to Oklahoma .

 

[Primacide]

That's awesome. I don't think I've ever used an entire continent as a barb farm proving ground for new units. You have to be running the unlimited xp from barbs mod. If you aren't then you really need to think about it.

 

[Redaxe]

-I tend to stack the shock promotions because usually there will be more open terrain as forests are cleared etc. But if im playing defensively i tend to go drill (providing their are rough terrain i can sit a unit on).
March is probably the strongest promotion for melee

-I tend to prioritize Charge on cavalry units as horses are more mobile, you can do more damage then retreat so you will be delayed from March promotion but it isnt as essential.

-Medic I tend to save for anti-aircraft gun & SAMs as they sit behind units. I dont use these guys in melee unless im trying to get to medic 2.

-early siege (pre-artillery) it can be best to either get Siege or just use promotions to heal as it takes too long to get to 100 points exp. Its better to save up to 100exp for logistics or rangewith artillery as you can start with 45 exp with the military academy and artillery can stay out of range.

 

[lefuet]

I try to get logistics before range. With 2 attacks per round the next promotion comes much faster.

Archers upgraded from scouts get drill because they tend to move through rough terrain more often.

 

[Primacide]

-Medic I tend to save for anti-aircraft gun & SAMs as they sit behind units. I dont use these guys in melee unless im trying to get to medic 2.

I used anti air units recently for the first time in combat and I was quite disappointed that they didn't have a promo path that was specific to their function, like more damage per interception, etc.

 

[FaohKi]

If map mostly Open Terrain, I'd go with Shock for melee and Accuracy for archers. But, if map is balanced or mostly Rough Terrain, definitely pick Drill for melee and Barrage for Archers.

In overall, I'm mostly picking Rough Terrain promotions. Because, all units -except Siege Weapons- have neutral defense on Rough Terrain. So, Drill and Barrage are more useful, IMHO.

 

[vorlon_mi]

The lesson I've learned for ranged units is: stick with one terrain. To get to the increased range promotion, you need either (open terrain 1,2,3) or (rough terrain 1,2,3). Choosing one from each will just delay getting to the increased range promo; choosing cover is tempting, but that delays you also.

 

[reddishrecue]

The cover promotions aren't really that tempting when you can rank straight to range and logistics quicker.

 

[lockandload]

super helpful comments

 

[shaglio]

The lesson I've learned for ranged units is: stick with one terrain. To get to the increased range promotion, you need either (open terrain 1,2,3) or (rough terrain 1,2,3). Choosing one from each will just delay getting to the increased range promo; choosing cover is tempting, but that delays you also.

It's also been proven in other threads that Cover doesn't work for Ranged units. I forget why, but I think it has something to do with Cover affecting "Ranged Strength," but when a Ranged unit is attacked it used it's "Strength" value for defense.