strijder20
Wallowing in irony
My latest two games ended with a cannon rush and I've grown rather fond of the little guns-on-wheels.
Advantages/disadvantages
First, let us summarize the pros and the cons of cannon rushes:
Pro:
+ Powerful 12 strength unit
+ Only obsolete once your enemy gets cavalry
+ Collateral damage makes it excellent for decimating monster stacks
+ Can be supported by any unit you like - maces, muskets and pikes all work
+ Access to the City Raider line
Cons:
- Slow
- Poor on defense
- Depends on early Liberalism
How to cannon rush
I've followed a similar bulb path in both games: Bulb Philo, tech Paper, partially bulb Education, tech to Engineering and Gunpowder, tech PPress, partially bulb Chemistry, tech Liberalism. The main problem here is that you really need a solid commerce base, as Engineering-Gunpowder-Printing Press is very expensive (the latter can be bulbed if you can get a fifth Gscientist out in time). Philosophical and Financial are really helpful here.
Catapults/Trebuchets can be prebuilt and subsequently upgraded. Civics should obviously be Slavery-Theocracy-Vassalage for mass-whipping cannons and clean-up troops.
The main problem with cannon-rushes is that Cuirassiers can be gotten much faster, and move a lot faster on the campaign map too. However, they are an excellent alternative if you have no horses.
As I stated, you have to be ahead of the AI. On my latest (Emperor) game I got Liberalism/Steel by 980 AD; if I would have teched Liberalism immediately I'd have got it by 650 AD. 1000 AD already starts to be on the late side, although there was no risk yet.
Cannons are rather brutally efficient. Take a look at those screenshots:
Ignoring the fast workers, I lost a musketman and two cannons in the wars. Compare that to the amount of units killed:
which amounts to about 150. 50/1 kill/loss ratio is far beyond any ratio you'll get with cuirassiers. You'll still need numbers to reduce all of the defenders to 20% health, but a constant stream of reinforcements isn't necessary when working with cannons (allowing you to split up in two stacks).
Fun fact: I did not win that game by Domination, as Sitting Bull decided to bring up the Religious leader resolution in the Apostolic Palace.
Advantages/disadvantages
First, let us summarize the pros and the cons of cannon rushes:
Pro:
+ Powerful 12 strength unit
+ Only obsolete once your enemy gets cavalry
+ Collateral damage makes it excellent for decimating monster stacks
+ Can be supported by any unit you like - maces, muskets and pikes all work
+ Access to the City Raider line
Cons:
- Slow
- Poor on defense
- Depends on early Liberalism
How to cannon rush
I've followed a similar bulb path in both games: Bulb Philo, tech Paper, partially bulb Education, tech to Engineering and Gunpowder, tech PPress, partially bulb Chemistry, tech Liberalism. The main problem here is that you really need a solid commerce base, as Engineering-Gunpowder-Printing Press is very expensive (the latter can be bulbed if you can get a fifth Gscientist out in time). Philosophical and Financial are really helpful here.
Catapults/Trebuchets can be prebuilt and subsequently upgraded. Civics should obviously be Slavery-Theocracy-Vassalage for mass-whipping cannons and clean-up troops.
The main problem with cannon-rushes is that Cuirassiers can be gotten much faster, and move a lot faster on the campaign map too. However, they are an excellent alternative if you have no horses.
As I stated, you have to be ahead of the AI. On my latest (Emperor) game I got Liberalism/Steel by 980 AD; if I would have teched Liberalism immediately I'd have got it by 650 AD. 1000 AD already starts to be on the late side, although there was no risk yet.
Cannons are rather brutally efficient. Take a look at those screenshots:
Ignoring the fast workers, I lost a musketman and two cannons in the wars. Compare that to the amount of units killed:
which amounts to about 150. 50/1 kill/loss ratio is far beyond any ratio you'll get with cuirassiers. You'll still need numbers to reduce all of the defenders to 20% health, but a constant stream of reinforcements isn't necessary when working with cannons (allowing you to split up in two stacks).
Fun fact: I did not win that game by Domination, as Sitting Bull decided to bring up the Religious leader resolution in the Apostolic Palace.