Chariot rush on Monarch

[TheArchduke]

Often enough finding myself in a difficult position and without a close copper, I chariot rush the enemy, sometimes with better results then an axeman rush, due the increased speed and small retreat chance which startled me, because noone else seems to try that, in the games I read like SG or ALC/ImmortalC.

So what is everyone´s elses experience with the wheel age rush?

 

[Orion071]

The Chariot rush can be effective, especially if you have Immortals or War Chariots. But Chariots rely on you researching Animal Husbandry and the Wheel, while Axemen just require Bronze Working (a tech that also gets you the very useful Slavery). Chariots can also be easily countered by a simple Spearman, while an Axeman doesn't really have a counter (other Axemen don't count).

I guess it depends on preference. If I start with the Wheel and not Mining, then I'll see if I can get early Chariots on-line. Otherwise, I usually just go for the Axemen.

 

[bonafide11]

I usually rush with chariots too, or at least some combination of chariots and axemen. The best thing about chariots is how cheap they are compared to axemen... The cheaper production for chariots makes a huge difference in the early game

 

[Galileo44]

The big problem is that if the opponent gets copper and a single spear on a hill, you are screwed. I have lost 5 chariots in a row to a spear doing 1 damage.

 

[anglosaxon]

If you like Chariot Rush, try playing Cyrus. Immortals, the UU that replaces chariots, are the best UU for their era. They effectively horse archers, but much cheaper so you can knock one out each turn from your capital. +50% against archers is a good bonus to have! Plus his Charismatic/Imperilistic traits are the best for warring.

 

[Elrohir]

Often enough finding myself in a difficult position and without a close copper, I chariot rush the enemy, sometimes with better results then an axeman rush, due the increased speed and small retreat chance which startled me, because noone else seems to try that, in the games I read like SG or ALC/ImmortalC.

So what is everyone´s elses experience with the wheel age rush?

It's great, so long as the AI doesn't have more than one or two spears. If the AI has a spear in every city, and you can't pillage his copper within the first turn or two of the war, then it's not worth it. You may be able to destroy a spear fortified in a city with enough chariots, but if you have a 5:1 or even a 3:1 ratio, you'll end up so far behind that you'll still lose in the long term, if not to that enemy to another who will pounce on you later.

Chariot rushes are generally not as good as Axe rushes, but they can get the job done in a pinch, but only under certain circumstances.

 

[gettingfat]

Hatsy may look sweet and harmless, but her chariot rush can be as lethal as Cyrus, and sometimes even better.

Hatsy starts with wheel, so you can start building her war chariots very early once get the access to horses. Her creative trait give you more flexibility to locate your second (or sometimes third) city because you don't need to build it right next to the horse tile. This is critical for early rush because you need your second city to be a productive one. Playing a warmonger I like creative more than imperialistic and as much as charismatic. It allows much faster access to all the resource tiles, and makes library chopping much easier, so you'll get return from the conquered cities way earlier.

Immortals are definitely better than war chariots vs archers. But because war chariots are immune to first strike I find their difference is actually not that big. War chariots are better vs melee units and against the defenders' chariots. In a MP game they may be more useful because of their versatility.

The most important thing is, what happen if you can't start a chariot rush? (e.g. no horse, island map, etc.). Cyrus is way too one-dimensional (war and more war). With Hatsy you can go for a cultural win.

 

[Atlas]

Chariot Rushes can be done effectively, but are situational. They won't work all the time (like an axe rush).

The Ultra Early chariot rush is like this- If you get horses early and you have a neighbor that has not switched to Slavery yet->Chariot rush.

The later Chariot Rush is what you do when you have an opponent without metal.

Chariot Rushes (exception is with Immortals) will be a bad strategy under the following circumstances-

1-You opponent has metal- (duh?)

2-You opponent is Protective

3-Your opponent is Creative

These three things put a chariot rush at a serious disadvantage.

In MP Chariot rushes are awesome because with a double move they can go 4 tiles- often before your opponent can react

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

Hatshepsut harmless? Any history textbook could tell you why she was chosen as Egypt's leader. Hint: not from peace.

Of course, most new players don't understand the importance of mobility. In simple terms, it allows your enemy's forces to raze your cities first, weakening you before you can raze theirs. Basic multiplayer concept.

 

[gettingfat]

Hatshepsut harmless? Any history textbook could tell you why she was chosen as Egypt's leader. Hint: not from peace.

Of course, most new players don't understand the importance of mobility. In simple terms, it allows your enemy's forces to raze your cities first, weakening you before you can raze theirs. Basic multiplayer concept.

That's why I said "may look harmless".

Personally I don't consider metals necessarily a major stop vs. a reasonably planned chariot rush. First of all, unless your opponents have access to copper very early, they usually don't have many spears. Second, with chariots, one does not have to raze the copper, cutting off the roads are as effective. In fact, destroying the roads are one of the most crucial tactics when using chariot rush. You cut off the supplies and more importantly, the reinforcement. Third, a delayed chariot rush is usually a bad rush. When you wait to finish a stack of 20+ chariots you'll definitely see spears and every defender city get a 20% cultural bonus. The good thing about chariot rushes is your reinforcement can catch up with your first wave. So don't wait too long.

Most of the time, it's a great bargain to sacrifice 6-7 chariot units to capture your neighbour's capital. You get a great city, sometimes it is even a holy city or carry a great wonder, some gold to fund your research, almost always a few workers (AIs tend to hide their workers in their capital), and you essentially debilitate your close neighbour.

 

[lukep]

Third, a delayed chariot rush is usually a bad rush. When you wait to finish a stack of 20+ chariots you'll definitely see spears and every defender city get a 20% cultural bonus. The good thing about chariot rushes is your reinforcement can catch up with your first wave. So don't wait too long.

I would start a war chariot rush with as few as 5-6. For Cyrrus immortals i would wait to have a few more i think.

I would not start a chariot rush with anything else than Egypt or Persia, i think (althougth i did one with togu, but special circumstances , i was blocked on a small peninsula without metal )

 

[cabert]

I did a few chariot rushes with "standard" chariots.
They are efficient because :
- chariots are cheap
- chariots are fast

The drawbacks are just too big to make it a generally good strat :
- loads of units = big upkeep once they get out of your territory
- casualties are high = many hammers lost and big WW