England stable,all-round tatics

[trivus]

Many of you may be already aware of this, but England got a huge buff in g & k,
archers promote to gatling guns and navies can now do serious damage.

I had a cheesy win on emperor, continent, but this should work on higher difficulties and other maps. It's quite simple really,

1. Standard opening, build few archers for later upgrades. They also provide stability in early stage, as they prevent AIs from DOWing you, and barbs seems to be more problem in g&k.
2. Get about 5 longbows + spearman (or horseman, on higher levels)
3. beat the crap out of nearest neighbor.
4. pump out more longbows. your economy should start feel the weight of it, beeline to guild, stabilize economy -> get knight. with longbows + knight, game should be half over by now.
///
5. (on continent) get 4 ship of line+privateer. all cities on shore are yours for taking.
6. if AIs still exist, upgrade all longbows to super gatlings than steamroll them.

On additional spies UA.. well doesn't seem that good but since you will be on lead when you get them, you can put one in your cap to prevent others from tech-stealing.

 

[Calouste]

pump out more longbows. your economy should start feel the weight of it, beeline to guild,

Guilds are a prerequisite for Machinery, the tech that enables Longbows...

And Archers and Longbows aren't very effective against cities.

 

[mlund]

And Archers and Longbows aren't very effective against cities.

Yup. Composite Bows are no great shakes either, but at least Longbows can shoot from outside the city's range. Still, you need to get to Machinery and you might as well just get physics then and use Trebs so you can actually take cities.

The time of Archer-rushes to take cities is over and done with thanks to Gods and Kings.

- Marty Lund

 

[pspboy7]

Archer's lost the siege promo, too bad, I liked that, but at least it allows for more strategy getting trebs and cannons.

 

[Votal]

First time playing England, and I loved them. Actually my first game where I really went for a true warmongering strategy. Was only playing on King, but longbows were great for softening up a city so I could take it with minimum casualties. With being able to play safe like that, promotions were quick in coming (even with nothing invested in the honour tree), especially after I got logistics.

I was roughly even with Sweden, tech wise, when I upgraded my longbows to gattling guns. Rolled in with 3-4, along with 1-2 riflemen and their cities dropped in 1-2 turns, before they could do more than make a scratch. Lots of fun.