Finally, Marines are useful!

[Particle]

Like 90% of the posters on here, I always thought that Marines were pretty much useless. Underpowered and slow moving, Marines were useless compared to Infantry. Their ability to attack from a transport never really made up for their lack of a punch.

Until last night.

France had a coastal city sitting on a huge amount of ivory. It was a perfect rationalization for me to slapdown Joan and her arrogant snootiness. I sailed a large army, including three transports of nothing but Marines just offshore of that city.

After pounding that city with a half-dozen battleships and about a dozen bombers, I let my Marines attack before offloading any other units. Espionage revealed the city was lightly guarded by three Mech Infantry units. Three *tough* Mech Infantry units.

However, with only a pair of Marines to spare I killed the last Mech Infantry in that city. I then offloaded my troops into the city and rush-built an Airport. When France counterattacked, all my units were inside the city and enjoyed its defensive bonus! Not only that, but they attacked from across a river.

With the Airport built I was able to airlift other units into the city. From there it was pretty much easy to conquer several other cities.

Has anyone tried this before? I haven't seen anything like this mentioned on this board before, but I know I can't be the first to try this.

 

[Redbled]

Haven't used marines much, but sure can use your idea concerning airlifting and rushbuilding airports. Always keep transporting units to other continents. Thanks. Still think Marines are pretty useless though compared to a few tanks. Expecially if you can land the tanks on any mountains.

 

[Ohwell]

Marines are quite useful in taking coastal cities because they ignore city walls and such fortifications when making amphibious assaults. And amphibious assaults themselves are quite useful when you don't want your units to get pummeled on the beaches. Even the 8 attack of marines is very sufficient in beating even Mech Infantry on occasion! Combined with a proper assault force (ie carriers/bombers, battleships) they can easily take a coastal city.

 

[Particle]

On a related note, I suppose one could use paratroopers in a similar way: When the AI goes to attack your newly-captured city, wait a few turns than drop paratroopers in somewhere far, far away on the other end of the continent. Break up a bunch of roads with bombers.

Then ideally your paratroopers should attack a now-fairly defenseless city. The AI shouldn't be able to counterattack quickly.

I'll have to try this sometime soon.

 

[Tassadar]

Originally posted by Ohwell
Marines are quite useful in taking coastal cities because they ignore city walls and such fortifications when making amphibious assaults. And amphibious assaults themselves are quite useful when you don't want your units to get pummeled on the beaches. Even the 8 attack of marines is very sufficient in beating even Mech Infantry on occasion! Combined with a proper assault force (ie carriers/bombers, battleships) they can easily take a coastal city.

I agree with you 100% + you can wage war while in democraty using this combo. Because it mean no troops into a.i. cultural border( like a tanks landing). The key is sufficient bombardement.

 

[Richard III]

A few nights ago, I took an entire Russian island - four medium sized cities - with nothing but marines and fire support in a combined, one turn attack. A decisive blow! Of course, I had roughly 30 infantry, 20 arty and 50 panzers to wipe out the rest of the country in 3 turns, but it was reassuring to know the island was secure without any risk of actual resistance.

R.III

 

[Crow T Robot]

Originally posted by Particle
Has anyone tried this before?

Repeatedly! Although I rarely send them against mech inf.

They are awesome for taking a strategic city as you described or simply a suprise attack to establish a foothold on a island/continent.

Using several tansports of marines followed by several of infantry, settlers, workers and attack units you can sail up and down the coast taking every other city and letting usits who land in the cities you take fight to fill the gaps.

You can also use them as a diversion. Attack from the sea on the other side of the continent FIRST with a marine company (maybe unsupported with naval or carrier air support). The AI will respond to attack and defend, then next turn, start the real offensive elsewhere complete with naval and air support.

If the diversionary force accidentally takes the city and it is too far away to support, just raze or abandon it, get in the boat and go home (or attack the city next door to draw fire).

 

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by Particle
Has anyone tried this before? I haven't seen anything like this mentioned on this board before, but I know I can't be the first to try this.

http://www.zachriel.com/gotm9/ad1858-Boston.htm

 

[Alec006]

I made a couple changes to make it better
I changed marines so that they are a no nation unit
I've done invisible before, but no nation is better
Then they can do covert ops, deep behind enemy lines
Oh, and paratroops treat all land as roads, and invisible, But can not take cities

Much more fun

Then i can paradrop them and they can destroy roads and infastructure unseen
Then i send a helicopter with a marine and drop him back where the paratrooper was so that i can capture their workers

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

Now that's the way to use marines!

Let's all learn from this fine example of combined arms tactics. Excellent job!

 

[Tassadar]

This is my vaforite combinaison attack, i always tell : marines+bomber+battleshipe= ROCK.

I dont know how much marines you lost against 3 mech but if you bomb them to 1 hp you shouldnt have lost too much. I razed many a.i coastal city in my games with this tactic.

p.s. it is easier if you lower defensive value against bombardement for citizen and building, in 1.29 it is 16 while bomber got 8 on attack , so according to them a city full of citizen have greater fire power than a flying forteress . So i lower this value back to 4 like version 1.07.

 

[CannonFodder]

If I might ask, exactly HOW does one unload from the transport directly into a seacity? I'm at war, I've three Marines loaded in the transport, it's next to the city, but I keep getting the message "Only ground units can attack"..... I'm missing something simple here, right? It's my 10th game, time to bring in the special troops.

 

[Soldier]

Wake the Marines in the transport and manually march them onto the city square. Can't just shove the boat over towards that tile and have them jump off the way tanks, cav, etc., do.

 

[CannonFodder]

Soldier, Yes, I've realised that, you can't just unload in the regular manner. It's how it's done the other way that I can't seem to understand...?? I've tried 'clicking' on just the marine unit itself while it's still aboard the landing craft, and dragging it onto the island, or similar... but to no luck. "March them out..." how?

 

[Zoke0]

What you have to do is this. Right-click on the transport. Then you left-click on "Wake (whatever level it is) Marine". By doing this you will have selected the Marine. Then the last thing you need to do is move the Marine onto the city's square to attack.

Don't worry I had this same problem. It took me forever to figure out how it worked.

 

[DeathwisH]

I edited my marines to make them alot more powerful than normal infantry, which is alot more realistic seeing that they are special forces.

 

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by DeathwisH
I edited my marines to make them alot more powerful than normal infantry, which is alot more realistic seeing that they are special forces.

That would be realistic as long as the cost goes up commensurately.

 

[DeathwisH]

yes, i increased their production for balancing reasons of course

 

[hbdragon88]

Marines ARE useful but I've only used them to overrun the English with - HAH HAH - Horsemen and Spearmen. But I haven't dared tried them against the modern day: Modern Armor and Mech Infantry. Do they win against them, and do they destroy those units? Gotta know so I can start kicking some modern day butt against other civs.

 

[royfurr]

Originally posted by Ohwell
Marines are quite useful in taking coastal cities because they ignore city walls and such fortifications when making amphibious assaults. And amphibious assaults themselves are quite useful when you don't want your units to get pummeled on the beaches. Even the 8 attack of marines is very sufficient in beating even Mech Infantry on occasion! Combined with a proper assault force (ie carriers/bombers, battleships) they can easily take a coastal city.

Although I agree with the general consensus of this thread that Marines are useful to take defended costal cities, I don't think Ohwell's comment is correct. UNLESS it was changed in the most recent patch. A poster (Catt) a few months ago confronted this issue with a 2501 event statistical test and found that the Marines hit success almost exactly matched that for where the defender DID get the defensive bonus for city etc. The thread was called "Marines & City Defenses - A Bponus?" and maybe this link will get you there:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showt...028&highlight=Marines+AND+defensive+AND+bonus

if it doesn't, just search on "Marines AND defensive AND bonus".

Again, I do think Marines are useful- and thats even without modifying them. The key, as stated by another on this thread, is the bombardment support provided. It's killer to capture the city with Marines, then unload your tanks and MI therein to confront the ai counterattack- or have them motor out to attack or capture lucerative targets near the city.

Civ on.