First Strike promotion

[Splitter]

I know this is a pretty pointless thread, but could someone tell me exactly what this promotion does please?

 

[SheckyS]

I beleive it increased the chance that your unit will strike first in combat. A first strike means that you get to attack before the enemy. So you can do some damage and weaken them before the battle really begins.

 

[petey]

Actually, it's striking first when the enemy attacks you. It has no effect when you're the one attacking, only when you're being attacked.

 

[KCCrusader]

First strikes only work when on defense!? Wow never knew that.

How can you tell if you get a first strike or not during a battle or can you tell?

 

[ytsejam02]

Actually, it's striking first when the enemy attacks you. It has no effect when you're the one attacking, only when you're being attacked.

So how does that work if you attack with a unit with 1st strike capabilities and the defender has 1st strike capabilities? Does it just lower the likelihood of the defender's 1st strike?

 

[Dorkus]

Actually, it's striking first when the enemy attacks you. It has no effect when you're the one attacking, only when you're being attacked.

I'm not sure if this is true. Modern tanks take virtually zero losses against non first strike units. But they take tiny amounts of damage against weaker units that have first strike. This suggests to me that the tanks are getting a "free shot" while attacking.

It's hard to tell either way because: 1. the animations don't seem to reflect first strike (e.g. you don't see multiple first strike units firing twice early); 2. first strike is not entered into the combat estimates the game gives you.

PS IT's worth noting, however, that in the combat estimates for a prospective attack, the game does list First Strike in green underneath the modified attack value. Why include that if First Strike isn't effective on attack?

 

[ytsejam02]

Just a guess, but I think 1st strike is simply a percentage to see if one unit can hit the other, and thus start off with a small advantage in hit points. This is how Civ 3 worked. Attacking archers was like that. They'd always shoot at you and when they were successful you started off with less hit points.

 

[Ruffin]

Tested this promotion with tanks last night. The tank with first strike had one of those little sidebar comments (upper left, where it tells you who won in red or green) saying that it had used its first strike while attacking. So it's not just a defensive bonus.

Not 100% sure, but it appears to me that it gives your unit the ability to hit the enemy first in that particular round. So instead of simultaneous hits I get the first shot, then the weakened enemy hits back. By this standard I'm guessing two first strikes means you get to do it for two rounds before it goes to simultaneous hits.

Some clarification in the rules or Civ-o-pedia would have been nice.

 

[warpstorm]

I think it means that you are allowed to lose one combat round with no penalty.

 

[DaEezT]

I recommend looking at this thread

 

[Ruffin]

I recommend looking at this thread

Nice. Thanks for the link.

 

[KAuss]

First strike does two things...

It enables you to take advantage on defense and strike first, and it negates first strike on offense...

So an archer fighting archer is like calvary fighting archer... They'll tend to negate the first strike ability but calvary type are useless on defense...

I usually ignore the first strike upgrade though, as you only find them on troops that initially have them... If you stack one or two calvary type in your stack to attack, you wouldn't really need to waste promotions on first strike... City defense does a LOT more good than first strike ever will when it comes to defending...