Horse Archer Gambit

[Ramesses-Rules]

In my current Immortal game, I am about to try something I have never done before, since I am normally just a peaceful, spiritual Temple-builder .

I am on a continent with Louis 14 and Shaka. Louis is nearest and founded Hinduism. Shaha and I have no religion. It is 1800 BC. I have Horses but no access to metal. I have Stone in Thebes and got Horses in Memphis (my second city). Both cities have good production capacity. I just built the Great Wall and finished researching Pottery and have Bronze Working. The idea is to build Pyramids while researching HBR, switch to Police State, spam about 8-12 Horse Archers (as economy will permit) and try to take out Louis capital city, adopt Hinduism, convert Shaka, and life is good!

Is this going to work, or is it suicidal?

 

[Yoshi1]

it's a good thing to try, with horse archers you can out-move the AI pretty well, including capping their ressources and picking off easy victims should they leave the city.
It's an early rush strategy usually thou, if you take too much time you might face too many defenders, but i'd say go for it just so you see how it works or can work

 

[i_imperator]

Before trying it i'd recommend reading this guide
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=332762

 

[vicawoo]

Probably too slow for immortal unless your target doesn't like building units.

Unless you have no gold, you're not going to get horsebackriding and archery very fast. Turns 50 to 70 are preferable.

Second, because your hammers are going into pyramids, you won't have any barracks in your capital. If you have low tech, you can sacrifice hammers for beakers by building a library or getting up some cottages earlier. You've done neither because you're going early hammers for great wall and pyramids. And for the same reason, you won't have a 3rd city (or no barracks in your second city), or it will be extremely late and with no barracks/no workers.

So in summary, poor research rate + not enough hammers in barracks/workers/settlers = very slow rush. It still might work if the AI is insufficiently prepared, but don't be surprised if it doesn't, and let us know when you get your 8th to 12th horse archer.

 

[pi-r8]

There's no point in building the pyramids just for a rush with police state. The pyramids cost 300 hammers, so in order to come out ahead with the 25% discount, you'll need to build at least 1200 hammers worth of horse archers- 24! Better to just build horse archers directly, and attack when you have ~8.

 

[vicawoo]

Also if you're Egypt, horse archers are 6 strength and cost 50. War chariots are 5 strength and cost 30.

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Ya if your egypt you should just rush with war chariots, going horse archers is something you kinda have to plan for.

 

[Monsterzuma]

Sounds a little too ambitious. You'll burn through your forests building the Mids and be left with none when you get your Horse rush going. Also Police State is meh; not worth spending 250-500 hammers on. You won't get a positive return on the investment until long after the rush.

Also, what the last 2 posters said. War Chariot is a tremendously powerful unit; possibly the best in the game for it's era. Abuse it.

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

I would build barracks and War Chariots, better and certainly faster course of action. Then take out Louis and Shaka, at the same time. Make your early rush early. You will be amazed at what WC's can accomplish. But you should know that if you are playing Immortal games. Good luck and post the results.