horsemen as caravans

[Bloody Ben]

I've been using horsemen like caravans in the beginning of my game to help build wonders, before I've researched Trade. Does anyone also do that? Is that the right thing to do?

thanks

 

[Magic_gorter]

It's a waste of you're shields. To build a horsemen it cost 20 shields. To build a wonder and you dismiss you're horseman it gives you 10 shields to you're wonder. This is a 10 shield loss. With a caravan it cost you 50 shields to build it, but when delivered to a city which building a wonder you get the option to use the caravan for building a wonder. This option gives you 50 shields for the wonder. This is 0 shields loss. If you want a wonder before trade you better let a city build the wonder without help of other units. But normally you can wait till you've discovered trade (normally discovered between 3000 and 2000 BC). The AI-civ is not that fast. Then you've got time enough for building those wonders.

 

[Bloody Ben]

thanks. never realized I only get half the shields back when I disband them.

 

[Magic_gorter]

You're welcome.
By the way. I don't know what sort of game you like to play (conquest or spaceship), but most of the times it's better to wait with the discovery of horseback riding and aim for trade after the discovery of monarchy. With trade you can build Marco Polo's Embassy. Then you can trade with the other civ's for tech and get their maps (if you and the other civ has Map Making). Most of the times an AI-civ has Horseback Riding. This way it won't cost a lot of research to get all those techs.

 

[ElephantU]

I have done this occasionally, most likely when playing One City and needing to get a particular wonder like Colossus in before I have Trade. It is usually an indication that I failed or messed up with my planning. Trade and caravans are usually second on my research priority list, after a better government (Monarchy or early Republic). A bad hut result or an unwise tech trade can screw that up. If you have to rely on units for transferring shields before you get Trade, I recommend researching Writing so you can use Dips instead of Horses. Dips require no shield support and can be used for dealing with Barbs and other targets of opportunity.

There was a memorable succession game a while back where we could not build caravans or freights, so we had stacks of Dips sitting around waiting for wonder techs. I don't remember if they decreased AI tech theft, but that might be another beneficial side effect.

 

[starlifter]

I've been using horsemen like caravans in the beginning of my game to help build wonders, before I've researched Trade.

I will do that even after Trade, if necessary to ensure certain wonders like Colossus and Hanging Gardens in a tight race and with the right shield multiples. I actually view my early game units as walking gold, in terms of wonder production... a horseman is 40g: disband the horseman, and the resulting 10 shields will save me 40g (10 shields * 4 gold/shield) on a wonder rush buy, or 1 or 2 days in completion time.

However, I don't build horsemen (actually, I don't build horsemen... ever) and diplomats for the express purpose of wonder acceleration, but don't hesitate to send them to their doom in pursuit of greater glory of the empire...