How do I use a missile cruiser?
- Thread starter ErikdaRed
- Start date
Ghpstage
Deity
Guided missiles or tactical nukes can be put on them, to do so you need the missile and ship in a city or fort and click the load unit button thats among the commands with the missile selected.
Your better off carrying tac nukes by the way, standard missiles are very lackluster.
Your better off carrying tac nukes by the way, standard missiles are very lackluster.
Great Big Al
Chieftain
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2011
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I'm glad you said that, because after building a ton of them last game and seeing them not perform much better than regular aircraft I was wondering the same thing. Is that a general consensus then?
Archon_Wing
Vote for me or die
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Two things about Guided Missiles:
-- Evade interception, unlike aircraft
-- Can actually kill things unlike aircraft.
Thus firing missiles after you've blasted them with aircraft can actually finish some units off.
Not particularly exciting but they can help a lot in naval combat. Launch a few at an opposing fleet and you may be able to wipe their ships out. Just don't fire them at improvements.
Still, I have little use for them. I suppose if you have lost the war at sea and there's a bunch of ships causing you grief, guided missiles can take them out.
-- Evade interception, unlike aircraft
-- Can actually kill things unlike aircraft.
Thus firing missiles after you've blasted them with aircraft can actually finish some units off.
Not particularly exciting but they can help a lot in naval combat. Launch a few at an opposing fleet and you may be able to wipe their ships out. Just don't fire them at improvements.
Still, I have little use for them. I suppose if you have lost the war at sea and there's a bunch of ships causing you grief, guided missiles can take them out.
s.bernbaum
Mostly lurking
I agree with nfw and Archon_Wing but would add a couple of things.
Missiles can be used to extend the effective range of the missile cruiser. For example, recently, I was trying to intercept an enemy destroyer that was heading towards one of my cities' fish resource. The aircraft from the city bombed it down to 50% strength but the intercepting fleet did not have quite enough movement factors to actually attack the destroyer. They were able to get to three tiles from it, two missiles fired from the cruiser finished off the destroyer.
They are good for taking out improvements that are within four tiles of the coast. I have used them to destroy oil wells and uranium mines, as well as forts that produce those resources, thus preventing the enemy from producing ships, planes, and tanks. Planes can do so as well but in my experience fighters fail much more often than missiles. Bombers are best for this but you don't always have a fort or city within range to base one at.
The down side to keep in mind is that every missile used is gone. So, the hammers used to build it are gone as well, unlike other military units which, if used with proper care, can survive the encounter. I always weigh whether the exchange is worth it, except when I have a huge empire producing more military than I can figure out how to use. Also, although I am not certain on this, I think that when you destroy an enemy unit with a missile, you don't get any GG points, unlike when you use a ship or ground unit. This last is simply based on watching what happens to my GG point display using BUG.
Missiles can be used to extend the effective range of the missile cruiser. For example, recently, I was trying to intercept an enemy destroyer that was heading towards one of my cities' fish resource. The aircraft from the city bombed it down to 50% strength but the intercepting fleet did not have quite enough movement factors to actually attack the destroyer. They were able to get to three tiles from it, two missiles fired from the cruiser finished off the destroyer.
They are good for taking out improvements that are within four tiles of the coast. I have used them to destroy oil wells and uranium mines, as well as forts that produce those resources, thus preventing the enemy from producing ships, planes, and tanks. Planes can do so as well but in my experience fighters fail much more often than missiles. Bombers are best for this but you don't always have a fort or city within range to base one at.
The down side to keep in mind is that every missile used is gone. So, the hammers used to build it are gone as well, unlike other military units which, if used with proper care, can survive the encounter. I always weigh whether the exchange is worth it, except when I have a huge empire producing more military than I can figure out how to use. Also, although I am not certain on this, I think that when you destroy an enemy unit with a missile, you don't get any GG points, unlike when you use a ship or ground unit. This last is simply based on watching what happens to my GG point display using BUG.
AJ11
Emperor
Tac nukes are better in the ship clearing role as there is no fallout in the oceans, IIRC.
Archon_Wing
Vote for me or die
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- 5,257
Tac nukes are also more expensive but yes tac nukes are just plain better in general since 2 is gonna destroy any fleet.
The main reason why anyone would build a guided missile is that any random city can easily churn them out and don't take resources to build.
The main reason why anyone would build a guided missile is that any random city can easily churn them out and don't take resources to build.
AJ11
Emperor
All coastal cities need to have a few tac nukes lying around. Even if it is just to wipe out empty transports which are running away after dropping an invasion stack on your doorstep.
capnvonbaron
Democratia gladii
tac nukes are good... unless they've been UN-banned 
Also nukes tend to piss off all civs, so if you're just invading a city to prevent a culture victory while your spaceship is being completed, and DON'T want to provoke a world-wide nuclear exchange, its better to take a couple dozen guided missiles to soften up defenders and allow for a marine assault.
Second to that, I like to keep a dozen or so on hand if I suspect a neighbor may try to land an assault. I don't like the thought of having to nuke my own countryside if I don't have to, and just a few GMs can make a BIG difference in keeping your defensive stack alive whilst crushing an invader's stack like a bug.
Also nukes tend to piss off all civs, so if you're just invading a city to prevent a culture victory while your spaceship is being completed, and DON'T want to provoke a world-wide nuclear exchange, its better to take a couple dozen guided missiles to soften up defenders and allow for a marine assault.Second to that, I like to keep a dozen or so on hand if I suspect a neighbor may try to land an assault. I don't like the thought of having to nuke my own countryside if I don't have to, and just a few GMs can make a BIG difference in keeping your defensive stack alive whilst crushing an invader's stack like a bug.
DizzKneeLand33
Fall from Heaven 2 still rocks
This would make sense, since I believe that GG points are based on the experience gained by surviving units -- missles of course are destroyed and therefore gain no experience.
Your commentary on extending the range of the Missle Cruiser is an excellent point. And, as has been stated, you can use a million cruise missles without worldwide diplomatic repercussions and the messy cleanup (just a little 409 does the trick
).
