How do you use your GGs ?

[GT_OKEZ]

Several people I know use GGs in different ways . Since the GG has different ways to reap the benifits , how do you usually utilize your GG to his greatest potential ?


I personally like to build Military Academies . I think MAs are the best thing going for GGs . Even when I get GGs early in the game I usually hold on to them and make it a point to get to Military Science sooner than later .

Another popular tactic is to use GGs as military instructors . MIs are definatly nice but I don't think its the best way to utilize the GGs . Usually if you conquer an opponent and take one of his key cities you already have a general or two integrated as a specialist in the city . I really think its more efffective to pump out more troops faster from multiple towns rather than have fewer more powerful troops usually only by a promotion , maybe two .

Dr. Scout is also nice but in the long run not nearly as effective as being able to pump out an army faster from multiple cities . Everynow and then I'll make a super unit by pumping him with the GG. Sometimes even a small elite of 3 or 4 .

Have an Ironworks in one city , a heroic epic in another , and military academies in others . I know most ppl think its better to combine the Heroic Epic WITH the Ironworks but I don't really think so . I mean your military production will be insane but only from that one city . Having HE and IWks in two different cities actually works out better since both pump out relatively fast . Also , those cities with MAs arn't too far behiend .

So what do you guys think?

 

[whb]

A Military Instructor is an extra promotion out of the gate (5XP vs 3, assuming you have a barracks); I usually spread 1 around each of my main military cities, and then add an extra 2 into the HE city (9XP means third promotion after first win, and handily also means a little health boost after the first battle).

But then I tend to find Civ is an "all or nothing" game, by which I mean that during war you want every city producing military, and then during peace you want every city improving. There is often little point building much military during peace time as it has two bad effects: (1) it costs to maintain, and (2) it makes the AI less likely to declare on you (if you have to declare on the AI, that means you get the diplo penalty; the civs that will declare on you are also conveniently the most technologically backward and thus the easiest to roll over once you have killed their initial invasion force).

 

[stoots]

I wouldnt want to leave home without Medic3. First GG is used for this every time.
Settle the rest, between ironworks and heroic epic cities and pump out those 3&4 promotion units.

As for Academies, I tend not to use them unless my main production cities arnt pumping out units in 1 or 2 turns already. (standard speed games)
The hammers in my other cities tends to be so bad that they are still building infrastructure until around the time tanks arrive, thus get little benefit from an academy.

 

[DigitalBoy]

I used to always attach it to a unit first to gain elegibility for Heroic Epic, but I don't care so much about that anymore, especially since sometimes I put off researching Literature almost indefinitely.

Aside from that, I used to build the Military Academy first. That was back when you didn't need Education/Military Science to build it and it was only +25% unit production. More units is usually better than more promotions, especially if I can run Vassalage or Theocracy to reach the all-important 5XP point.

But now that I don't care so much about Heroic Epic (I can usually get a level 4 unit the old fashionned way anyway) and Military Academies are pushed back to Renaissance Era, I almost always used them towards great military instructors.

 

[rev063]

My first use it always for Medic 3. After that, I'll usually settle unless I want to create an Academy to boost production in a middling production city. (I usually don't need it in production powerhouses.)

I just wish there was more scope to use Warlords for battles, but the fact that it's really only worth using them for 99%-odds battles makes it boring. I wish there was a mod that allowed defeated GG units to resurrect in your capital after (say) 10 turns or so. Then I'd use a lot more GG's for Warlords.

 

[Prebral]

I usually use GGs as instructors and stack them in one production-oriented city with Heric Epic. In later phases of game, this city is able to create a heavily-promoted unit each turn.

I am more a builder than a warlord and I prefer elite, quick and surprise enemy-crippling blitzkriegs over massive attacks. So the ability to produce well-trained units even in peace, without vasalage and theocracy, is crucial for me.

I usually get my first 1-2 GGs in an early war wiping out an unlucky neighbor. This war is followed by a long period of peace until there is no room to expand on the continent. Second important war usually comes in the age of trebuchets and musketmen, is initiated by a strong rival civ and I am in a defensive position. I often have musketmen earlier than my opponents, so I can overwhelm them, get 1-2 more GGs and use these GGs and my unmatched production capacity to hurl out a stream of well-trained units. After stopping enemy attack and going to offensive, I do not stop sometimes and destroy or enslave other potential threats nearby.
Last major war confirms my world domination, if necessary, and is usually marked by introduction of tanks or paratroopers. Mai goal of this war is to get uranium, oil, aluminum. Elite units (barracks-military instructor boost-eventually free promotions from leader traits) together with technological superity allow my economy to flourish with 1-2 military producing cities while my opponents usually convert their entire economy for military means and have no backups when defeated.

 

[grommit5]

i like to use them as MI's for the quick promotion.

 

[Nishdog]

Mid-game I'll settle them all. Late-game I'll think about attaching it to a unit to get a tough job done.

I might attach the first one I get to a unit if I need a high-level unit in order to build West Point or the Pentagon if I don't already have the required unit.

 

[azzaman333]

Mostly instructors.

 

[Stylesrj]

Used to be always instructors, but now I just find the best unit I got, remove all other units from it, promote this one powerful unit into a superunit and then give it Morale and Leadership and usually Combat or City Raider.

Then I put it into combat and watch the XP stack up for it.
I also do the same with ships. Remove garrison, promote ship, move ship out, put garrison back in.

GG units also make great medics, especially a Cavalry/Gunship with Blitz and Medic III (and if I can, Commando, but that's a long way away and I've usually conquered by then)

Some tell me I should use GGs in cities as MA or MI, but I think a superunit is better than faster production or 2 extra XP or a Golden Age

 

[azzaman333]

2xp per unit > 20xp once.

 

[Stylesrj]

I prefer a superunit. Especially a super tank or a super Mech Infantry. It works on Warlord difficulty, and I'm sticking with Warlord difficulty for now

 

[azzaman333]

Of course a super tank is better on Warlord, because you're blasting macemen. God you are as bad at Civ as you are at bevahing suitably in a forum game.

 

[Phalangite]

I always make one or two Great General defenders (depending on the size of my empire). With all that exp they can easily get drill IV plus one or two city garrison promotions (if they are protective) and the promotion that gives +1 movement (to quickly travel between threatened cities). The drill IV is vital for allowing them to kill units before taking damage, and thus survive longer.

 

[Ian Kognitow]

I usually attach them--mostly for fun. On a strategic level though, I particularly like to attach them to a cavalry unit or previous mounted that can eventually be upgraded to cavalry (by itself, of course, for the full 20 points), if they have a few combat promotions already. By adding Blitz and Movement promotions, they become excellent clean-up units. The pesky siege units and not-quite dead forces that may be left over from a main assault can be swept aside in short order before healing/being reinforced. Also, used in such a way, the General will be picking up a lot of easy XP, so it is quite possible to add commando and medic promotions for even greater versatility. Combat 4/Blitz/Movement, which isn't terribly difficult to get to if you attach to a mounted unit with around 15xp or so, is not too far from having gunships in the Industrial age. If commando can be thrown on as well, they're super-fun. They can hang back safely in a city and leap forth 6 squares and still attack 3 times. Or, all the siege units that the enemy might be bringing up to the line, thinking them safe, can be easily picked off before they stack with riflemen. Many, many possibilities.

Otherwise, I usually go with the academies, though I find, somewhat ironically, that I'm often doing that more for the extra culture points for culture victories rather than the actual production bonus. It would be interesting if the general could found an academy/be an instructor at any time. It would seem to make sense--the general would pop out during some significant war. If attached to a unit and it doesn't die, the general could choose to 'retire' to later found the academy or act as an instructor. You would have the benefits during the war and have to consider whether it's worth it to continue having a super-unit lying around or getting broader military benefits during peacetime. Maybe some provision could be put in as well that if the war is lost (anything given up for a peace treaty) or for some reason left unattached (say, for instance, the unit is on a boat to hook up with a plum unit when a sudden AP vote ends the war), the general is lost as a failure.

 

[Ian Kognitow]

I usually attach them--mostly for fun. On a strategic level though, I particularly like to attach them to a cavalry unit or previous mounted that can eventually be upgraded to cavalry (by itself, of course, for the full 20 points), if they have a few combat promotions already. By adding Blitz and Movement promotions, they become excellent clean-up units. The pesky siege units and not-quite dead forces that may be left over from a main assault can be swept aside in short order before healing/being reinforced. Also, used in such a way, the General will be picking up a lot of easy XP, so it is quite possible to add commando and medic promotions for even greater versatility. Combat 4/Blitz/Movement, which isn't terribly difficult to get to if you attach to a mounted unit with around 15xp or so, is not too far from having gunships in the Industrial age. If commando can be thrown on as well, they're super-fun. They can hang back safely in a city and leap forth 6 squares and still attack 3 times. Or, all the siege units that the enemy might be bringing up to the line, thinking them safe, can be easily picked off before they stack with riflemen. Many, many possibilities.

Otherwise, I usually go with the academies, though I find, somewhat ironically, that I'm often doing that more for the extra culture points for culture victories rather than the actual production bonus. It would be interesting if the general could found an academy/be an instructor at any time. It would seem to make sense--the general would pop out during some significant war. If attached to a unit and it doesn't die, the general could choose to 'retire' to later found the academy or act as an instructor. You would have the benefits during the war and have to consider whether it's worth it to continue having a super-unit lying around or getting broader military benefits during peacetime. Maybe some provision could be put in as well that if the war is lost (anything given up for a peace treaty) or for some reason left unattached (say, for instance, the unit is on a boat to hook up with a plum unit when a sudden AP vote ends the war), the general is lost as a failure.

 

[Ian Kognitow]

I usually attach them--mostly for fun. On a strategic level though, I particularly like to attach them to a cavalry unit or previous mounted that can eventually be upgraded to cavalry (by itself, of course, for the full 20 points), if they have a few combat promotions already. By adding Blitz and Movement promotions, they become excellent clean-up units. The pesky siege units and not-quite dead forces that may be left over from a main assault can be swept aside in short order before healing/being reinforced. Also, used in such a way, the General will be picking up a lot of easy XP, so it is quite possible to add commando and medic promotions for even greater versatility. Combat 4/Blitz/Movement, which isn't terribly difficult to get to if you attach to a mounted unit with around 15xp or so, is not too far from having gunships in the Industrial age. If commando can be thrown on as well, they're super-fun. They can hang back safely in a city and leap forth 6 squares and still attack 3 times. Or, all the siege units that the enemy might be bringing up to the line,thinking them safe, can be easily picked off before they stack with riflemen. Many, many possibilities.

Otherwise, I usually go with the academies, though I find, somewhat ironically, that I'm often doing that more for the extra culture points for culture victories rather than the actual production bonus. It would be interesting if the general could found an academy/be an instructor at any time. It would seem to make sense--the general would pop out during some significant war. If attached to a unit and it doesn't die, the general could choose to 'retire' to later found the academy or act as an instructor. You would have the benefits during the war and have to consider whether it's worth it to continue having a super-unit lying around or getting broader military benefits during peacetime. Maybe some provision could be put in as well that if the war is lost (anything given up for a peace treaty) or for some reason left unattached (say, for instance, the unit is on a boat to hook up with a plum unit when a sudden AP vote ends the war), the general is lost as a failure.

 

[azzaman333]

Wow, triple post.

 

[troytheface]

he is proud of his attaching a GG to a calvary unit.

Someone wrote of attaching a GG to a ship which i have tried with varying
success.

 

[J-man]

I use my first GG for medic 3, the rest mostly for MI. A few MI's + WP + baracks makes very good units!