how to execute a good rush?

[jake2007]

approximately how many axeman should you have before you rush. how many cities should you have. and by what age should the rush be executed.

 

[Quechua]

2, 6, and modern, respectively. (cough...look in the strategy articles section...)

 

[xanadux]

You should have just the right amount of axes.
Just the right amount of cities is good too.
And your rush should be executed at the right time.

Yup, there is no useful answer to your question because everything depends in this game. Vague questions with no circumstantial details are meaningless.

 

[ho_chi_minh]

I'll risk giving some answers here that are actually useful.

approximately how many axeman should you have before you rush.

Depends on how much resistance you expect to be facing. If you're very early and the target is a single city close by, take 6 axes to be on the safe side. If you didn't beeline for BW, or didn't get it online straight away, or if the target is further away, take more (or don't rush at all).

how many cities should you have.

Two. You should have a settler ready on the turn you finish researching BW, so even if there is bronze in you capitals BFC, you might as well found the second city right then and there. After that you should finish building your army and take the enemy capital before worrying about building more cities.

and by what age should the rush be executed.

It's called a rush, so attack as soon as possible.

 

[stuttrboy]

Generally I like to have 8 axes and two-three cities for the rush. I like to have 6 close cities after the rush to build up. If rushing a protective neighbor I usually make it 12 axes and this should all be done before about 2500 if possible, the later the rush after that the more troubles you may have. Of course many times a rush is simply not feasible.

 

[Gooblah]

See Sisutil's Early Rush article (in his sig and in Strategy Articles forum)

 

[jake2007]

thanks, i read some of the guide but not all of it, yet.

can you guy analyze my game as alexander i 'rushed' with 16 phalax. so i guess it wasnt really a rush.

 

[Cabledawg]

67....12....modern

 

[Stolen Rutters]

thanks, i read some of the guide but not all of it, yet.

can you guy analyze my game as alexander i 'rushed' with 16 phalax. so i guess it wasnt really a rush.

Yep, that really wasn't a rush.

Ingredients for classic early rush:
-The tech: Bronzeworking, agriculture, and wheel for sure. Maybe pottery, fishing, or sailing, depending on your situation.
-You want copper. "Axeman with city raider" is the earliest city killer.
Swords with city raider are much better, and praetorians are unstoppable if you get them early, but iron working takes time... sometimes too much time.
-You want roads to connect copper/iron, unless it's on a river (then you need fishing in Vanilla, or sailing in BtS).
-You usually want slavery. Trading population for extra production means alot more attack units. There's a downside.
-You want food. Slavery destroys your production for a time, so you need food to recover your city. Agriculture (farms) and pottery (granary) are for you. (edit - Almost forgot Animal husbandry for cow and pig squares)

There are exceptions. Unique units like Quechua change the situation, and never try to attack Native American Dog Soldiers with axemen... you need Horse Archers or catapults for that.

 

[oyzar]

2*archers +1 you expect to be facing at the time your units arrive at the city accounting for 50% losses and that + reinforments should be the same against any other cities if you try to take them. This means 5 7 etc is likely good.

 

[Perugia]

You want roads to connect copper/iron, unless it's on a river (then you need fishing in Vanilla, or sailing in BtS).

In most games you need The Wheel to at least road the metal plot s as you won't find metal on a river on a generated map.