I just dont get curassiers

[derelict420]

It's 1440 AD and I am doing well by my standards (I'm only a monarch player). However, I just had to sue for peace with alex for a mere 60 gold plus 5 a turn just to buy myself 10 turns to replenish my army and start attacking him again. In other games the AI seems to eat my muskets alive ( even w/ the promo that gives you a bonus against mounted units), but my currasiers all seemed to just die off. I'm gonna finish him off after 10 turns w/ cavalry and rifles anyways, but I'm just curious how other people may have gotten to curassiers more quickly or used them more effectively. Or heck, even how you might play this start differently.

 

[KeloGBites]

Curassiers require a blitzkrieg-type of attack, using spies to revolt cities and quickly zoom through the enemies territory taking him out quickly, the only problem is when the AI has 'Phants or goes into it's 'I <3 Pikemen' mode, but again that can be solved with a spy sabotaging their source.
So basically, speedy kills. Best way to get them early is probably G.powder(if Lib is secure, if not then after Lib)->Lib->Nat->M.Trad, trade for Music or race to it for the free Golden Age (via Artist).
Some of the Deity/Immortal players can probably go into further detail, only on Emperor myself.

 

[derelict420]

lol. That's what I tried. Alex clobbered me. I think I just didn't commit enough. Should have whipped more

 

[mariogreymist]

Are you bringing a mix of flanking and combat promotions? I've found that's important when fighting w/curassiers vs muskets. After bringing city defenses down with a spy, I attack with enough flanking promoted ones to wound all the defenders, then bring the combat ones to bear. If you just brought combat promoted ones, they would die at very high rate in the first wave of attack, in every single battle.

 

[henrebotha]

Are you bringing a mix of flanking and combat promotions? I've found that's important when fighting w/curassiers vs muskets. After bringing city defenses down with a spy, I attack with enough flanking promoted ones to wound all the defenders, then bring the combat ones to bear. If you just brought combat promoted ones, they would die at very high rate in the first wave of attack, in every single battle.

I find this works wonders on every type of mounted unit - not just cuirassiers. I'm not sure I understand why, though.

 

[mariogreymist]

It means that you usually have about 1/2 as many units lost in each battle, and the ones which survive become stronger. So the units that started a war with just flankingII and survived that first battle may well finish the war as FLII, Mobility, C1 units (or better).

 

[Grashopa]

Military tradition appears to be late, but you obviously had an early war.. Bulbing through liberalism is the way to get to Curs faster... But your problem is you didn't build enough units. Build more or build more HAs to be upgraded. And you don't need frigates. And just use the flanking 2 promo with a GG healer so mroe survive.

Also don't attack the island guy if you don't have to. Clean up the continent first.

 

[iggymnrr]

Getting to curis fast helps as does spies, flanking and building lots of them. Sometimes it helps to add tactics to the war like have a slow-moving, older-units, siege-approach stack slogging it out to keep the AI less focused while the curis kill at blinding speed. Never seen the slow stack take more than a couple of cities but the curis ... wow!!

 

[Lone Wolf]

Curassiers have a nice graphics .

 

[Riot]

Cuirassiers are like hmm - Chariots. Fast, mobile units that can strike and beat the average defender/combat units (Chariots can beat Warriors and Archers in the open field with no real problem, Cuirassiers can beat Muskets and Longbows).

Both are more or less beaten/back countered easily with spearmen/pikemen.

Curis are just not strong enough at 12 str to really either be deployed straight out against the enemy. They need to be supported with Cannons/Pikes/Muskets or deployed en masse with Spies to take down city walls.

Look for kossin's daily round with Shaka for a good detailed example of a Curi war done effectively.

 

[mrt309]

Are you bringing a mix of flanking and combat promotions? I've found that's important when fighting w/curassiers vs muskets. After bringing city defenses down with a spy, I attack with enough flanking promoted ones to wound all the defenders, then bring the combat ones to bear. If you just brought combat promoted ones, they would die at very high rate in the first wave of attack, in every single battle.

This is very true. Also don't forget a medic and one with sentry promotion. Another strategy is giving tactics and leadership promotions to a warlord and it gives you experience = more great generals.