Impi Attack- How To Deal With It?

[Cicerosaurus]

So, Shaka caught me with my pants down. I knew he was plotting against me early enough and I had enough composite bowmen to deal with them. I thought.

Then waves just descended on me. Composite bowmen were pretty useless, and at the tech stage I was only pikemen seemed to harm them.

Aside from the damage the impi inflicted, Shaka seemed to have hordes of them.

What is the best strategy to defeat them?

 

[Wuddel]

When I see Shaka near me go Philosophy and then get longswords or crossbows. Otherwise you are dead.

 

[_invy_]

No easy way here.
Build units - melee in front - archers back - position them well - win. Turtle close to your cities on rough terrain and he should suicide.

 

[Cicerosaurus]

I had only seen Shaka on another continent before and he had been peaceful I was a lamb to the slaughter..... I had gone architecture and he had been bottom lining.

After what seemed like 200 turns of defending I still had my cities, but was in debt, no happiness and no chance.

I guess the extra range city defence pantheon would have been a good choice as well.

 

[Wuddel]

I guess the extra range city defence pantheon would have been a good choice as well.

I always get pantheon beliefs for the terrain, but +1 range is new to me. +30% ranged strength or the one that heals your units seems reasonable.

 

[Cicerosaurus]

Duh- the 30% ranged strength was the one I was thinking of.

(And I believe those soldiers at Rorkes Drift didn't get enough VC's!)

 

[jjkrause84]

Duh- the 30% ranged strength was the one I was thinking of.

(And I believe those soldiers at Rorkes Drift didn't get enough VC's!)

Colour Sergeant Bourne: It's a miracle.

Lieutenant Chard: If it's a miracle, Colour Sergeant, it's a short chamber Boxer Henry point 45 caliber miracle.

Colour Sergeant Bourne: And a bayonet, sir, with some guts behind

 

[feralminded]

Swords are your only chance (but they can do it with strong tactical play). That said if Shaka is your neighbor you are more or less forced to go aggressive yourself and wait for him to attack someone else and backstab/gut him ... preferably before he get's Civil Service ... or try and bribe anyone and everyone to attack him at the same time.

 

[GreekIrish]

I just make sure that I have the upper hand in terrain if he's near me. I try to make sure that there are hills in front of my cities so that he has to end his turn right in front of my cities. I'm not sure if their spear throw is considered a ranged attack, but I always to upgrade my units to have that promotion any ways. There's really no set way to deal with him other than just have enough archers and melee units to hold them off. I find that he rarely is ahead of me in tech, so I usually have crossbows by the time he tries something.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I haven't had the Zulu in a game with me yet, but I might be inclined to take a few Honor Policies and get a GG to plant a citadel between my cities and Shaka. That's how I usually deal with aggressive neighbors.

 

[Babri]

Use a sword fortified on a citadel backed by some bows.

 

[Snuffleupagus]

Impis built in a city with that barracks UB are so good!

that is all.

 

[Byzantine Bomb]

The best defense? You pay a neighbor of Shaka to declare war on him. If he is weaker than you, chances are he'll descend his army upon your paid distraction. This should give you time to build up units and possibly take a city or two of his own while the bulk of his forces are away.

 

[Pengui6668]

Find a corner. Sit down. Cry.

 

[A Rabid Dopsis]

Well... You could stymie them with rough terrain... except for that +1 movement thing that they have...

Or what about ranged attacks? Though they do have those cover promotions...

I know! Get them in open terrain and murde... what? they have open terrain bonuses too!?

I guess... attack them with... everything? Nukes?

Edit: No, wait! Wait till they upgrade to crappy lancers! I can't think of a single thing wrong with this plan.

 

[rodrigoq]

Rule #1 when dealing with Shaka:

Kill him early.

If You can't kill him:

Cripple his azz very early. Take his workers, pillage his tiles with scouts, then horsemen, keep him weak, then crush him.

If you befriend him, and let him get impi's, you deserve to die.

 

[Yzman]

Well... You could stymie them with rough terrain... except for that +1 movement thing that they have...

Or what about ranged attacks? Though they do have those cover promotions...

I know! Get them in open terrain and murde... what? they have open terrain bonuses too!?

I guess... attack them with... everything? Nukes?

Edit: No, wait! Wait till they upgrade to crappy lancers! I can't think of a single thing wrong with this plan.

I can think of something. They upgrade to rifleman, not lancers.

 

[Yzman]

Rule #1 when dealing with Shaka:

Kill him early.

If You can't kill him:

Cripple his azz very early. Take his workers, pillage his tiles with scouts, then horsemen, keep him weak, then crush him.

If you befriend him, and let him get impi's, you deserve to die.

I disagree with this. I would say trade early and trade often with him, gift him things. Shaka is one of the most loyal AIs with little tendency to backstab. I have never had him declare on me, mostly because I traded with him when no one else would. He was friendly with me all game.

 

[Altisma]

Your just not using your units right. Impi is still largely a melee unit which are currently under powered since GK. I play with Zulu in multiplayer and against it, its just a slightly better Germany which puts it on C tier list at best. What your problem with the Zulu is the AI war crazy, and your letting your guard down due to AI's never declaring war since BNW.

 

[Cicerosaurus]

What your problem with the Zulu is the AI war crazy, and your letting your guard down due to AI's never declaring war since BNW.

That's not correct. Many AI's have declared war on me since BNW. I had not experienced it with Shaka.