I got around to playing Shaka and using Impis, I realized they are much better than I realized. An Impi is like a Chariot with Mobility (-1 movement cost so can basically cover 2 tiles over any terrain except a forested hill) that starts with Combat I thanks to Agg. Ikhanda (Barracks) is cheap also thanks to the Agg trait of Shaka opening up Shock/Cover promotions. If you have Copper, you can really terrorize your enemies. Axes kill Impis with impunity, but you can always pillage their Copper if they have it. Impis are expert pillagers, worker stealers, and passable city attackers with Cover and 2-3 in enemy territory are often enough to cause major damage. How do forumers use this UU?
Just How Good Are Impis?
- Thread starter dankok8
- Start date
Kadazzle
Emperor
Agreed, the Impi are more based on a speed rush with 6-7 units, as they take damage a lot and in order to be successful they must hit hard but quick, so no 10+ unit brawl here. Then again it is very easy to mass them as you don't necessary need an Ikhanda for them to be effective, which brings on another point. All of Shaka's traits / starting techs / UB all amplify the Impi. The starting techs mean that you have a lead on unlocking the Impi, explore land to find copper, improve food tiles without researching extra techs, aggressive auto-"upping" the Impi's strength, quick workers for quick chops and a unique building that helps out your economy.... hmmm.
Everything about Shaka and the Zulus in this game are superb.
Everything about Shaka and the Zulus in this game are superb.
BarrageQueen
Warlord
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- Jul 24, 2008
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- 169
Impis are good but the best pillage unit is the keshik, imo.
TheMeInTeam
If A implies B...
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Keshiks are better used for TAKING cities, which they can and should do.
Impi are kind of weak but they do allow you to blitz unsuspecting targets for some easy city captures or razes. They also do complement a pillage + choke strategy in the situations where that is viable.
Other than that, they're not impressive at all, but the zulu can't cry since they have one of the best UB's in the entire game.
Impi are kind of weak but they do allow you to blitz unsuspecting targets for some easy city captures or razes. They also do complement a pillage + choke strategy in the situations where that is viable.
Other than that, they're not impressive at all, but the zulu can't cry since they have one of the best UB's in the entire game.
The Impis are ok mop up units who can return to the stack if they have to (of course one can pillage on the move w/o issues). They can easily steal workers. They make good explorers as well... and super healers (make WIII off barbarians, attach general, and you have WIII, MII, need few more mopping up to get M3; w/ an early war is even easier)
Impis can be very strong UUs IF you have copper very near, comparable to the window of opportunity of horses for a chariot rush, just stronger.
They remain usefull as pillagers, for overruning secondary cities without axes, protecting mounted stacks and they are the best uber-medics (medicIII+woodsmanIII combination) in the game.
They remain usefull as pillagers, for overruning secondary cities without axes, protecting mounted stacks and they are the best uber-medics (medicIII+woodsmanIII combination) in the game.
. 
Except starting next to that war monger who produces way too many units!
Gotta love the Impi really. Fast and useful for taking out mounted units. Can pillage resources quickly. Would work well with a few HA for protection. Against axes it becomes a bit stuck! Then again why wait for HA to rush
J-man
Deity
If you have copper in the BfC you can mount a very fast surprise attack on the AI. They won't be able to mount a effective defense unless they have copper themselves (or when they are Mali, Native Americans or Babylon)
troytheface
Deity
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- Mar 26, 2002
- Messages
- 3,262
Fact- Impis are better than 99.76 percent of the other unique units available -slightly overshadowed by bowmen and slightly ahead of preatorians.
Fact- Hunting, Bronze
the evidence is clear- the earlier the UU the better
Fact- Hunting, Bronze
the evidence is clear- the earlier the UU the better
TheLazyHase
King
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- Sep 24, 2009
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- 867
Fact - this is false, since chariot exist and are less likely to be countered. ANd having impi mean you can have axe that can be much more efficient.
Attacking city with impi is definitely possible. But I'd better send anti-axe chariot that can have flanking than weak impi. And in any case, don't forget that if the target is not far away, then you'd better with axes. So Impi rush is for when you have a dangerous foe to destroy, you have easy copper access, AND the foe is not too far away, but not close enough to cut it with axe. That's why it's crappish, too many condition.
Nothingontv
Warlord
In most of my games i go for a early rush. Axes are better for that. I can understand if they are used for pillaging, but ín my early rushes i hardly ever have to do that.
I tried rushing with them one time and got eaten alive. UB is nice tho.
I tried rushing with them one time and got eaten alive. UB is nice tho.
TheLazyHase
King
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If your opponent had put one axe on his copper, then it's not cake to pillage it. And he may have time to build more.
r_rolo1
King of myself
This is false ....
There are 34 civs in the game, each with their UU ( so 34 UU
). That gives 100/34 ~=2,91% for each UU. Now 99,76% + 2.91% is not 100% 
I had this in my last game and it was probably my strongest start ever. It was a piece of cake to send a small stack of Impis across the continent through the jungle and take out Kublai's two cities, and it turned out he had two gems and one gold in his capital (!). That plus the Ikhanda funded 14 cities by 1 AD without even dipping below 30% research, which was so unfair that the game was hardly interesting after that.
If you don't have copper in your capital, I think Impis are better used for choking than rushing. You can take out a new, lightly-defended city or two, but just by pillaging their metal and other useful tiles and parking your Impis in the woods outside their city(s), you can cripple an AI so badly that they're virtually out of the game and can be finished off later whenever you feel like it.
troytheface
Deity
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- Mar 26, 2002
- Messages
- 3,262
"Fact - Impis own in Multiplayer."
as in civ3 - the ladder league boys found that out
"In most of my games i go for a early rush. Axes are better for that."
early rush- 2 movement- chariot or impi- Axe are worse for that - plodding slow marchers
Spear do well against archers. the evidence is clear
"Now 99,76% + 2.91% is not 100% "
yes, in the old archaic systems that some still use and are quaint
as in civ3 - the ladder league boys found that out
"In most of my games i go for a early rush. Axes are better for that."
early rush- 2 movement- chariot or impi- Axe are worse for that - plodding slow marchers
Spear do well against archers. the evidence is clear
"Now 99,76% + 2.91% is not 100% "
yes, in the old archaic systems that some still use and are quaint
Well you pillage the road, right? (or bring a chariot if you can)
