Need Strategy Help - Unit Massing

[Puzzlemaker]

So, question. Whats the best strategy for massing huge amounts of units?

I play on noble, and every game, I end up teching up more then anyone else. However, I just don't ever seem to build enough units, or have enough production capabilities to actually take over someone in combat (I have yet to do it). I end up with maybe 1 or 2 units per city.

So, whats a good strategy for creating huge amounts of units, and large production capability? In general?

 

[v8_mark]

Sometimes it can be as simple as prioritizing production cities over commerce cities.

By a production city, I mean a city with a lot of food that also has a lot of hills to mine. A typical production city early on might be size 7, and consist of food:-- ):

- The base tile (2-1-1; you get this free)
- A pig special (6-0-0)
- A corn special (5-0-0)
- A plains hill with iron (0-6-0)
- A plains hill (0-4-0)
- A grassland hill (1-3-0)
- A grassland hill (1-3-0)
- A grassland hill (1-3-0)

...just throwing these numbers out randomly. The city is designed to produce little or no commerce, but will churn out the units like nothing else. This one will produce 20 total, and still have a food surplus. This is an axeman every 2 turns (with hammers left over) on normal speed.

A couple of these cities (even if they're not quite as strong; 12 /turn still nets you an Axeman every 3) will see you right. Of course, you'll also need commerce cities to pay for your production cities.

 

[reknaw]

It also sounds to me like you're building too much infrasctructure. In your high production cities, try to only build granary, forge, and barracks (plus stables if you're building mounted units), then nothing but units and any other production enhancing buildings as they become available. If you hit your happy cap with a food surplus, build happiness buildings (eg If you have access to Ivory, build a market). Otherwise just keeping pumping out units non stop.

Also, your high commerce cities don't necessarily need anything more than Granary, Library, Market early in the game, so they could be set to churn out units also, albeit much slower than your production cities.

 

[Puzzlemaker]

Hmm, yeah, I was building way too much infrastructure for my own good. Plus I tended to build cottages when I didn't have anything else to put there, then not want to remove them after they grew.

Thanks for the advice, going to try now.

 

[Puzzlemaker]

Update: Muahahaha, Conquered the Dutch, vassalized the romans, and now a giant world war started.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[sukadi]

another way to mass units is by whipping. if you want to mass axes, build it for the 1st turn, make sure only a few hammmers are invested(<5 in this case) so in next turn you can whip 2 ppl,and overflow will give you another axe. the trick is always whip 2 ppl at a time.