Pre-Astronomy Naval Invasions

[frob2900]

The Berserker is a fabulous unit, so I've been playing archipelago maps with Ragnar. However, I can't help but feel that early naval invasions are very hard to pull off. The stacks necessary for any decisive 500 BC-500 AD invasion on Monarch are in my experience about 15 Melee units with about half of that in catapults and a handful of support (chariots, spears and medics).

This takes a lot of galleys.

I have had difficulties replicating the element of "shock and awe" that can be induced by a land invasions due to the very limited transport capacity of galleys (they move faster than axemen but often have to take very strange routes due to the "coastline hugging necessity").

Has anyone else had this experience or am I simply doing it wrong by attempting to get the bulk of my invasion force over in one go? If I send it over in small packets the enemy generally builds up their defences and end up with about 6-10 archers/longbows in cities, costing huge numbers of units per city (compared to the 2-4 archers/longbows during the first turns of a war).

The astronomy beeline is one solution I've tried, but with Ragnar I get Berserkers much earlier. Wasn't the whole of Europe terrified of the vikings even though they just had lousy longboats? (lousy compared to galleons that is)

In the end most archipelago/island maps end up as builder games up until chemistry/rifling which is pretty much within hands reach once astronomy is a realistic tech..

 

[Hackapell]

Ah, the good old days when I could launch a massive naval invasion using a convinient drop-off city and suicide galleys! that, sadly, does not happen anymore, so I will try to give you some of my thought on naval warfare. I think the main amphibious doctrine in place is the Sylvian Doctrine; I'm not sure what that is though. I think that this strategy is best used iwth knights that can keep up with the galleys. load the berserkers and the cats onto the ships, and have the knights follow along, pillaging all the way. When you arrive at your target coastal city, follow basic attack plans. your cats won't survivie in as great numbers, but your berserkers should do admirable clean up.

 

[InvisibleStalke]

For archipelago with Ragnar, why not play as a viking and raid instead of capture? Don't capture the cities - raid them by pillaging in the early game. A shock axe and a cover spear could be sent on a single galley to raid and pillage their cities. Take out their strategic resources, add a few more units and you can pillage at will. Meanwhile you continue to expand and tech with the financial trait. Later when you have beserkers you can take out isolated island cities and drive them back to their homeland. Finally with Chemistry/Astronomy you have the ability to deliver knockout blows.

 

[xfactor99]

I just did this exact type of invasion the other day with Ragnar - I was playing an Islands map, several extra main islands. Mehmed II was directly north of me, I plunked a city down to steal a gems resource, and soon I was transporting a crapload of units across on about 4 galleys. Conquered Mehmed, then moved on to Gandhi to my left. It's entirely possible to rule the seas with Berserkers on galleys. Though you do need Catapults...

 

[Ecofarm]

Galleys simply do not work with berserkers. By the time you have civil service and machinery, cities are defended by too many units. If you are going to use galleys, then do so with cats and axes.


If, however, you want to use berserkers...

Build trading posts. Research metal casting and run an engineer. Build colossus. Research to civil service and lightbulb machinery. Click on astronomy. By the time you have built a few berserkers, you will have astronomy. Whip 3-4 galleons.

 

[Hero]

If you can wait around for Chemistry+Astronomy, upgrade your Berserkers to Amphibious CR Grenadiers. Pound your target's defenses down with Frigates, and attack from Galleons. They'll never see you coming.

 

[GeoModder]

Have you guys forgotten the 3-movement galley + performing a feint attack?
Construct galleys in Trade Post cities while running Feudalism or Theocracy and promote them accordingly for the extra movement.
Have a few galleys with Berserkers onboard out of LOS of your target city.
Land an invasion force somewhere else and do a mock siege of an important enemy city.
You'll see units flock to the "threatened" city, likely taking away defenders from your REAL target.

 

[Soneji]

You need astronomy for galleons do you not?

 

[GeoModder]

Indeed... same for frigates.