[Promotions]Flanking on Infantry/FS on Mounted

[aokces]

I've been playing around with the units XML for a while now, and I've changed some units to have unorthodox promotions. I've been experimenting with giving infantry the Flanking Line (so they can all eventually get 30% withdrawal like Guerrilla III) and giving Mounted Units the Drill Line (First Strike).

So I'm asking for your opinion: If in a regular game you could give your infantry Flanking and your cavalry First Strike, would you use those promotions and when?

 

[Zeiter]

Not so sure about flanking for infantry. Flanking makes sense with mounted units because these mounted units can usually deal flanking damage to siege in the event of survival, whereas infantry still would not. Also, mounted usually has a baseline flanking % that adds up quite nicely to around 40-60% retreat %. An infantry with no innate retreat % would only have 30% with flanking II. No thanks.

Now, I'd definitely go for drill on cavalry. Excellent way to earn xp fast, mop up overrun stragglers who have been weakened by a flanking cav, etc. And the useful anti-mounted bonus of drill4, to boot!

 

[pi-r8]

Yeah it seems like you'd be better off going guerilla rather than flanking, for infantry.

 

[TheLazyHase]

Now, I'd definitely go for drill on cavalry. Excellent way to earn xp fast, mop up overrun stragglers who have been weakened by a flanking cav, etc. And the useful anti-mounted bonus of drill4, to boot!

Also, since most cavalry are already first strike immune, or can easily take flanking II for that, FS are a lot stronger.

Giving flanking to infantry change one thing : drill will tend to became utterly useless for defensive troops. You can easily make a lot of mixed troop FS immune,and negate all the drill line. Consequently, Drill will really became a line only for attack, since flanking is bad for defense.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Giving mounted units drill will likely mess with game balance a lot. Generally speaking, combining withdrawal chances with first strikes is too powerful. At the moment, there are very few units in the game that can possibly have both (only unit that springs to mind is keshiks or GG-led archery/gunpowder/siege units, and G3 archery units).

Remember that drill promos can greatly accelerate xp-earning, and mounted units can already start with a lot of xp with the stable.

Lots of things to think about, to be honest.