Screenshot analysis!

[Sansa_Stark]

Wow this Varu unit looks like a serious BAMF.

I think we already know it replaces Horseman (both are unlocked by Horseback Riding). But Horseman has base strength of 35, while Varu has 40, and it lowers BS of adjacent enemy by 5, for EACH adjacent Varu. You can almost always use at least two, so good luck to everybody else.

The only downside is that it seems to have 2MP instead of 4, which is also significant. But apparently Varu will have other uses than Horseman.

Spoiler :

 

[BenZL43]

Yeah, 3 Varu kills an enemy Archer instantly (strength: 15).
Looks like since it's an adjacency bonus, you can only surround an enemy unit with 6 Varu at most (- 30 strength), good deal already.

 

[stealth_nsk]

I think we already know it replaces Horseman (both are unlocked by Horseback Riding).

Not necessary. Scythia has both Horse Archers and Horseman. They could be independent.

Spoiler :

Wow, their abilities stack.

 

[Sansa_Stark]

Also, I don't care about late game units, but I know you guys do And these seems to be new, or at least I don't see them on Arioch's site.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

EDIT: Yep I messed up, see BenZL43's pictures below. Thanks man.

 

[Kouvb593kdnuewnd]

Wow, their abilities stack.

I think that is a bug otherwise they could become the Praetorians of civilization VI.

 

[BenZL43]

Also, I don't care about late game units, but I know you guys do And these seems to be new, or at least I don't see them on Arioch's site.

Spoiler :

FTFY.

 

[stealth_nsk]

I think that is a bug otherwise they could become the Praetorians of civilization VI.

Why not? It's ok to have a cool unit for otherwise peaceful civilization.

 

[Sansa_Stark]

And some religion notes:

1. I just checked and it has been know before, but I didn't notice. There is a Pantheon "Goddess of the Harvest", giving Faith equal to other's yield quantity when harvesting a resource or removing a feature. "Feature" means woods, marsh, rainforest and the like? That looks like a really brutal way how to gain faith to rush buy early Great Prophet.

2. There seems to be 4 religions allowed in a game which has 6 civilizations - map looks like 6 civ map, and there is 3/4 counter in right upper corner of religious screen (and 3 are already founded). IIRC it was the same in Civ5 (4 on Small map, 5 on Standard map), right?

Spoiler :

 

[Kouvb593kdnuewnd]

I have said before I think India is a warmonger. I don't know which tech Varu comes with but if it is unlocked around the same time as the horseman and swordman and cost about the same as these two units it will give India a extreme advantage.

1 vs 1 Varu have +10 strength advantage
2 vs 2 Varu have +15 strength advantage (that is about a whole era ahead in strength advantage)
And the advantage can get even higher then that, as the Varu kills the enemies the enemies will get even more penalties because the hole Varu makes in the enemy lines allow better spread of the penalty. With +20-25 advantage it will be close to spears against tanks. Yes they can be stopped but they would basically be the Praetorians in civilization IV, maybe even more scarrier.

 

[ThomasClark]

Wow this Varu unit looks like a serious BAMF.

LOL - but yes. Better bring some promoted spearmen against India.

The Stepwell and the Varu could actually be India's most significant bonuses...

 

[stealth_nsk]

I have said before I think India is a warmonger. I don't know which tech Varu comes with but if it is unlocked around the same time as the horseman and swordman and cost about the same as these two units it will give India a extreme advantage.

1 vs 1 Varu have +10 strength advantage
2 vs 2 Varu have +15 strength advantage (that is about a whole era ahead in strength advantage)
And the advantage can get even higher then that, as the Varu kills the enemies the enemies will get even more penalties because the hole Varu makes in the enemy lines allow better spread of the penalty. With +20-25 advantage it will be close to spears against tanks. Yes they can be stopped but they would basically be the Praetorians in civilization IV, maybe even more scarrier.

I believe you miscalculate. +10 is for having 2 Varu. They clearly look at Horseman which is near 2 of them.

 

[Kouvb593kdnuewnd]

Varu have 40 base strength compared to 35 for horse and sword.

 

[stiiknafuulia]

To me, the Varu seems like the ultimate defensive unit. Find a couple of short passes / isthmuses with rivers, and/or forests and hills, plop down your wall of elephants and presto! No way an enemy unit can avoid landing next to two Varus with no movement points left, spelling a swift and merciful death.

On the offense, the ideal pattern can't be as easily maintained, and the slow movement speed is a further hindrance. Not that you *can't* use the Varu offensively -- or even that it won't be very good at it -- but it's on the defense where it seems like it'll really shine, imo.

 

[stealth_nsk]

Varu have 40 base strength compared to 35 for horse and sword.

Ok, I see. Yes, you get significant advantage over other classical units, especially considering what they are unlikely to require. I wonder how much they cost.

On the other hand, I bet Spear/Pike bonuses (+10 vs. Mounted) apply against them, so Spears could be as effective as Swords, and Pikes will just stop them.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Yeah, 3 Varu kills an enemy Archer instantly (strength: 15).
Looks like since it's an adjacency bonus, you can only surround an enemy unit with 6 Varu at most (- 30 strength), good deal already.

I want to know how that will exactly work, it seems like a rather broken outcome. So I'm curious to see how it ends up working... oh I just repeated myself

 

[stealth_nsk]

I want to know how that will exactly work, it seems like a rather broken outcome. So I'm curious to see how it ends up working... oh I just repeated myself

If my Archer is surrounded by 6 enemy melee units, there's something wrong with this already

On a serious note, Varu a strong counter against offensive units - Chariots, Swordsmen, Horsemen and Knights. Against Spear/Pike+Archer army which we could expect on defense, Varu will not shine that much.

 

[Kouvb593kdnuewnd]

A unique unit people don't seems to talk much about is the Garde Imperiale which is a 65 strength unit during the time other civs are still on the musket 55 strength. This unit get +10 strength if it is on France home continent and get great general points then it kills enemies.

Unique units are a very important part in civ VI, they are not just slightly better, they are far superior.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

A unique unit people don't seems to talk much about is the Garde Imperiale which is a 65 strength unit during the time other civs are still on the musket 55 strength. This unit get +10 strength if it is on France home continent and get great general points then it kills enemies.

Unique units are a very important part in civ VI, they are not just slightly better, they are far superior.

And in my case, given that there is no much to built in each cities, I will actually BUILT these units too

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Yeah, 3 Varu kills an enemy Archer instantly (strength: 15).
Looks like since it's an adjacency bonus, you can only surround an enemy unit with 6 Varu at most (- 30 strength), good deal already.

0 strength =/= death

An Archer surrounded by 4 enemy varu (15-4*5=-5 strength) would survive against a Warrior surrounded by 3 enemy varu (20-3*5=5 strength)

because that is only 10 strength difference

 

[Siptah]

Sounds like Varu are a job for scythian horse archers...