The Kevin Miles (TM) Roman Legion rush

[KevinMiles90000]

Maybe I just suck at longsword rushing because I can never pull it off with any reliability.

Rome/Diety/Pangea

The build order is this:

-Scout
-Scout
-Monument
-Barracks
-Settler
-Rush buy Armory
-Pump out warriors (set capital to all out production)
-Upgrade warriors into legions
-Maybe more units/NC

The policy order is this:

-Liberty
-Citizenship
-Meritocracy

Tech order is this:

-Mining
-Bronze working
-Luxury gathering techs
-Bulb iron working
-Pottery/writing
-Either mathematics for ballistas or start working towards Steel

In the first picture is the starting position. Now since it is in the middle of the desert one could wager that there is iron in within the three hex limit of the capital. For the sake of this demonstration I assumed that there wasn't because this strategy does not require there to be iron in the capital (there often isn't)

First you want to get 2 scouts out. I am a big proponent of this, especially on pangea maps. It allows you to meet other civs ASAP and get the possible free 50 gold, as well as city states. In addition to the chance of collecting more ruins. You also have a backup in case a scout dies. Finally, when crafting a strategy for each specific game one has to best understand the map and the civs. The earlier you see whats going on around you, the sooner you can tailor your strategy to the situation presented to you. I've found that in civ sometimes winning or losing often comes down to something as simple as "I should have attacked this civ instead of this other civ".

Once you have found the closest neighbor (victim) Send your scout(s) and warrior to try and steal at least one worker. Be patient, but don't be too patient. Even if you have to lose the warrior or scout it is worth it IMO. If you can capture 2 workers but can only get 1 out, just disband the one you cant. Or if you can capture 1 right away and get it out safely go ahead and do that too. It's rare that you are able to capture 2 of them safely. (thanks to MadDjinn for this strategy)

So hopefully send that captured worker back to your capital. By now your monument should be done and you should have gotten citizenship +another worker. Let your capital grow a few population points while building a barracks, then switch up to a settler timed to complete around the time that you get meritocracy.

Pop meritocracy for a scientist and tech iron working. This should show where iron is on the map, send the settler to it. Even if it is in some tundra wasteland, get at least 6 iron. If you can pick up some luxuries with this city even better. Set it to all out production and start building a library in it. Meanwhile rush buy an armory, set the capital to all out production (without losing population due to starvation) and start pumping out warriors. You should have saved all the cash you got from meeting CS/open borders/selling luxuries. Upgrade the warriors into legions until you have an army of about 6 of them. Either start pumping out more units if you have the iron/need, or start building a library and working towards a NC. Rush the civ you originally DOW on, punch them in the face, and take their ****.


-Kevin Miles

 

[KevinMiles90000]

Having an armory/Barracks also gives you upgrades to the ballista which becomes a nasty city destroyer with siege.

 

[drudometkin]

What type of victory do you usually go for after the rush? Domination I assume.

 

[Deau]

I've been having a harder time doing a proper LS rush since .275 as well. Not so much getting it out more than making it effective and picking enough cities before they are obsolete.

Instead though I've been developping an ottomans janissary-> rifling rush. It's much more stressful on RA/research timing and early DoWs than LS rush but it's a blast to play. I'm usually poping gunpowder on turn 105 and poping rifling on turn 120. Giving me about 50-60 turns of total opness with rifles that start w morale and 30 exp on top of the 25% attacking bonus and full heal uppon killing an ennemy unit. It's actually so godly I've been having a hard time keeping up on happiness when doing it.

I have always been avoiding "early units rushes" because I hate the feel of casualties with those weaker units swarms. That being said, interesting thread. Esp bubling such an early iron working. That sounds like a scary use of your first 3 SPs but if you can get a few early cities it's nb.

 

[KevinMiles90000]

What type of victory do you usually go for after the rush? Domination I assume.

Kevin Miles does not concern himself with such questions. He only desires conquest and victory in it's easiest form.

 

[IgnatiusTBarfat]

Quick question... What did you do to Genoa to make them so angry. Did you already DoW Oda and they were allies? Or was that who you meant by nearest victim. I took that statement to mean civ not cs.

Good stuff.

 

[KevinMiles90000]

Quick question... What did you do to Genoa to make them so angry. Did you already DoW Oda and they were allies? Or was that who you meant by nearest victim. I took that statement to mean civ not cs.

Good stuff.

they allied with the Iroquois and DoW me. Also as a note, if you can't get iron with your 2nd city, just settle near the most amount of resources you can and sell them off and to buy some from a CS. If there is no iron from a CS/other civ and no iron anywhere near your start position, I don't know, just restart or something. If there isn't any civs nearby, just peacefully expand then and put the Rome UA to good use.


*edit* you can also send your first few legions to build a road to your second city/the civ you have DoW on while you are building your army. Not game changing but a nice bonus.

 

[IgnatiusTBarfat]

you can also send your first few legions to build a road to ... the civ you have DoW on while you are building your army. Not game changing but a nice bonus.

Can't believe I haven't thought of this before! Flip to insta-traderoute.

 

[Unhappy Ood]

I would suggest adding Heroic Epic to you build list (after barracks completed) for the morale promotion gives +15% damage. This following thread gives me info http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=421820

 

[KevinMiles90000]

I would suggest adding Heroic Epic to you build list (after barracks completed) for the morale promotion gives +15% damage. This following thread gives me info http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=421820

I considered it, but the whole point of swordsman rushing is sacrificing everything for speed. A heroic epic translates into 1-2 legions which is often the difference between victory and defeat. It probably would be better though to go back and build it once the initial rush is done.