Useless units

[Comrade Pedro]

Hi everyone

I want to know if making marines for amphibious assalts is an efective way to win battles. (I think not)
And the fanatics? Are they really usefull, when they come in great numbers?

 

[funxus]

Fanatics are very cheap, 20s only, and have the same defense as a rifleman.

Many dislike the bombers, marines, partisans, helicopters etc., but many of these "useless" units do have their niche when they are better suited for the job.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Most usless unit in my opinion: destroyer. Might as well say goodby to 60 shields. Cruisers work much better, they can actualy win battles... One movement point is not that much, especialy if you have Magellans...

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Originally posted by Prof. Garfield
Most usless unit in my opinion: destroyer. Might as well say goodby to 60 shields. Cruisers work much better, they can actualy win battles... One movement point is not that much, especialy if you have Magellans...

Destroyers are anti-sub and have the highest movement of all ships. They're good for scouting the ocean. They're never intended to actually fight. That's for the BB's.

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Crusers can see subs too, and if you come across an enimy irnclad, you can actualy beat it, as well as conduct shore bombardments properly. If it were the ONLY navel unit that could see two spaces I might be more inclined to build it. If you don't have collosus, you may even go for upgrading crusers with Leo's.

 

[Nylan]

I only use marines when I invade Australia (AI always covers EVERY COASTAL SQUARE!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

[MightiestEd]

What's wrong with bombers? I swear by them!

They're equally as effective as stealth bombers at the point in the game you get them IMO (ignores city walls). Also you place one over your other units and they can't be attacked (except. by fighters *gulp*). Granted they seem to lose health faster than smoker alcoholics and you have to refuel them but they have good firepower and attack strength

 

[Old n Slow]

Destroyers can come as early as tech #51; crusiers no sooner than tech #61.

I've used destoyers (and built ironclads a bit earlier with the intent of getting destroyers) mainly for searching out the world. Their speed and sight range are super for the job (at that time) and relatively cheap given the assigned job. I may have 1-3, rarely more and of course when Steel is discovered, switch over to the more powerful unit.

Generally, I'll only have a few ships out searching for he sake of searching -- often I'll send boats out late for this purpose (my other boats are busy with trade) and when it happens, only a few boats get the call.

I've re-discovered another value for marines -- a modern version of the legion. In trying to conduct an offense overland in rough terrain, cavalry didn't have the defense to stand up to the initial attack, and alpines just didn't have enough punch. Mobil warfare was a few techs away...

 

[dylandlr]

quote:
marines -- a modern version of the legion. In trying to conduct an offense overland in rough terrain

Thats exactly how I use them. It can be a little slow, but the Marines are very tough. And Partisans are perfect to keep out the more ungrateful citizens after I've liberated their city.

I NEVER build frigates, especially as I usually have Leo's Shop.

 

[Ace]

That is a good idea using marines in rough terrain. With their defensive strength, rough terrain makes them a hard nut to crack.

As to Frigates, I tend to use them for transports as soon as I can get them. I know, they only defend with a 2, but if they encounter barb caravels or even hostile ironclads, they have a reasonable chance to attack and survive. And I just hate to lose caravels loaded with camels to barb triremes!!

 

[The Person]

I can't say that any unit is "useless" as such. They all have their specific task to fulfill. But if there's one unit I never build, it's the battleship. If the AI has Rocketry, it just blasts them with missiles until they're sunk. Pretty annoying, when you look at that a battleship can easily take out bombers, and take at least two dozen missiles to kill. (Pressing "Enter" thirty times in a row is not what I like spending time with.)

 

[Prof. Garfield]

I like battleships. If they are vet, they can usualy survive at least 3 missles, then the comp. has used 180 shields to kill 160 shields. This workes even better if you have a much greater industreal base than your opponant. If you stack your Battleships with AGIESs you don't have anything to worry about. Use those in conjunction with carriers with Stlth. Fighters and you can take pretty much anything that's in the water or on the beach or even 6 squares inland.

 

[dylandlr]

Originally posted by Comrade Pedro
Hi everyone

I want to know if making marines for amphibious assalts is an efective way to win battles. (I think not)

BTW...I find Marines very useful where there are coastal fortresses.

But my favourite amphibious forces are still the Berserkers in Age of the Vikings.

 

[funxus]

Originally posted by dylandlr
But my favourite amphibious forces are still the Berserkers in Age of the Vikings.

The berserkers, are they some special civIII unit or from a scenario?

 

[SVAndrei]

I don't think there are usless units in the game. All of them are good for something. I use Marines when i have to invade a coastline, and the enemy has every square occupied. It's useful for creatind a bridge head.

 

[Unexpected]

I like Marines, a marine can take out a tank quite easily, so if your city is being pounded by tanks you can use marines to take them out and use your own armour to strike back, that way you don't have to waste a movement point off one of you tanks. Also marines can make amphibious assaults which are useful, so all in all a pretty good unit.

Most Useless IMO: frigate

 

[Prof. Garfield]

Originally posted by SVAndrei
I use Marines when i have to invade a coastline, and the enemy has every square occupied. It's useful for creatind a bridge head.

Battleships or AGIES will work beter. They have more hit points and BB has more attack too. I build marines for defence when they would take the same amount of turns to compleet as AT. (before Labour Union) They work great for "reserves" when you are clearing out an enimie on you contenent andthey are connected by RR. If your artillery hasn't compleetly defeted all opponents, you can take your marines and finish the job. I would probably use marines if I were attacking a costal city without walls but with costal fortress...

I supose that Unexpected was corect about frigates. I never thought about them because I neglect my navy untill steel (exept for merchant marine), frigates being too useless.

 

[funxus]

@Unexpected, a mech inf is 10s cheaper and has more hit points, which therfore probably could be better for that purpose, or you could add just 20s and get a much better offensive defender (the Armor), which attacks with 10 (15 if vet) and also attacks 2-3 times faster.

 

[dylandlr]

Originally posted by funxus

The berserkers, are they some special civIII unit or from a scenario?

I am not sure of their origin, but you can see them in the CivII downloads under medieaval scenarios.

"Age of the Vikings v 1.01 for civilization 2.62
a scenario (my first) by Joel André
Berserkers 8 1 1 1 1 Vikings Amphibous"

This a fabulous scenario...one I have played repeatedly and as every civilisation.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Originally posted by Prof. Garfield


Battleships or AGIES will work beter. They have more hit points and BB has more attack too. I build marines for defence when they would take the same amount of turns to compleet as AT. (before Labour Union) They work great for "reserves" when you are clearing out an enimie on you contenent andthey are connected by RR. If your artillery hasn't compleetly defeted all opponents, you can take your marines and finish the job. I would probably use marines if I were attacking a costal city without walls but with costal fortress...

I supose that Unexpected was corect about frigates. I never thought about them because I neglect my navy untill steel (exept for merchant marine), frigates being too useless.

What if the big ships are needed to take out another navy? Coastal bombardment hurts their movement and their hp. A transport with marines can hit and run away.