Using Impis to win

[Homie]

You know when you go to war with horsemen ( I always do, it ensures a large empire if you surprise-attack and basically then you have won the game.) Anyway, the bother with this is that your defenses always comes way behind so you can't advance. But if you have impi's they can tag along and your horsemen and captured cities will be protected.

It will make the early horsemem warfare safer and more effective. Good idea, huh. (Someone else has probably thought of it, but I've never seen it mentioned on this forum)

 

[chiefpaco]

Yeah, the old 2-2-2 stack. I've heard of some elite player's perfecting the Zulu game. That with the upgrade strategy of chariots, scout resource denial, and a healthy contingent of Impi.

 

[bobgote]

I think impis should be modded to at least 2.2.2 anyway. They were far more of an attacking unit than a defending one. (3.2.2 would be more accurate, but maybe too much of an advantage).

 

[Homie]

No, even 2.2.2 would be too much of an advantage. The Impi's would kick ass and rule the world.

 

[bobgote]

But homie, thinking historically, their strength was in attack and not defence. Other Ancient UU's have received 2 bonus ADM points ie immortals and legionary to name 2. If the impi had 2.2.2 at least, i would play as the zulu a lot more, since they would be my favourite civ.

 

[Homie]

All units are really attackers (and defenders) in real life aren't they? Infantry have always been used for attack as well as defense.

And no ancient UU's have receieved 2 bonus points. The Immortal and the Legion both replace the Swordsman which is a 3.2.1. unit.
The Immortal gets its point in attack 4.2.1 and the Legion in defense 3.3.1.

 

[bobgote]

isn't swordsman 3.1.1?

(EDIT): Sorry, my mistake. Don't often use swordsmen.

 

[Homie]

By the way Bobgote, I love your signature "...the political leader formerly known as Lenin..."

 

[skaternate]

The whole Idea of the 2-2-2 stack is nice, but I don't use them. Even if I use their ciiv, I would find it a waste of resources to build 10 or so Impis to tag along with my horsemen. It's just not the way I play. I would rather have 25 horseman to start the attack, than 10 impis & 15 horseman. I persenally prefer either the 3-1-2 stack (Mounted Warriors) or the 3-3-1 stack (legionars). This all depending on the map size I am playing on. Anything larger than small and I go with the MW, speed and power controll larger land masses than speed and defense. Is it not the Idea of anciant warfare to hit the AI so hard that the are shocked and unprepared. To strike before they have build up any significant army to speek of anyway. And if you time it right so that they haven't, you move your explorers into place (iroquise are exp/rel) you can destroy their resources turn one. They then have no unit that can actually catch your MW, and when a MW strikes a city he has a 33% higher chance of succes than a horseman.

 

[Homie]

MW are great but they can't defend the cities after you captured them.

 

[skaternate]

Homie if you are pushing a full fledged assault they can. After I take a city 999 times out of 1000 that city will never see a an enemy unit attack it. I usually have roughly 30 units to start any campaign and 130 by the end. I will mop through most civs in ten turns max. They will be more worried about the units in front of there next city than they will be about the city that was just taken.

 

[bobgote]

Originally posted by Homie
By the way Bobgote, I love your signature "...the political leader formerly known as Lenin..."

thx .

Anyway, the impi should be 2.1.2. They aren't a defending unit, they're an attacking one. They should be used to replace the swordsman and given 3.2.2. This is more accurate. Even though the assegai is a type of spear, it would fit in better with higher attack.

 

[Xarin]

Originally posted by Homie
MW are great but they can't defend the cities after you captured them.

In Civilization, the best defense is a good offense. If the AI brings units near your city, you're better off attacking them than waiting to be attacked anyway.

 

[bobgote]

Originally posted by Xarin


In Civilization, the best defense is a good offense. If the AI brings units near your city, you're better off attacking them than waiting to be attacked anyway.

Depends on terrain around your city. MW are no good against spearmen on a mountain (especially if they are shielding a swordsman or worse, immortal). Generally you still want some defending units in the city, just in case you do get a direct attack.

 

[Jade]

Anyway, the impi should be 2.1.2. They aren't a defending unit, they're an attacking one[/B]

Well, then what to do with the war chariot (2.1.2)? Can't make that one defensive. Or maybe the cart is good for cover and the horses can lay in ambush and kick butt.

 

[Michael York]

I'd like to see them as a nationalism unit. and they are not very powerfull, but very cheap and fast.

 

[skaternate]

originally posted by bobgate

(especially if they are shielding a swordsman or worse, immortal).

If there are immortals around my town I would rather take my chances with my MW. The thing is that all my MW out there on the offensive would see and prevent a slow moving Immortal from making it to my city.

 

[Civddict]

swordsman are 3.2.1 and that is fair
i would give impis 2.2.1.

 

[bobgote]

Originally posted by Civddict
swordsman are 3.2.1 and that is fair
i would give impis 2.2.1.

The impis were great because of the incredible speed at which they moved, and their savagery in attack. zulu tradition meant that they never defended.

Jade: The war chariot is useless. Burn it. And since it's on a different tech, it shouldn't matter. I prefer the 3.2.2 replaces swordsman one actually.

Skaternate: You need some units in your city, for happiness and to prevent CF. They can't all be roaming around. Unless you have plains/grassland for miles around, MW aren't gonna be good for defending your cities.

Michael York: In their contextual setting, they were the most powerful unit. No-one would go for them just cos they're cheap.

 

[skaternate]

Bobgate I very rarely use units for happiness, (only in core wonder cities that need the extra). I prefer to use luxeries for happiness. I find if you have luxeries at 40-50% in republic, you don't really have to worry about happiness or CF. I have done tests myself, when a town flipped reloaded to save previous turn (I save at end of all turns) and raise luxeries to see how it affects the flip. I find between 40-50% luxeries usually prevents flipping. So I keep them at this level during war. And I never even worry about science. In this months GOTM9 I conquered the world before I ever even learned scientific method. And I don't just have my MW roaming around I have scouts scouting, and my MW usually just go city to city, rest one turn in town to quell resistance leave on behind for defence and move on. I know that against the AI you don't even have to have a defense in most your cities. I haven't been able to figure out the method myself, but I have downloaded and studied Aeson's HOF diety game, and noticed one odd thing. In almost all his cities there was no units at all! All his units were out at war taking over other civs. In the end of my GOM9 I did the same, just simply disbanded all defense, except around main battle front, and the AI never came to my undefended cities. However there is one point I can give to the Impis against my MW; there the only defensive unit of there era that the MW can't retreat from battle from. So it's kill or be killed. That is great plus for them, but they still die eventually. My current attempt at an HOF I am using MW offensive, 130AD and I have already produced 112 MW. The AI has not yet learned about pikeman, so all civs in my way are doomed. I mean really what can you do about 3 30+ stacks of MW in the anciant era? DIE