War Elephant rush ideas?

[crawf0rd]

I wanted to make a thread touching on the topic of the War Elephant. These things are great. Let's compare them to the Chariot Archer, the Archer, and the Composite Bowman:

War Elephant
Combat: 9
Ranged Combat: 11
Movement: 3
Cost: 70 hammers
Tech: The Wheel

Chariot Archer
Combat: 6
Ranged Combat: 10
Movement: 4
Cost: 56 hammers
Tech: The Wheel
Requires Horses
Consumes all movement upon entering rough terrain

Archer
Combat: 4
Ranged Combat: 7
Movement: 2
Cost: 40 hammers
Tech: Archery

Composite Bowman
Combat: 7
Ranged Combat: 11
Movement: 2
Cost: 75 hammers
Tech: Construction

As you can see, the popular Composite Bowman not only are slower, but also weaker, more expensive, and available later than the War Elephant.

Anybody have a strategy for using these supposed monsters to their full potential?

 

[Tabarnak]

CBs are better because you can prebuild them with archers. But i'm interested about a viable war phants rush though it should be difficult to hold on unhappiness with some puppets.

 

[Crafty Bison]

CompB's are also better cos they upgrade to a ranged unit, wheras the War Elephant loses the use of its promotions when they upgrade to knights. Along with the aforementioned flat building of War Elephants, unless you're the Huns I'd consider such a large early investment to be slow, but also a little short sighted. As Tabernak also mentions, what would you gain from it? You'll get a big hapiness hit if you take any puppets/annex, and with India you're going tall anyway so don't need the expansion space.

 

[mintcandy]

I'd only find War Elephant rushes viable for short term gains, not to end the game quickly.

Part of the reason is because the War Elephant effectively loses its promotions on upgrade, and it simply isn't fast enough to conquer all other capitals before they develop units that are superior to the War Elephant.

Another reason is because seizing enemy cities in the Ancient/Classical era is a huge drain on happiness because there are so few ways to generate happiness during that period, which in turn, quickly nullifies the ranged and combat strength advantages War Elephants have on enemy units of the era. India is doubly penalized for seizing enemy capitals in early rushes, because Indian cities have double the unhappiness bonuses that other civilizations have.

I don't know, I just don't see the War Elephant rush being effective beyond the first capital seized in a single player game.

I know I wouldn't expect it in a multiplayer game, simply because it would emphasize India's weakness if successful. :: shrugs :: Still, I wouldn't expect it to garner much more than an enemy capital before the other civilizations start to field better units than the War Elephant.