What to do with Great Generals

GermanUruk-Hai

Chieftain
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
12
title explains, either
Super Unit
Super Medic
Settle +2 exp
Or war academy 50% military build speed
I know some is situational, but can you please give me what to do with these units. thanks in advance
 
It IS situational--in my opinion, it depends very much on what you're trying to do in the game.

  • Are you going for a military (conquest/domination) win? Then a combination of 1 super unit with Medic III to accelerate healing (and, therefore, the pace of conquest) and settled GGs in your best production cities makes the most sense.
  • Later on, once you have Military Science, using a GG to build a military academy can be helpful; I usually don't build West Point in my Heroic Epic city, so it's really good to have a military academy in that city. Same for any other production cities that are churning out a lot of units.
  • Military academies are also the better choice if you're pursuing a peaceful win; the reason being that XPs and promotions do NOT count toward your power rating; the number (and relative modernity) of units does, so MAs help you produce more of them. Unfortunately you can't build them until later in the game.
  • Beyond a super medic, super units are superfluous (though loads of fun, especially with Leadership for accelerated XP accumulation). Unless I have a plethora of GGs (such as when I play as Rome--Imperialistic + Praets = scads of GGs), I don't usually bother with them.
 
I mostly make Military academies and settle them as instructors. One super medic is okay, but super combat units are pretty pointless imo.
 
I forgot to mention: settling GGs is also more attractive if you're running Representation for the 3 :science: from each specialist. (However, you then may have to put hammers into science multipliers rather than units to take full advantage of the research bonus.)
 
I usually make a medic and then settle/academy them. Although a super unit can be fun sometimes, and that's what this game is all about :D Seeing how many first strikes you can get your samurai to or making a super praetorian can always be fun, especially if they match your civs nationality. Subutai the super keshik!
 
I usually make a single medic, then settle/academy the rest.

I do concur with the idea of occasionally making a super unit for fun, especially if the name is appropriate. I've had Cortez the super conquistador, and Zhukov the super tank.
 
I usually make a single medic, then settle/academy the rest.

I do concur with the idea of occasionally making a super unit for fun, especially if the name is appropriate. I've had Cortez the super conquistador, and Zhukov the super tank.

I had Zhukov the Battleship once.
 
sometimes it's hard to refuse...Patton the American super-Tank? C'mon! But if winning the game were in serious doubt, I'd have settled or made an academy out of him.
 
I mostly make Military academies and settle them as instructors. One super medic is okay, but super combat units are pretty pointless imo.

This is, unfortunately, extremely true.

I virtually always settle my GGs as instructors, especially if I can get them in the classical age. Level 3 units before Vassalage/Theocracy is pretty dandy. Academies are awesome, but my games are either over or abandoned by the time I get to Military Science.
 
Another potentially useful super-unit, if you're honked on getting the circumnavigation bonus for whatever reason, is to attach a GG to a Caravel and give it Flanking I and Navigation I and II to make it extra-speedy. The unit's not terrifically useful once you win the bonus, though.
 
Another potentially useful super-unit, if you're honked on getting the circumnavigation bonus for whatever reason, is to attach a GG to a Caravel and give it Flanking I and Navigation I and II to make it extra-speedy. The unit's not terrifically useful once you win the bonus, though.

Couldn't you give make a super medic at a port, and have it split exp with a caravel? That way you don't waste the great general itself.

Also great generals upgrade to the highest upgrade for free.
 
Another potentially useful super-unit, if you're honked on getting the circumnavigation bonus for whatever reason, is to attach a GG to a Caravel and give it Flanking I and Navigation I and II to make it extra-speedy. The unit's not terrifically useful once you win the bonus, though.
A very marginal bonus too, if you have the sense to build two caravels and send them in opposite directions.
 
I think one thing is obvious: your Heroic Epic city needs to have at least one military instructor. ASAP as well. And I kind of disagree about the superunit being useless. If you're dominating an enemy it can be very useful. A super infantry unit or super tank is not just fun: it's the fastest way to mop up loads of cities if you give them morale.
 
I find using a couple as troop leaders worthwhile. At least one super-medic, and a super-horse unit of some sort with Tactics can be useful. That said, I tend to settle the first 1-2 in my main production cities, before I worry about using any for leaders.
 
I think one thing is obvious: your Heroic Epic city needs to have at least one military instructor. ASAP as well. And I kind of disagree about the superunit being useless. If you're dominating an enemy it can be very useful. A super infantry unit or super tank is not just fun: it's the fastest way to mop up loads of cities if you give them morale.

The inevitable comeback is:

"If you're dominating an enemy, it isn't necessary."
 
Most of the time i will FIRST settle at least 1 GG in my production (war city).
The next one i will build the accedmy if i can.

I almost NEVER merge him with a unit.

If i want a "super medic" i just go over to vassalge and theorcy for a moment and build a unit. get points from barack, from stable, from 1-3 GG, from vassalge and theocry and have LOTS of EP :D

My record was 8 GG in ONE city....
 
I might be the only guy who likes super units around here, I make one super medic, then the rest goes to making super axes/swords->maces->grens/rifles->infantries. I might put up one military academy in my military city.

super is super medic, the others gets CR3. everyone gets morale (+1 movement) and march (never have to stop to regroup because super medic is with them).

really fast mopping up. and fun as well. at least until one of them died at 98.6...
 
The inevitable comeback is:

"If you're dominating an enemy, it isn't necessary."

Not true. Sometimes all that matters is how quickly you can move to the next city and take it. Sure, if the only thing that matters to you is whether you win, then you're right. But to me it's often about when I win. Particularly in the modern era.
 
I like to make a super siege. I'm pretty sure it's a weak play, but if I can get Accuracy and Morale I can get an extra turn of bombardment as my stack moves up to the city. And the free upgrades means that siege will always be relevant.

I also like getting extra movement on tanks, because they have Blitz. After the artillery pounds everyone into submission, the extra attack means an extra dead defender.

Definitely not as good as settling or making an academy, but I sometimes do it anyway.

PS
 
Settle. I usually have the option of swapping to either Vassalage/Theocracy to get units with extra XP, so supermedics are just not necessary when I can just have a normal medic in a large stack o' doom.
 
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