What's the best new UU?

[sneaky]

The choices:

Babylonian: Bowman (Archer with +50% vs Melee)

Byzantine: Cataphract (Knight, +2 strength, not immune to first strike)

Dutch: East Indiaman (Galleon, +2 strength, +1 cargo, can enter enemy territory)

Ethiopian: Oromo Warrior (Musketman, First Strike and Drill I & II, immune to First Strikes)

Holy Roman Empire: Landsknecht (Pikeman, +100% vs. melee)

Khmer: Ballista Elephant (War Elephant, special ability: will automatically target defending mounted units first if outside of city walls)

Mayan: Holkan (Spearman, immune to First Strike, can be built without copper or iron)

Native American: Dog Soldier (Axeman, -1 strength, +100% vs. melee, can be built without copper or iron)

Protuguese: Carrack (Caravel, +1 cargo, can carry military units, can explore rival territory)

Sumerian: Vulture (Axeman, +1 strength but suffers a 25% reduction against melee units)

 

[sneaky]

My personal preferences among the new UU are the Landsknecht which seems very strong and has a long lifespan, the Dutch East Indiaman for its opportunity to rule the seas and the Mayan Holkan which can be build without resources.

 

[Martinus]

A lot of strong units there, but I think Landknecht is really going to rule - this is the ultimate defense unit (essentially only a Warlords' Trebuchet can beat it, and I understand Trebuchets get nerfed in BtS) and it would rock as an attacking unit against everything maybe except a Protective city full of Longbowmen.

On a water-heavy map, East Indiaman will also rule.

 

[kazapp]

Landsknecht and Holkan.

The super galleon remains "nice to have" only.

Too many new UUs have gotten penalties. No matter how nice benefits an UU gets, it's no fun if it gets worse at what the standard unit does. Booh to balancing UUs by giving out penalties!

 

[sneaky]

The Landsknecht are quite sickening indeed. The HRE seems one of the strongest new civs with the Dutch and the Mayan.

 

[Onagan]

I love the Oromo Warrior, nice to have such a lot of Drill, with 5 XP you got Drill IV

 

[Qoo]

I vote for Oromo Warrior .
It's look like terrific unit with drill promotion

 

[diablodelmar]

I voted for the Indiaman. But the Landsknecht also rocks.

 

[Panda]

Landsknecht, with honourary mentions to the Cataphract.

 

[Cookie Crumbs]

The Landsknecht pretty much means you won't be touched until advanced Gunpowder units. The Khmer UU sounds gimmicky...

 

[Edungeon]

Crossbowman can kill Landsknecht, they are not that invencible .

I voted for the Cataphract

 

[Papa Smurf]

i wonder how the UU of sea will do

I think that the dutch galleon could be very effective
+2 s
can move in enemy territory

basicly u own the sea

 

[Thedrin]

3rd: Holkan
2nd: Cataphract
1st: Landsknecht

By itself it's great and probably the best but the Landsknecht has fantastic synergy with Charlemagne - particularly his protective trait. Landsknecht/protective crossbow stacks will be very powerful. Throw in trebuchets (which are made available with the same technology that unlocks pikemen) for city raiding. This technology also unlocks Charlemange's half price (thanks to protective again) castles.

 

[braindrain]

The holkan looks nasty...all the Mayan's need to do is study cheap hunting and then they are ready to unleash the holkan rage...before their rivals have archers, let alone axemen. Since holkan's don't need metal, they can get out really quick. Plus, spearemen can get city raider upgrade....lord! i hope i never start close to Mayans....

 

[TheLastOne36]

The byzantines seem OP in my opinion. So Cataphract.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

I agree. Even the Landsnechkt can be countered by Conquistadors (but the Spanish shouldn't get dominance like that!)

 

[Bongo-Bongo]

The Landsknecht definetley seems the most powerful. But Holkan, Dog Soldier, Vulture and Cataphract also seem to be very strong.

The Balissta Elephant however seems rather uninspiring...

 

[Polycrates]

Babylonian: Bowman (Archer with +50% vs Melee)

Combat I/Cover impis will still beat these guys in the field, but the relative shield costs will slightly favour babylon on open terrain. But they're slow! That just means using a bit more defensive terrain as cover! My impis mostly won't be able to take even his weak border cities, but his landscape is still toast!

Byzantine: Cataphract (Knight, +2 strength, not immune to first strike)

Impis can sometimes smash themselves up some knights, but they will have trouble against these guys. A bit scary, unless Byzantium is pillaged into insignificance first!

Dutch: East Indiaman (Galleon, +2 strength, +1 cargo, can enter enemy territory)

Ha! It can't even go onto land! My impis will laugh from the shore as they burn down all his windmills and he rages ineffectually on his boats!

Ethiopian: Oromo Warrior (Musketman, First Strike and Drill I & II, immune to First Strikes)

Way too late for my impis to care! And slow!

Holy Roman Empire: Landsknecht (Pikeman, +100% vs. melee)

Bit too late, pal! Pikemen beat my impis anyway, so it makes no difference, the only problem for Charley is catching them!

Khmer: Ballista Elephant (War Elephant, special ability: will automatically target defending mounted units first if outside of city walls)

So all I have to do is stick a sacrificial chariot with my impis, then they come out unharmed and can counterattack the expensive wounded elephant next turn? And then go pillage all your ivory? Awesome!

Mayan: Holkan (Spearman, immune to First Strike, can be built without copper or iron)

You better pray you can get to my copper before my impis come out, Mr Holkan, or else you're nothing but slow dead wasted hammers against the impi horde!

Native American: Dog Soldier (Axeman, -1 strength, +100% vs. melee, can be built without copper or iron)

This makes me sad. These guys scare my impis, and they can't be pillaged away. Even forests won't protect against them, I don't imagine. Still slow, though!

Protuguese: Carrack (Caravel, +1 cargo, can carry military units, can explore rival territory)

Pfft, like a puny little boat can stop my mighty impi hordes! No you can't come back to land, it's ALL ON FIRE!

Sumerian: Vulture (Axeman, +1 strength but suffers a 25% reduction against melee units)

Even if this means 6+25% vs melee, it doesn't scare my impis any more than regular axemen, and they're not even aggressive! Nice try, Sumeria!


From this careful analysis, I have determined: Dog Soldiers are by far the best new UU, followed by Cataphracts and Bowmen, then the Holkan, Landknecht and Ballista Elephant.

 

[GIR]

yes, Landsknecht seem to be a good UU.
maybe not the best for attacks but really nice for defending.

 

[Calder]

For any of you 'early axeman rush' lovers take a look of the Sumarian Vulture. Given shock promotion you gain back the -25% vs melee, so you're looking at a strength 6 bronze age melee unit with + 50% vs melee.
Nice also is the Native American Dog Soldier, no copper required but needs combat exp. to catch up to vulture (which may not be too hard to get given its earlier entry i.e. no need for copper.)