Why Scouts Should Be a Priority Build

[CaiusDrewart]

I'm skipping Scouts too. They don't actually explore that much more effectively than Slingers and they're way less useful at fighting. And the Civ VI early game has an awful lot of fighting.

I'm going Slinger-Slinger-Builder-Slinger or Slinger-Slinger-Slinger-Builder to start.

 

[Roxlimn]

I don't know about building that many Scouts that early, but more later on is definitely a good thing. Rangers with Ambush are seriously nasty and can participate meaningfully in a Renaissance war.

 

[Frank327]

Scouts really needed an upgrade to move into enemy territories without an open borders treaty to be useful. That would give them a niche no other unit has.

 

[King Jason]

Scouts really needed an upgrade to move into enemy territories without an open borders treaty to be useful. That would give them a niche no other unit has.

Except Missionaries and apostles

 

[A+ombomb]

Scouts are an illusion. Every scout you build will slow your growth exponentially. It is far better to expand as quickly as possible with chops, then chop out units to defend as needed post expansion. You can explore land with workers - barb scouts don't attack workers. Send a worker out each way, having it chop random woods as it goes. Once it has used all 3 charges you will have good vision up for expanding.

Avoid improving your land much or at all, and barbs won't be able to destroy anything. They can't kill cities early (and won't try).

 

[Nefelia]

started a new game on the Giant Earth Map. Built Warriors, Builders, then Stonehenge (playing as China). Several huts later, I have 3 free scouts running around. Lol.

 

[aimlessgun]

Only played 2 games so far (Emp then Diety), but in both cases I needed to build slinger > slinger > warrior at the start to survive the rush (on Emp I had Teddy and Gilg coming at me). It's possible I could have survived if I'd built a scout because of how bad the AI is at taking cities, but it certainly would have made things harder.

I should consider building an early worker for chops. For some reason they didn't seem that good but I guess it is 35 hammers and a slinger costs 52 (on epic) so you get 2 slingers out of it, and the builder costs 75 hammers so you're profiting around 30 hammers. Just a little worried about protecting it.

 

[Nefelia]

Only played 2 games so far (Emp then Diety), but in both cases I needed to build slinger > slinger > warrior at the start to survive the rush (on Emp I had Teddy and Gilg coming at me). It's possible I could have survived if I'd built a scout because of how bad the AI is at taking cities, but it certainly would have made things harder.

I should consider building an early worker for chops. For some reason they didn't seem that good but I guess it is 35 hammers and a slinger costs 52 (on epic) so you get 2 slingers out of it, and the builder costs 75 hammers so you're profiting around 30 hammers. Just a little worried about protecting it.

Early chopping is not so much to make a profit (though that is somewhat viable), but in order to 'pre-build' a wonder. Build two Builders along with a Warrior or two to escort them, and get them to chopping when you are ready to build your wonder.

I prefer to keep my forests around for when they are more profitable.

 

[Copernic]

I personnally find scouts quite useful.
They are undoubtely more mobile than warriors or slingers with the first upgrade which needs little XP and comes pretty fast. It allows them to ignore the movement penalty from hills or forests. Scouts can be used to find Tribal Villages (always nice to have), to meet City States first, and to find other Civilizations in order to create valuable trade routes early. That is why, building one or two could be worthwhile.

 

[GT_OKEZ]

Scouts are extremely useful. I usually build two if the situation permits. Scouts do a few things for you.

1) Get to the tribal villages fast
2) Discover city states first for bonuses and if you find 3 you'll get a boost to Political Philosophy which is rather important.
3) Increased chance of finding natural wonders to boost astrology.
4) Finding another Civ to boost writing.
5) Knowing quicker where other Civs are, where barb camps are, and where luxury+strategic resources (like horses) so you can quicker plan where your next city will go.

 

[ShadowoftheDark]

I skipped Scouts after a couple of games. Getting those early archers and taking the nearest City State is far more useful in the long run

 

[MyOtherName]

You can sell scouts once they've done their job -- e.g. to pick up your second builder or a monument in your second city or somesuch.

 

[Sogno di Volare]

1. They have good movement and can catch the Barbarian Scouts and stop them from getting back to the barb camp, thereby preventing the flood of barbarian horses.

Is that even a thing? Do the barbarian scouts "communicate" with the barbarian camp by going back to the camp?

 

[discord_ian]

If the scout sees your city an gets back the camp will spawn units and come for the city.

That has been my experience. Though I have seen the scouts do stupid AI stuff and not make it back

It would seem pointless for barbs to have scouts otherwise.

 

[Sogno di Volare]

If the scout sees your city an gets back the camp will spawn units and come for the city.

That has been my experience. Though I have seen the scouts do stupid AI stuff and not make it back

It would seem pointless for barbs to have scouts otherwise.

Has anyone confirmed this?

I mean stupids stuff happens a lot with the AI... not always for a good reason.

 

[LanguishViking]

sumerian scouts might get 3 upgrades getting the +20 combat ability promotion which might make them quite useful as combat units if you can get it.

 

[elitetroops]

Has anyone confirmed this?

Yes, that's how it is. Barbarian camps don't spawn extra units until the scout comes back to tell about a city. Until then it's just the spearman guarding it and camps are easy to destroy. The devs talked quite extensively about this in the previews.

 

[Ryika]

Yeah, and even after getting back to the camp it takes a few turns before the army starts spawning. It's sometimes possible that, if a Camp spawns at minimum distance to a city very early a scout immediately sees the city and the camp starts spawning units before you can really do anything though. 8) In any other situation just sending 2 units after the scout should be enough to deny the army-spawn.

The only other reason for aspawn I know of is that when the Spearman has left the camp for a few turns (I guess it's a chance every turn?), or has been killed without the Camp being destroyed.

 

[Sogno di Volare]

Yes, that's how it is. Barbarian camps don't spawn extra units until the scout comes back to tell about a city. Until then it's just the spearman guarding it and camps are easy to destroy. The devs talked quite extensively about this in the previews.

I'll take your word for it. I just hadn't heard about that.

Honestly I don't see barbarian scouts "go back" very often but the game was just released and everyone's experience is of course different. I could just be effective at taking them out more often than not.

 

[skyclad]

Scouts spawn in camps and look for cities, then report back to their camps. If thes cout is killed the camp spawns a new one. If the camp is destroyed the scout just wanders. Camps dont spawn units besides spearmen and scouts unless city is in range or spearman is killed.