Worst Unique Unit

[Molybdeus]

All of the unique units have their uses, but some -like the Praetorian- are better than the others. Which unique unit do you feel is the worst?

(Cataphract, Cho-Ko-Nu, Immortal, Landsknecht, Oromo Warrior, Praetorian and Redcoat are not included on the poll for obvious reasons.)

 

[Darth Meanie]

Well Jaguars are very situational and weaker than they're counterparts. They are only useful if you have a lot of woods/jungle and no iron. Otherwise they are useless, Axemen w/out a melee bonus.

 

[madscientist]

Starting this argument again. Tha Balista War Elephants is the most absolutely useless UU in the game. A stupid ability for a rare unit.

After that I think the Dutch and Portugese UU is pretty week simply because they are naval units.

After the dumb Balista elephant I think the haiwcha which took a serious nerve in BTS. It is essentially a defensive unit now, when you bring it to assault a city it's typically barraging or attacking longbows.

 

[Quotey]

Camel Archer, Camel Archer, Camel Archer. NO QUESTION. No ability for a commonish resource. For a unit that noone builds. Then Hwacha. 50% bonus against melee? Good luck with the withdrawal thing, no, really!

 

[madscientist]

Well Jaguars are very situational and weaker than they're counterparts. They are only useful if you have a lot of woods/jungle and no iron. Otherwise they are useless, Axemen w/out a melee bonus.

Except in BTS they can get to woodsman III pretty easy now which is not a trivial promotion and can be upgraded. Woodman III, combat I can shred any forrest defenders and be able to heal pretty fast. Not the best, but I would say maybe a tad under average.

 

[xanadux]

Gallic warrior. Who needs a guerilla sword?

Honorable mention ... musketeer ... now your mostly useless unit has 2 movement.

All the others mentioned here ... carracks, camel archers, and East Indiamen can be very useful in the right situations.

 

[Florian]

Ballista Elephant. The only thing worse than having a gimmicky UU with a single highly specific application is not even being able to build it 75% of the time.

At least Camel Archers come with their own magically produced dromedaries. Horses are a resource. Camels simply appear wherever there are Arabs.

 

[xanadux]

2nd honrable mention does go to the Ballista Elephant ... it's just too common to not be able to build it. But if you can, it is useful, if a low tier UU.

 

[Philo_Beddoe]

Camel Archer, Camel Archer, Camel Archer. NO QUESTION. No ability for a commonish resource. For a unit that noone builds. Then Hwacha. 50% bonus against melee? Good luck with the withdrawal thing, no, really!

Camel Archers replace knights. You dont build knights? Iron and Horses are common?

Jaguars for the win.

 

[Quotey]

Camel Archers replace knights. You dont build knights? Iron and Horses are common?

Very sorry, my mistake. I assumed that Camel Archers replaced Horse Archers, having never played Arabia. My point still stands though- yes, Horses and Iron are common enough that if you don't have them by KNIGHTS you should just resign. Again, my mistake, sorry.

 

[madscientist]

Gallic warrior. Who needs a guerilla sword?

Honorable mention ... musketeer ... now your mostly useless unit has 2 movement.

All the others mentioned here ... carracks, camel archers, and East Indiamen can be very useful in the right situations.

The thing about muskateer is that the can keep up with knights/crussairs (used to cavalry but that's not an issue anymore). Get gunpowder, astronomy, chemistry and bombard coastal cities with frigates while you muskateers/crussair run up and down the shore line. Muskateers can also retreat after an attack to heal, and can move from city to city quickly for defense. Probably an average UU I think.

 

[PotatoOverdose]

Camel Archers replace knights. You dont build knights? Iron and Horses are common?

Actually, if you're at the stage in development of your civilization where you can build knights, having horses and iron is pretty common. True, on some rare occasions you won't have it, but for the most part not having iron and horses by the time of being able to research guilds is a sign of poor expansion/conquest which can be the sign of a bad player.

After that I think the Dutch and Portugese UU is pretty week simply because they are naval units.

Both of those UU's are amazing if their is any appreciable amount of water on a map. Unlike certain other UU's that fail regardless of map type, like the Ballista Elephant, Hwacha, Bowman, and Holkan.

 

[qwertz]

ballista elephants are a sort of normal elephant with other graphics, but at least they aren't worse than their base unit; unlike jaguars

 

[InvisibleStalke]

Actually, if you're at the stage in development of your civilization where you can build knights, having horses and iron is pretty common. True, on some rare occasions you won't have it, but for the most part not having iron and horses by the time of being able to research guilds is a sign of poor expansion/conquest which can be the sign of a bad player.

It is common to have them, but its not certain. And what if you aren't playing for a military victory? Having camel archers means you can count on mobile defense without having to go to war to get it. Which fits with a protective leader and the type of game that Saladin lends himself to.

I'd prefer it to be a bit stronger - not just having the resourceless bonus but an actual advantage. So its still a weak UU. But it doesn't compare to me with the Hwacha which gets a bonus against a unit type it will probably never face and can't kill anyway.

 

[InvisibleStalke]

ballista elephants are a sort of normal elephant with other graphics, but at least they aren't worse than their base unit; unlike jaguars

Jaguars are way cool. They are only three promotions away from being super medics with forest3medic1. Thats pretty much as good as medic3 and you don't need to burn a great general.

With forest2 they are highly mobile pillagers. And since its a promotion they keep it when they upgrade to maces.

 

[Supr49er]

Like everything else, it depends.

My style of play usually ends games before the modern era, so the modern Navy Seal units rarely come into use.

 

[PotatoOverdose]

It is common to have them, but its not certain. And what if you aren't playing for a military victory? Having camel archers means you can count on mobile defense without having to go to war to get it. Which fits with a protective leader and the type of game that Saladin lends himself to.

I'd prefer it to be a bit stronger - not just having the resourceless bonus but an actual advantage. So its still a weak UU. But it doesn't compare to me with the Hwacha which gets a bonus against a unit type it will probably never face and can't kill anyway.

Well, it was my point to say it is common to have horses and iron by that point in the game, and you agreed with that so... yea.

BTW, I voted for the Bowman because its the most pointless UU ever, IMO. You should not be building any appreciable quantities of archers to begin with, and if you have to build them, they only serve for defensive purposes and you shouldn't build that many of them anyway. At least skirmishers have a base strength of 4 which means that all of their promotions will multiply on a larger base number...thats something at least.

 

[Darth Meanie]

Who voted for bowman? A bowman rush on low dificulties is viable, and they keep you safe from enemy rushes.

 

[r_rolo1]

For me, definitely the Korean UU.... A military UU that can't kill A close second for the Jag..... I can only think on using them in Arboria or Boreal.

 

[Supr49er]

Ballista Elephant. The only thing worse than having a gimmicky UU with a single highly specific application is not even being able to build it 75% of the time.

At least Camel Archers come with their own magically produced dromedaries. Horses are a resource. Camels simply appear wherever there are Arabs.

I got my Knights destroyed out of my protected stack by these Ballista Elephants. I have a healthy respect for these horse killers.

... After that I think the Dutch and Portugese UU is pretty week simply because they are naval units.

Not on a water map. You can attack across the ocean early in the game with the carrack.