Zara Yaqob Strategy?

[mtr12]

Since he's got a really strong UU and early-midgame traits, I've been experimenting with a Gunpowder beeline into an Oromo/Treb war against a medieval target. Is this a viable way of playing Zara?

 

[MarigoldRan]

Yes. It's similar to playing the Ottomans.

Run a specialist economy (lots of farms and food).

Beeline Education (use a GS), Lib Nationalism. Tech Gunpowder.

Draft Oromo Warriors. Build the Taj Mahal.

Everything will kick in at exactly the right time.

Use Fail-Gold and tech trades to run 100% research.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Oromo's have the advantage of still being effective vs. muskets with the drill promos, too, thus they have a longer life-span than janissaries (though they may not be quite as effective vs. LB)

 

[JammerUno]

Best way to use Oromos is to draft them with barracks and either vassalage or theocracy and upgrade them to D3 rifles.

They can't take cities without trebs and maces+pike+xbows gives better stack defence than Oromos. It's the curse of the muskets, they just lack base strength.

 

[GGracchus]

Get engineering+gunpowder, lib nationalism. Start drafting oromos and building trebs, and go for steel and cannons, and upgrade.

 

[Dr.Null]

I view Oromos as an awesome augmentation to the Steel bee-line. You certainly can war with Trebs and Oromos, but you need a lot of Pikes because Knights murder your stack otherwise. Cannons solve Knights nicely.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Oromo's have the advantage of still being effective vs. muskets with the drill promos, too, thus they have a longer life-span than janissaries (though they may not be quite as effective vs. LB)

What they are weaker against is knights.

Edit: I'd still mix pikes into a cannon stack, such that cuirassers don't completely screw you the instant they show. Also, combat II knights (very easy for AI or anyone to reach) will fight any practically promoted cannon at 50% odds. If they have combat III you actually get fairly miserable odds w/o the pike cover.

The high drill helps keep you fresh after attacking/killing units as well as defending cities vs superior #'s.

 

[DanielTorrence]

on Immortal? I tried it a couple of times, but was not impressed with my attack dates, so I would like to know what good players can do here?

Yes. It's similar to playing the Ottomans.

Run a specialist economy (lots of farms and food).

Beeline Education (use a GS), Lib Nationalism. Tech Gunpowder.

Draft Oromo Warriors. Build the Taj Mahal.

Everything will kick in at exactly the right time.

Use Fail-Gold and tech trades to run 100% research.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

What they are weaker against is knights.

Edit: I'd still mix pikes into a cannon stack, such that cuirassers don't completely screw you the instant they show. Also, combat II knights (very easy for AI or anyone to reach) will fight any practically promoted cannon at 50% odds. If they have combat III you actually get fairly miserable odds w/o the pike cover.

The high drill helps keep you fresh after attacking/killing units as well as defending cities vs superior #'s.

Yes. Why i said LB is beyond me.

 

[MarigoldRan]

on Immortal? I tried it a couple of times, but was not impressed with my attack dates, so I would like to know what good players can do here?

Massive draft and whip the moment Gunpowder and Nationalism kicks in. Build a couple of suicide siege weapons before that moment. Plan ahead by by building a couple of "crap" cities earlier and farming them up to size.

The whip keeps the population low, so you can draft more.

8 cities at standard can generate 20+ Janissaries in 10 turns. 30 if you're willing to over-draft and over-whip.

The Ottoman UB is actually pretty useful because it helps raise your happy cap for this moment.