Which indy units do you like to build?

The only unit I build pretty much every game that is indy is ...


A scout

[Saber Cherry]

Originally posted by PvK:
Heh. I'm the only one who has voted for Tribal Warrior! You guys are missing out on some super bargain-basement cannon fodder!

You know the problem with those guys? Low morale. They are cheap, low resource, and have high protection (6) for cheap, low-resource units. And they dual-wield! Sweet! Until you consider how Dominions combat works. Well, nobody knows how a morale check works, but still... they use daggers! So they get 2 morale checks, and possibly 2 damage with 2 more morale checks, every single time they attack - since virtually every unit has a longer weapon. Tribal Warriors against a Spine Devil or Atlantian spiny infantry (both hurt and poison short-weapon units) would not be pretty.

That's why militia carry spears... militia are worthless, but at least with a long weapon they can fight worthlessly rather fleeing worthlessly=)

If anyone combat-sims Tribal Warriors versus Light Infantry or Militia, I'd be interested in seeing the results. Right now, I would bet on the cheapest light militia (prot-3).

[Saber Cherry]

Hmm. I admit this poll is imperfect, but I think I'll bump it anyway, until I get a few more votes - there should be at least 40 floating around, which will give more precise 2.5% increments.

[PvK]

I don't buy Tribal militia to win battles with them - I buy them to soak up damage, instead of my good troops!

I don't even mind if they run away fairly quickly. In a huge horde of them, or in several small holds, they stay around plenty long in most cases - long enough to absorb lots of damage, which is my reason for taking them.

In fact, I like that they die quickly - it means it's easy to get rid of them when their usefulness has passed, which is usually only a few turns after I hire them.

What's great is that you can hire hordes of them in a single turn, and they can take blows that would wipe out your good troops otherwise, particularly when one is faced with something that can kill your usual best troops, like castle defenses, poison gas clouds, supercombattants, etc.

They are lame but they soak up lots and lots of firepower if you get them in bulk.



PvK

P.S. And as you mentioned, the dual daggers are actually not lame offensively against some foes. If the enemy can't kill 'em fast enough, the tribals can often do a good amount of damage.

[ November 25, 2003, 05:51: Message edited by: PvK ]

[PvK]

I see your point about adding leaders to go with the likes of Villains and Shamblers. However I think it is interesting getting them without them, and I also think it makes some sense. Hiring brigands is one thing, but convincing them to go on a covert mission is another. Similarly, the shamblers on land may have a good reason for not going back underwater, without a convincing leader. It is interesting and challenging to at least sometimes not have all the pieces necessary all in one place. It's usually not difficult to get an underwater commander. It's a bit trickier to get a stealthy commander for some nations. There are some independent provinces with amphibious commanders, though.

In sum, I think it'd be nice if sometimes there were independent land-based-shambler/villain leaders were available, but I think there should still be some provinces that don't have them, because there are other ways to get them.

Getting frustrated and challenged is a big part of the fun of this game.

PvK

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
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There are a few units that I think would be extremely useful... if only! Those are Villians, Woodsmen, Hoburg Militia, Burgmeister Guards, and land-based Shamblers. I never build any of them, except the Woodsmen (because of their 11 precision). What would make them useful:

Villians, Hoburg Militia, and Woodsmen: These are stealth units with no stealth commanders! I would love these things if the provinces included stealth commanders, costing less than ~3gp per unit (as opposed to the Druid, which costs 90 and leads 10, for 9gp per unit... and requires a temple and lab... crazy!). What's wrong with a 30 gold, 10 leadership (or 40 gold, 25 leadership) Chief Villian, Hoburg Militia Captain, or Woodsman Huntmaster?

Shamblers: The ones on land are amphibious, with no amphibious commanders! That makes NO sense. Sure, you might be able to find a water mage, but where there are Shamblers, there should be shambler commanders.

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