HINNOM EATS EVERYTHING

[konming]

I think all these things are concerned with early game. Sauromatian has many tricks early, hydra/poison archer, blessed sacred, skelly spam. But when const and alt catch up, Hinnom's SCs will beat Sauromatian quite soundly.

[Ming]

Konming,

No disagreement here. Hinnom is strong early, mid, and late game.

[chrispedersen]

Gentlemen,

A few comments. You are not taking into economics.
Hinnom units are expensive in gold and resources. Hinnom *needs* to start off (in my opinion) with something like a
+3 +3 +3 +(x) -(y) and +z.

With your heavy units costing from 75/29 to something like 150/88 - you will be building something like *3* chariots the first turn- or possibly 3 dawn guards.

Typically you will be building 1-2 more units on the second turn.

Sauromatia has the same dumps as you do - plus he can afford to dump on production.

Ignoring starting forces, for a moment, and just look at turn production.

Which wins: 3 chariots or 1 hydra and some archers?
3 dawn guard or 6 Oirpata?

So on a turn by turn production Sauromatia takes hinnom. Even with even blesses, which shouldn't be the case due to design costs.

Sauromatia has a window of opportunity which lasts pretty well into the early game.

[konming]

That means you need to attack indies instead of sauromatian in the early game.

[MaxWilson]

I'm confused. If you're comparing resource cost, shouldn't it be 3 chariots to 87 hydras? If you're comparing gold cost, shouldn't it be 7.5 dawn guards to 6 Oirpata?

-Max

[chrispedersen]

its your likely production, Max.

You are going to be limited by *either* gold, or resources, or holy.

[MaxWilson]

Sure, but why skew both comparisons in favor of Sauromatia by using it as the baseline?

-Max

[Renojustin]

Sauromatia build is extremely tight on points among other things and is very unlikely to have anything other than Sloth scales.

In addition, read my guide for poison bow archer counters. The only way you're going to have significant trouble with them with Hinnom is if you're attacking them. And that's only in early game before you can leverage your poison-immune SCs. So early game defense is a strength of Sauromatia... it's just what happens when the irresistable force meets the immovable object.

At least there's one nation that Hinnom simply can't rush off the map initially... they have to actually wait till turn 15.

[chrispedersen]

How do you think I'm skewing the comparison? Average out 10 turns of production, if you wish. Show me a hinnom build I'll show you a sauromatia build that takes it.