Wardogs strategy

[eadingas]

Modding hint: if you change the wardogs to missile unit, they get a 'skirmish' ability (you have to switch their primary weapon to missile, too. I recommend slings). This means that the handlers will retreat themselves once the dogs are launched, and will keep out of harms way for the rest of the battle.

[Maltz]

Thanks for all the inputs. So basically there seems to be 3 major usages:

(1) Offensive canon fodder - as a free meat pad. Send them as the first wave of impact to reduce casaulties.

(2) Offensive shock reserve - as a penetrating reinforcement to rout the enemy as fast as posible.

(3) Defensive cavalry charge sponge - as the absorber of an enemy cavalry charge.

All of them seems reasonable to me. I use to remember that people think wardog to be way too powerful, but perhaps due to my inability to use them well, I really don't find wardog "wargods" - perhaps only refers to the divine ability of full regeneration after every battle?

Also, I wonder whether the "fear factor" can accumulate if we have mulitple units of dogs charging the same target...? But if they rout, the dogs will chase them all the way out of the field, which is also a big waste.

[drone]

They are nice in the early game, and do well against rebels and barbarian types. If you don't like bribing rebels, you can keep a few in your garrison (cheap upkeep) and use them to pummel the rebels that keep popping up. Haven't tried using them as town garrison just for the purpose of maintaining public order. Does anyone know if the dogs (not handlers) count as troops for this purpose?

I haven't seen any path issues attacking cities, maybe since the dogs themselves don't have a formation this helps (or maybe I don't pay enough attention to them once they get going).

[drone]

Follow up question to my previous one about garrisoned wardogs and public order: When recruiting a wardog unit, how much population is needed to build the unit, and how many are taken from the town? You would think you would only lose the handlers from the city pop. If this is so, wardogs units would have very little effect on small pop towns. This could be handy if you are exterminating towns, but need some new basic units at the front.
And if the whole unit, dogs and handlers, count towards public order, dogs would be great garrison troops: cheap to maintain, not as much pop cost. Only problem is the 2 turn recruitment time.

The significant other is away for a few days, I finally have some time to play in peace, for hours on end!

[Maltz]

I have not really tested the effect of wardog garrison, but I know the population drain when the recruit occurs, is only the number of handlers. So I would suppose the garrison effect only counts on the handlers.

Under huge unit size there are 48 handlers and 144 dogs (1:3 ratio),
for large there is 24 vs. 72, for normal it is 12 vs. 36, etc.

[Sin Qua Non]

Dogs are also great ambushers. Placed in the deep woods, they can be sprung across an enemy flank for best effect, especially since the AI likes to place skirmishers on the flanks. They also don't seem to be discovered nearly as much as other units when hiding. This is probably due to the fact that the cmputer probably only factors in the handlers when determining concealment. So all the enemy sees is a forest (which happens to be growling and snarling).

[moerty]

had to register to respond to this one heh, i use dogs, gladiators and elephants to fullfill RTS needs, occasionally i get a magnificent general who is wildy extravagant as one of his V&V's, so in order to fit the mood i reward him with these units as appetisers to battle so to speak. if the general must be in the field at least he can bring the circus to him since he can't go to the circus. i try to bait a unit with archers or scorpions so they engage my line and that's when i unleash my circus. my men cheer mightly at the spectacle and if they put a good show my general becomes inspired and puts a good fight, at least i make him fight more. if the whole army comes at me i still send the units to fight to the death, except for elephants, those i like to preserve for truly epic battles.