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Thread: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

  1. #31

    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    I agree Armored Hoplites are probably it, though Spartans deserve a mention. You essentially get the same cost/HP as armored hoplites, with the same build time per HP, but better stats, and lower upkeep/HP.
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  2. #32
    Senior Member Senior Member Quintus.JC's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    Originally Posted by Legend5000
    Now everyone knows that a 720 Denarii Legionnary Cohort is more powerful than a 180 Denarii unit of Iberian Infantry, but wouldn't four units of Iberian Infantry worth 720 denarii destroy that legionnary cohort? And at the same time, would even 20 units of peasants be able to destroy 2 spartan hoplite units?

    So for a unit to be considered the most cost-effective unit, one would have to consider:

    - The stats (including stamina and morale)
    - The price
    - The amount of turns needed to recruit the unit
    - The infrastructure needed to recruit the unit (a unit of Town Watch is much easier to recruit than a unit of Cataphracts)

    I'd have to go with Horse Archers, but looking at the infrastructure i really like Militia Hoplite. Cheap and effective, only needs a simple barrack and takes one turn to train. could 8 units of Militia hoplites defeats a unit of spartan hoplite?

  3. #33
    sucks Member Punicus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    I'm going to go a bit off of the Horse Archer train and go Long Shield Cavalry. Honestly, I've never been disappointed with their performance. 140 Upkeep isn't bad at all. When they gain experience they're almost unstoppable. And when you're playing as Carthage and you've got at least 8 of them in there, an experienced Long Shield army is amazing.
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  4. #34
    General of Carthage Member Hannibalbarc's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    For cavalry I'd say roundshield, hey they are the cheapest cav in the game and one on one they beat equites, greek cav, light lancers, and I think even barb cav, also you can spam them right from the start of the game, sure you can train longshields very early on but you can't spam them.
    For infantry I'd have to say bullwarriors, they are available at minor city level and their upkeep is reeeeaaaally low for an elite unit.
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  5. #35
    Keeper of the Pax Romanum Member TruePraetorian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    I'll say it again (it again ) Armoured hoplites are my number one choice for cost effective.

    City besieged? Hold the gates or streets with a single unit forever

    Assaulting? Move them through the streets like a lawnmower

    Open-field? Beats cav....beats infantry...beats missile...it's a toughy
    and
    cost effective? Get that city up a few in population and you'll be makin foreign dough in no time at all.

    But really, they are an impressive unit...match them up 1v1 and I think it says it all for combat, as for price once you have a decent momentum going with empire building these things are like treads to a bulldozer.
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  6. #36
    Best Laugh on the Seven Seas Member Good Ship Chuckle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    I might have to go with eastern/egypt/carthage peasants. They are the spartans of the peasants, but still have the same cost. They have 3 attack and 3 defense. .

    This is excellent when considering that 'civilized' peasants are simple 1 def and 1 attack, and barbarian peasants have 1 attack 4 def, but same cost.
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  7. #37
    Senior Member Senior Member Ibn-Khaldun's Avatar
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    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    I think the militia hoplites are the most cost effective unit ..
    More then once I have conquered about half of the known world with them

  8. #38

    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    Definitely HA. Upkeep of only 110, and you destroy ~100 infantry or ~50 cavalery per turn without loses.

  9. #39

    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    Levy Pikemen save my ass when I play Macedon.
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  10. #40

    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    Quote Originally Posted by Quintus.JC View Post
    Originally Posted by Legend5000
    Now everyone knows that a 720 Denarii Legionnary Cohort is more powerful than a 180 Denarii unit of Iberian Infantry, but wouldn't four units of Iberian Infantry worth 720 denarii destroy that legionnary cohort? And at the same time, would even 20 units of peasants be able to destroy 2 spartan hoplite units?

    So for a unit to be considered the most cost-effective unit, one would have to consider:

    - The stats (including stamina and morale)
    - The price
    - The amount of turns needed to recruit the unit
    - The infrastructure needed to recruit the unit (a unit of Town Watch is much easier to recruit than a unit of Cataphracts)

    I'd have to go with Horse Archers, but looking at the infrastructure i really like Militia Hoplite. Cheap and effective, only needs a simple barrack and takes one turn to train. could 8 units of Militia hoplites defeats a unit of spartan hoplite?

    if this is the requirement,then i would say armoured hoplites will be the most cost effective unit then,

    -9 spear attack,5 sword attack(they can kill as legion when they being upgraded by foundry and pantheon of Nike,just not as flexible as legion,same problem that spartan got..),11 armor(this is the gear that make them survive under arrows),6 defense skill,5 shield...

    -640 per unit,210 upkeep per turn.

    -1 turn per unit

    -city barrack of a minor city can produce them then.

    early legion can fight better than armour hoplite,but they can't beat cavalry.....

    for early game,i would suggest militia hoplites,if you edit the 160 of mili hop to 240 per unit,you can save your time to building high level barrack to build building bring you more supply(denarii...),it just cost you a lot of population....and remember to use them in numbers...

    militia hoplites=
    -5 spear attack,3 sword attack,8 defense of 3 defense skill and 5 shield.(they can be upgraded by foundry and pantheon of hephaetus to 10 spear attack,8 sword attack,13 defense of 3 armor,5defense skill and 5 shield,stats of standard light infantry,it just they only got 4 morale...2exp add by pantheon of hephaetus)

    -230 per unit,100 upkeep per turn.

    -1 turn per unit.

    -barrack of any town is oredi enough.

    as my choice,use armor hoplite when you got plenty of denarii but short of population,
    if you got plenty population but short of denarii,then use militia hoplites.
    In all warfare,speed is the key!

  11. #41

    Default Re: Discussion: the most cost-effective unit?

    Hmm...can't necro the thread, when it's already at the top of the forum, right?

    Anyhow as far as militia hoptilites goes, they are WAY overrated. Levy pikemen requires another level of barraks, but that's 2000 people settlement and civilized factions, not really that much to ask for is it? They have the same cost as militia hoptilites per soldier and their long spears mean that they kick militia hoptilite's asses any day of the week and can actually handle a cavalry charge, which I'm sorry to say, militia hoptilites does a horrible job at.

    As good as they are I still think there are better units.
    Wardogs have been mentioned, though I'd take warhounds any day of the week over wardogs (only romans gets wardogs, warhounds are tougher and cheaper as most barbarian things are.) I'd probably vote for German/Schythian warhounds as they are 120 in a unit over the other 96 troop units, eventhough they are a little more costly per soldier/dog with their 60 denarii a turn instead of 40.
    Warhounds/dogs are really just about everything you can ask of infantry, they are expendable, in that you really don't care if they die (you get new ones as long as the handlers survive.) and they don't break! On top of that you get that they frighten enemy infantry, they are fast so they run down fleeing infantry and more importanly, nimble along with that quickness, meaning that they can intercept oncoming cavalry which means that by the time your cavalry have circled around your hounds can have the enemy's cavalry pinned for you to charge and slaughter.
    Their two main drawbacks are that they take two turns to build and don't gain experience unless the handlers do the killing, they only need a first tier barracks to build though which will also give you the cavalry needed for the above tactic of pin and slaughter.

    Even so they are fairly light troops, even if three of them does take down a general unit (that's a bloody fact, he's dead and there's nothing he can do about it.)

    So my vote probably has to fall on the forrester, again two bloody turns to build and now a third tier building (even though it's just the second level of archery building it does need 6000 pop. Which still means that you'll have them long before civilized factions have their elite troops)
    At only 200 denari per unit and turn you can afford to have a lot of these guys and as they should only be built out of third tier epona cities it takes a little while before you have them, but oboy when you do.
    17 in missile means that you don't care if you're fireing into their front, or how much armour they have, or the size of their shields, they die anyway and with long range this means that a lot of them die before they have the chance to face you in hand to hand, only to learn that your forresters have an equally staggering 17 in melee attack and a defence of 10, not to mention excelent moral and very high stamina, in fact they actually rest when fireing arrows! Very rarely do I even with running with them everywhere ever get them to winded, half a breather while giving some other unit an order is usually enough for them to lose a level of fatigue.

    These guys paired with warhounds are the menace of anyone. warhounds are expendable, menaing that you don't have to stop shooting, this paired with the hounds ability to counter the archer's biggest threat, cavalry, is flabbergaisting. And should the cavalry still make contact with your forresters, then they are they only archer unit to fight with spears in hand to hand combat, so they can give cavalry a fair beating anyway, with their melee value of 17 this means that even heavy cavalry should quiver in their saddles.
    Last edited by Alrik; 02-19-2011 at 07:21.

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