posted 11-09-06 08:17 AM EDT (US)
Aim, strat 1: Sub 4-minute Colonial, with 10 Coyotes in enemy base at 4:55 to pin down vils; followed by spearmen to wack buildings.
Aim, strat 2: Sub 4-minute Colonial, but with 11 Rodeleros in enemy base at ~ 5:10, followed by supporting troops shortly after.
I use one basic BO, and then one of two alternatives, depending on circumstances and map layout.
First off, I don't use fertility dance in discovery, as I read the post with sound mathematical reasoning which proved (for one TC?) that it doesn't pay-off in villie secs unless u do 19 vils or more, in a row, while dancing.
Yesterday in a team game, this strat (alt. 1) held up against two AoE3 majors ( we are both 1st Lt's ) 2v2 Aztec + French who sent in hussars, then boomed vs. Otto's + Iroquois -- Using Abus(e) and Tommy's.
My teammate and I both agreed that we won (both) game(s) because we forced them to think defense on account of the supersonic raiding. But, I know I can improve, I tend to lose my focus, not knowing how to balance the eco so that I may boom to a satisfactory level.
So,
Basic BO is of course
2 shoot hunt
2 pick food crates
1 pick wood crate
Que villie
Get the nearby treasure
As soon as the first wood crate is done, set the villie to build a firepit.
Other 2 vils pick rest of the crates, then go to hunts.
When firepit is done, have the vil go to hunts, and put your WP in the pit - dance for XP.
All villies go to hunts, vil 8 builds house first though.
1st Card: 3 vils.
2 vils find/eat forward hunts.
Stop producing vils at either 15 or 16, depending on Food treasures or not.
Now a lot of things are happening in a very small time-frame:
Usually, if you've taken time to kill guardians, and/or found XP treasure, you can send your second shipment in due time before aging.
Alternative 1: "Standard raiding"
2nd Card: 300 Wood.
Click age-up, use the Fast Age-up guy.
Put 3 vils on wood, you need 350 in total.
Put 1 or 2 hunters to gather the crates when they arrive, it's usually right about when u click to age-up.
Have your forward vils construct a hut, and have the guys on crates construct a house. When it's done you'll have enough XP for yet another shipment. Well, if you found XP treasures, no worries, right... but we're not always that lucky.
You should reach age-up at 3:45 ~ 4:05
Warhut finished
Cue As Many Coyotes as you can afford
3rd Card: 5 x Coyote Runners
Set the HC shipment delivery to warhut
Add Coyotes to the cue, so it maxes at 5 - as you get res.
When done, queue a Mace, add to queue as you get res.
Re-distribute your eco, so you do not get housed. 60% food / 40% wood. Sometimes I go harder on wood, so I can put another hut up somewhere.
(I'm thinking to go on gold here - for pumas... I dunno, will have to in 1v1, but so far I've only used the BO in team games)
Have your warhut's waypoint to be where the enemy's critical resource vils are... usually his hunters :-)
Usually only Iroquois, Otto, Russian and Spanish will have some kind of defense / counter attack (that you need to worry about) waiting if you hit around or little before the 5 minute mark.
From there on, just RAID with the coyotes, keep the enemy vils in the TCs. Stay AWAY from direct combat and TC fire.
Raid, disappear, continuos scouting, Raid, disappear, continuos scouting, etc. (well, against a russian, you'd be facing strelets, that drop to coyote's like flies...)
When the maces pop out 6 Spearmen should be underway as your 4th card. (alternative is to send 3 WP's and dance for faster XP, but I only do that if I have them garrisoned all the time - if not I wait until 5th Card)
Switch eco / put all new vils to gold. Split should be 40% food, 30% wood, 30% gold.
Maces are designated as spearmen infantry cover, and nothing else. If you raided well and took minimal losses, the Coyotes will be designated as anti-ranged cover for the spears.
Cavalry, you say..? Why, Coyotes and spearmen handle cavalry quite well together. With the maces there you have a very good little army!
You should have a recovering economy, an upper hand in military units, and effective map control, because the enemy is forced to think defensively. Early Coyotes in his base that won't stand and fight, but return to look for vils constantly has seen to that.
Keep pouring in puma's from the hut and the 10+9 Maces from Cards.
Alternative 2: "Roddy's Feast" (my deck name, innit cute?)
- something I've just started experimenting with. It works OK, but not fine-tuned yet, it can be faster.
Same BO, except the
2nd Card: 300 Gold
Move 2-5 vils on gold as aging
When you have 200 Gold, send them to pick up the crates as they arrive. Time it so the crates are done the instant moment they land.
You want to have 3rd Card ready by the second you hit age II, so move 7-8 hunters to the firepit as soon as you click age-up.
3rd Card: 11 rodeleros (cost 500 gold)
Why? They're as fast as Coyotes, they've got reasonable siege, too! For this strat, I go for any hut or rax I see, and as the defense comes out, I tackle them.
You'll be aged up and send the card at the 4 minute mark. The drawback is that you do not have a hut yet, and so they have to travel far. However, speed = 6, and siege = 20. That's a fair trade compared to 10 coyotes 15-20 secs earlier??
Move all miners to wood, all new vils go to wood.
Build house first, then hut
4th Card: Spearmen to finish the hut / rax - or to kill off some houses, etc. Or send in Maces. Or Some Coyotes. Or some WP's.
Supply with units from your hut as need be.
Am I on the right track..? Constructive comments always welcomed!!
;-)
Integrity - Honor - Courage
The dream of "MadCrazyMoFo's" ( MCMF ) and "The 10th Kingdom" ( _10k_ ) lives and breathes within me.
