posted 10-11-08 02:59 PM EDT (US)
TWC, and TAD
This is aimed at all of you weaker players out there, (in comparison to most of the others on these sites). May it be a lower level HC, or just not having time to practice micro, you're stuck at a lower level, and are still looking for that "slap in the face" strat. Personally, I've never focused on winning, I've just rolled the dice with the most random thing I can think of, and went from there. Weather it be a petard rush, or the scout slam, I've done it. Here's MY idea, which can be developed in so many ways. You could head to revolt, imperial, boom (yes, boom), or quit early and FF. However, I've had much success, against computers, and the occasional opponent online. Now, I'll quit blabbing, and get to the strat. I'm sorry if you understand all the basics, but this write up is for the "lower player", who might not know all of this, and neither would I, if I weren't a pro on my other RTS, Battle For Middle Earth 2.
-Better units (in this case, Spaih)
-Great Bombards
-A better economy
-A fail safe. If you must, you can revolt at any moment.
-Three TC's
-A physiological Edge over your enemy. If you're in Industrial about 3 minutes into his colonial boom, you're gonna mess up his head.
-Lack of Defense. You're gonna have to scramble if you get rushed.
-A weaker Economy until later in the game. If you get stuck in a fortress battle, you need to bail
-A smart opponent might* guess what you're doing
-Other people don't like you as much
I'm going along in this write up assuming that you have a level 20 home city, or something in between 20 and 25. The recording I have is of me with a 22 home city, and, In my opinion, 20 is the lowest you can have and still have the necessary crate cards. These are the required cards, and I don't think you can do this without them.
Age one-
Three Villagers. Settlers are valuable For the ottoman player, especially early, as they take so much time to train. This is a very important card.
Age two-
Age three-
,
,
,
1000 gold: This is the staple card. With it, you can get to industrial very quickly.
Spaih: You need as many of these cards as possible. They are the second most important card in the deck.
Malemukes: Very important. Good to have, because they just take so darn long to die.
Fort: This will save you in the event of a light rush.
Age Four-
,
,
,
Factories: These will keep you in the game assuming your enemy survives your initial attack.
2 Great Bombards: The staple of your army. Without these dudes, the game would be over very quick. With them, you can decimate towns, loads of infantry, everything.
Two Town Centers: These will also make your game easier. Along with church upgrades, you can boom like crazy.
This is by no means final, or in stone, but this is what I've been doing, for the most part.
1. Send three villagers (
) to go herd hunt-ables. Do this by shooting the animal in the direction of your Town Center. This makes it easier to defend against raids. Begin Collecting Food.2. Once your other villagers finish collecting the remaining crates, have them herd another group of hunt-ables.
2a. Build a house.
3. Build a Trade Site Post with your Explorer.
3a. If you didn't get lucky enough to start with 400 wood, use your explorer to get some wood through treasures, or put a single settler.
4. Scout near your base first, then search for where your enemy is. Collect Treasures in this order of priority. Gold-XP-Food-Wood.
5. Age up to AGE 2 once you have 800 food, using the quartermaster, or the 400 wood politician.
(
)1. Send three villies to collect gold from a mine. Once you have three hundred, from either treasures, or mining, go back to food. Send one villager to wood.
2. Make sure you have explored at least all of the map.
(your opponent should be nowhere near Colonial yet, you're safe for a bit)
1. Send the 700 Gold card immediately.
2. Collect the age up wood with one Settler, when the gold is about to arrive, send two more from gathering food to gathering the sent gold. (When all the gold is collected, you should have 1000)
2a. Build another house, and a Trading Post with your explorer.
3. Collect 1200 Food as much as possible. Continue sending all of your new settlers to gather food.
4. Age to age three with either of the Politicians. It really doesn't matter.
1. Continue Scouting
2. Start collecting a little bit of gold.
3. Build houses when possible.
(This is where you can potentially split off and start the fight now, or you can continue. I won't write up what you'd do if you decided to split.)
1. You should have two shipments, or almost two. You need to send two cards, a fort (
), and 1000 gold (). Depending on what the game is doing, you either need to send the fort first (if you suspect being attacked), or the 1000 gold.1a. Remember to put the fort
2. Get 200 gold somehow. Treasures, or gathering, you need 1200 to age up to age 4.
3. Continue Collecting food. Still have one villager on wood, and the rest on gold or food.
4. Once the gold arrives, send three villagers to collect it.
5. Age with the three Spaih Politician.
(
)At this point, you're looking to work very fast. You want to know where your enemy is, and if he knows what you're up to. If he's in fortress, look for an artillery foundry.
1. Send 2 Great Bombards.
2. Send the biggest Spaih Shipment you can afford.
3.
4. Send 5 villies to wood, 4 to gold, and the rest to food.
5. Build as many houses as you can.
6. Once your Bombards and Spaih arrive, place the spaih in hold ground stance. Send your explorer, Spaih, and Bombards out towards the enemy town. Kill everything you encounter. KEEP YOUR SPAIH NEAR YOUR BOMBARDS AT ALL TIMES. They are the only thing keeping your bombards together. If you loose the spaih, you loose the bombards, you loose the spaih, and vice versa. If you watch the attached recorded game, you'll see how much it set me back to loose the bombards.
Your primary targets are culverns. Send injured spaih back as necessary to heal. Build a mosque and research more villies, and build imams.
7. Send both factories, and put them on bombard patrol.
, 8. Send two town centers. Put one on wood, one on gold, and one on food.
9. Build Janissarys, and Cavalry archers as needed.
10. Eventually, down the enemy town, and win.
*side note*
Once you get to industrial, and have the bombards and first spaih, the game is up to you. You can boom, revolt or do anything. This is where experience comes into play.
RECORDED GAME: As a Replay Reviewer, I love recorded games. This is against a British player, who did very well of resisting me. Note how I attempted to prioritize targets.
I think that's it! Post if you have any questions, or comments, or flames, and I'll do my best to answer them! Please remember, that I am a master sergeant, and I cannot recommend this strat for anyone above this.
If I may ask one question for the said experts:
Would it be applicable at all to go to a revolt once you get bombard production up? Are Militia better than Janissary?
World Class Drum Corps International Mellophonist 2009
Proud Winner of "Best Newbie Award" BFME2H, a long time ago
[This message has been edited by Sir Snoopy (edited 10-11-2008 @ 08:52 PM).]
