I know it's not a good idea. I usually go to science after pushing out a couple of warriors. If I don't find the Zulu, I'll select HBR. But usually, that's not the case and I finish up with BW given that my warriors are all spread out or I don't have time to rush three warriors. I think it's also compounded by the fact that I like to walk the settler and that is just not smart against the Zulu.
Moving your settler against the Zulu is a good idea. Go for a walk-in and build lots of warriors. Now you have two cities and can't be easily bullied. Don't build horsemen at all if there are impis around. Horsemen die way too easily to impis. Instead just build warriors. In the time it takes you to tech Bronze Working and be sitting there helpless with an empty city and a tech, you can instead hammer out two warriors and actually defend yourself. Once things are somewhat stable, you can tech Bronze Working and Iron Working and push back a little or expand or whatever the situation allows.Originally Posted by newsgothic
Just getting archers up fast will work sometimes, but only if your opponent doesn't know how to play the long game. My way gives you a fighting chance against somebody who does know the long game.
i think we've all come to this conclusion at our own pace. it is so much better to take the bull by the horns, rather than hold your breath hoping you aren't discovered while you tech bw. the biggest blow to that approach is the gold you will lose by not having as many warriors out as you can. i don't think any top players are using them any more so its really not a major issue.
speaking of other than top players, i played a ffa last night as germans vs 3 americas. i picked up 60 gold walking, and activated a barb to give me an elite army right away. one america quit early, the 2nd retreated when he saw my WA. he went immediatly to republic upon getting the pyramid. the 3rd settled his gs and went straight for the free wall. i elited a 2nd army and took bejjing. i then found 7 cities and they both quit. they were probably going to lose but wth, how are you going to learn to play better if you don't take your lumps? if i beat a noob who shows some promise i'll always give them a tip or 2 after the game. these guys were just weak sauce.
Alright Thrash, I'll try focusing on a few more warriors, but I'm not convinced about walking the settler. That just closes the distance between you and they are already crazy fast. Walk ins aren't a sure thing either. I have had very bad luck with my first 5 moves recently against the Zulu.
Well, if you're playing PS3 ranked, you'll get a steady diet of Zulu.
Anybody have some advice for playing against Colossus Egypt? Seems like a common tactic is for Egypt to put up an AA and a library and tech away. Would you try and park archers all over their desert or just focus on expansion? I had a slow start today and tried the expansion method, but Egypt beat me to knights and took me out.
Settle nearby and camp his deserts. You want to settle nearby because you'll need reinforcements. A lot of the time these guys will attack with their archer army, which of course removes the fortification so you might be able to take them out with a horse army or two.
You can expand if you want so long as you do two things: get ready for knights and target Invention. You won't need to deal with a lot of knights because a Thebes powerhouse strategy won't have the kind of production or gold that the Germans or Americans can bring, but they might be elite. If you can kill two knight armies, you should be ok. Then you get Invention asap (use a scientist if possible) and cut his tech in half. The rest is easy.
Do both. I usually place a city nearby to produce archers to camp their tiles.
Any time you play even a poor Zulu player, there is a chance you will lose the game in the first 10 turns. Accept that truth and it will set you free.
If i'm aztecs, i'll still usually build horses. Just keep to trees or hills and never let their impies attack me from hill. I have a very good record against zulu when using aztecs.
Thrasher, would u move your settler against zulu regardless of which civ u are? Suppose you're China and you have a nice 3 tree spot. Would u keep walking and try for a walk-in or settle?
I'll take the 3 tree spot with China. I might settle in place with America or near to where I spawn. Same with Zulu. Anyone else and I'm walking.
Thrasher do you get on often? Love to pit my wits against you some time.
Alas, all I seem to do these days is work often (when you see me posting here, that's generally an indication that code is compiling). I'll look for you this weekend though.
No probs. I'm having a quiet weekend away from the pub so might see you on.
Met a guy in ranked that always plays Zulu so I thought, screw it, I'll go Zulu too. By 2500 I have two AI, AW, and SOC. He quits. We play again, and my start isn't quite as awesome but I manage to take Washington. He takes Dehli, so now we're even. I show up at his doorstep with my impi army and he quits again. ???
Many (not all) Zulu players prefer the Zulu because it gives them easy wins. They don't want to have to fight for it.
LOL. Yeah, tell me about it. I've had several games where my zulu opponent quits just because i got AoC or SoC. Also, recently, i was using aztecs and got a walk-in on London. Zulu guy didn't quit right away but a few turns later after he got his first impi to my cap and noticed it was defended. I 've had lots of other games where i've taken a cap or two and zulu guy quits right away. Even after he has already gotten a cap and 100 gold. I guess their so use to getting all the caps that they feel it's their right to have them all and have an effortless game. When their opponent gets 1 or 2 they don't know what to do except quit...Pathetic.
met grayson in ranked.
played a few games last one my japanese pumped out legions for hte win over his arabs. which i videoed but probly not good enough quality (video or play!) to publish... will see...
had a fun time playing these last two nights... First time in a least a year or more.
I played a bunch of games last night with too much tequila and kept walking my settler around and losing or quiting because it was 3000BC and didn't settle. I racked up my first losing record of my civrev carreer I think.
Tonight I got to play some games with ScottieX, which was really fun. My wife was laughing at me tonight, because it's the first time I popped the game in in over a year, and 2 random guys asked me to go easy on them because they recognized my name (which never used to happen), and my wife said "haha, I didn't know you were such a legend, baby!" I kinda laughed it off, but then I ran into ScottieX, and the first thing he messages me and says "Wow! a legend!" Which made my wife die laughing.
But, the ego trip ended there. I'm so rusty, I know I suck now, I know what I'm doing wrong, but it's like I'm powerless to stop it. I did beat Scottie in that first game, but I randomed the Zulu vs his Egypt. I offered to quit, because I didn't know if he was highly ranked, and my rank is shot, and I didn't want to waste my chance against someone who can actually play the game with the Zulu. But, he was brave, and I won after i got the great wall (without it, he would've killed me on the map).
The next game India vs. French, I walk too long and see he's up to my north, I have on barb, and warrior army up, attack his cap, but lose 3 vs 2.5, with no chance at anymore gold, I quit.
I won the next game, Russia vs. his France. I thought I was dead again because once again I had not much gold oppritunities and he had taken the Romans and got CoL, but I kept on and built a horsearmy, he must not have had much gold, because 2700AD was fast enough to go ahead and take one of his caps, and the other was soon to be had so he quit.
The fourth game was over in 4 or 5 turns. I walked my Germans around, he settled his french next to a barb that I saw, but I had no place to settle except for the orignal starting spot, so I had to quit.
The last game was the only quality one, my Arabs vs. his Japan. But I started way to the south with an narrow and long south to north moutain chain to my north. I knew there'd be no good settle spots next to those mountains, so I settled first turn. He walked his settler and took thebes. I got lucky and took Berlin with a single warrior loaded on the galley I got from taking my only barb on the map. I teched HBR, and sent a few horsemen to the north, but ran into Scottie right away to the north. This game would have been more lopsided if I didn't get 7cities of gold a few turns later, but my cities were so far from him. I made such a noob, stupid, rusty mistake, and for some reason, I LET MY 100G SETTLER JOIN MY CAP FOR FOOD! wtf!!!! I made 3 horsearmies and tried to pull off some tactics, but he had Legion armies built by that time, I galley dropped a city, but pulled off some lame tactics and attacked quick more often than not and lost my horses.
Good games ScottieX, I need to get my ass kicked a few more times so I can get back into playing shape.
Wow! the return!!! Nice! I thought you were gone for at least two years...
I played one against Scott. My India VS his India and Mario 009 English. I had a bad start because mario killed two of my warrior at a barb 1.5VS 1.5 and won the other against the odds (and hit point) 1.34 vs 1.5. He stole the barb.
I think he did a common mistake. Get his 100g and delaying his HA to get it. I didn't do that and took his 100g city and his cap. Scott didn't had a good start and only manage to roam the continent as a viking with a galley and a WA. He just went in the wrong direction with the galley. I build one myself and took his empty cap which was at a strange spot with uranium and dye I think.
I played three games this morning.
Two against newsgothic. First his Spain VS my Germany. We both walked. I get a goodie. Our settler met. I have gold, he has gold. He has 1 move I did not. Game over.
Second gae. Rome mirror match. We met early in this game. he got walk-in on Thebes. I lost 2 warriors vs a 3 flags barb on a hill. Won both 1 vs.75, so I was short of my 100g. I see him coming from the south and he camped one of my tiles. I thought I was in a bad situation, so I rush a galley and goes south. I would like him to explain his strategy for the defense of both caps. he kind of let me drop in one of them and I get BW and 84 gold from it!!! He one 3 3v3 fight in a row again non fortified archer. He had 2 WA attacking. He finally lost one and calls it. I'm not sure it would have been his end, because it was 2 cities vs 2 cities and he just got 7cog I think.
I won a 1vs1 galley fight that allowed me to galley drop.
I then played random against dvm103. The name tells me something. i think he was posting here sometimes or was high ranked back in the days. I got german vs his english. I got shown kt in 3900 by a goodie so settle there. Gives me Moscow at about 2900 and galley drop him with a warrior. He still had a cap he got from walking but it was really game over as I had a hill in Thebes to defend with my vet warriors.
Good game SVPM. I don't count the first one--just dumb luck.
I wish I could have stayed for the second one (had to go somewhere), although I think you would have taken it anyway.
My strategy was this: I forgot that I didn't have a unit in Rome.Complete brain fart. That's what happens when you're in a hurry.
It's my favorite strategy when my opponent use it! I think I would have won in the long run, because I was in your territory and had all the rest of the map and you were almost boxed in the south. Not sure though, but it was looking bad for you after that galley-drop.Good game SVPM. I don't count the first one--just dumb luck.
I wish I could have stayed for the second one (had to go somewhere), although I think you would have taken it anyway.
My strategy was this: I forgot that I didn't have a unit in Rome.
i made a classic friendly game mistake, should have just put everything into having my 4 warrior defense. That HA should have been toast.
religin and 7cog is usually a scary prospect!This game would have been more lopsided if I didn't get 7cities of gold a few turns later, but my cities were so far from him. I made such a noob, stupid, rusty mistake, and for some reason, I LET MY 100G SETTLER JOIN MY CAP FOR FOOD! wtf!!!!
yeah i surrendered the city in order to deal with all the HAs. with the idea of retaking it soon after.I made 3 horsearmies and tried to pull off some tactics, but he had Legion armies built by that time, I galley dropped a city, but pulled off some lame tactics and attacked quick more often than not and lost my horses.
my problem was I had no gold (ok i got 25g early but nothing else as i thought it was an island) and you had india with england cap and so forth. I figured i needed 7cog, or maybe AW and to galley drop a settler of yours or somthing. In the end i got nothing much although i kiled your warrior MWAHAHAHA.
If you didnt have england i might have settled in for the long game. but i guess you had 4 good cities to my 1 !
I had 3 cities, because I never got my 100g because of my war with mario. Mario's cities where nice with fish and trees and I had dy nearby. I could have had fundy quickly as I had 10 science/turn.I think I would have won the long game, except if I'm really rusty and you manage to outplay me totally even playing skyrim at the same time. It is possible as your record in xbox tourney seems really good.
haha yeah - that actually hurt me a little, but at the same time I would have quit if I hadn't had skyrim to fill in the timeI think I would have won the long game, except if I'm really rusty and you manage to outplay me totally even playing skyrim at the same time. It is possible as your record in xbox tourney seems really good.
ok got one in against spvm and mario.
finally random and mario stoped killing each other in the first couple of turns.
my indians vs spvms english and marios greeks.
saw mario early and killed his wa as it came to my hill cap with no cover.
then found KT and spvm turned up with sams castle and an ha.
killed his ha with my WA on the defense - but had a HA ready to counter so probably would have been ok.
then i snuck around the back of his empire and put my kt in his cap taking sams castle and ruining his banked hammers.
he tried to retake it with a ha but that strategy was doomed as i had pleanty of gold.
tried to record this one but it fell over for some reason.. which happens to me a lot.... Im working with some pretty dodgy setup and software I guess.
I was pretty doomed when you took the cap anyway. wasn't expecting an attack from there as I had a galley thatjust passed there. I was in good position before that as I had lots of gold and was teching fat with an dye/fish city and banking hammer from London and Tripoli.
What would you have done to retake London? You said that my strategy wouldn't work, what would you have done?
I started a couple of games against mario before that one and each time we met in the first 4-6 turns.
also for the record my egypt had oracle and oracle gave me a big fat red X on my first cap - which crippled my strategy. I HATE the oracle...
The Oracle is awesome. You just need to not anger the mario gods so much. I just played against Mawpawk and had the Oracle. I strolled up to his cap with a warrior army and a horse army and was able to just stand there attacking his archers all I pleased. I had the material advantage, but I didn't have 100 gold yet. If I'd lost a horse army to an archer, that probably would have shifted the balance to him. But with the Oracle, that's impossible.
imagine if you had got a red X from that... you'd have been ruined completely.
actually, I think how i play actually gets me more red X's than most other people because it is very common for me.
I've only had it twice ever. What do you think you're doing that makes it happen so much?
I'd say I've seen it maybe a dozen times or somthing - and i dont even play egypt that much. Clearly far more than you and probably well beyond chance.
Maybe I attack against the odds a lot? This time i was trying to use a warrior to make a wa attack a sure bet.
No, I do that a lot as well. Face facts. You have angered the mario gods. You must atone!
haha apparently.. ok fairs fair.
For some reason in my head I think of elite players as doing great with legions and the Oracle. Don't know why, that's just what I think. So Thrasher is there already, and since Scottie is pretty awesome with just about everything else, all he needs to do now is reduce the number of those red X's!That's it and Wham, you're a super star Civ player! For me, all I have to do is improve on legions, settler movement, tactics, expansion, use of Oracle, aggressiveness, defense, and Wham, I'm a super star as well!
Had a couple of games against Scottie. First was my English versus his germans and we settled close but I got a walk in on Spain for Nav but struggled getting any gold together due to the fact Scottie had popped 3 huts! I took the brunt of the five flag super barb and couldn't hold my caps against 3 vet warrior armies that were there in no time!
Second game I was Spain versus his zulu and found a nice whale 2 tree spot. Got well in front and had A LOT of battles defending from legions. I rushed EIC and had 4 very nice single tile islands to the south before Scottie had to go.
Actually, when I get the Oracle, I usually clean up with horses. The worst thing that can happen when you're being aggressive is losing a stupid battle like 9-2.5. I mean, you can get countered and taken out. That's fine. Your opponent outplayed you. But when I hinge the game on a 9-2.5, I think I'm making the right choice. The Oracle prevents these stupid losses and that's why I like it. Getting to attack when wounded and healing if you can't make the attack is just a bonus. Plus, you can abuse the AI better, take down barbs faster. Yes, it would be nice with legions, but I don't think I've had many games go that far when I have the Oracle.
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