Yet more questions...

[WhiteOfKnight]

OK guys, I have read a few threads but I am hoping to have responses more tailored to my specific questions, however un original they may be, and again, I really do appreciate all the advice guys, it makes a world of difference.

So I am a day away from medieval age and I do A LOT of looting and could care less about medals and feel like I will feel that way for a long time until I use my medal count to hide me from looters. Anyways, from advice taken, I use a 3:1 ratio as in one Archer to every three foot soldiers...now it seemed at first I have had enormous amounts of luck with that. I also don't experiment much with cavalry as I hate, like despise, a 65 count troop load and one stupid horse taking up six.

Well after a while, I just kept getting Molly whopped and I just figured my attack strategy was bad and I casually read a post about how brits are so overpowered from there ranged attackers with their +1 range. Well, for kicks I decided to try an all Archer unique, I mean it couldn't be to bad, after all, I am Chinese and my unique unit is an archer firing twice as fast....AND WHAM BAM, THANK YOU MA'AM, my problems are solved. I think this ever elusive play style people talk about has been figured out.

So. Now this immediately turns from a troop strategy to a nation change. At this very moment I am so close to going British. If they are as hard to be defeated as most people say, then hands down, it's the brits I'm choosing. But what I'm wondering is, what is more significant, 40% more damage a Korean Archer offers, the twice as fast as a Chinese Archer offers, or the +1range a British Archer offers, I figure combined with 15% increased loot, British are an easy choice, as I am already killing stuff plenty fast, but the ability to be farther from it, seem the Better route. So hopefully this won't be considered a repost, but it kind of is I suppose, but truly which unique Archer is better

But before British was on my mind, I was seconds away from crowning to MA now and switching to German. Someone had made them sound amazing. But then I started to look at it, it's only five seconds off a rally tine, which doesn't seem to significant to me. And the unique unit, a foot soldier, I have been told, becomes virtually useless later in the game. And with my new love being ranged units, it just seems senseless to take a nation with a unique unit being a foot soldier's. But what I'm wondering is, if I can keep my fury going and give my archers an extra 15% damage, maybe I will be better off anyhow if the time comes for me to use different troop combos.

And now insert romans, would sheer numbers alone be better than anything else, would six or seven or eight archers be better than any of the other nations upgrades to archers..?

I'm also curious that when you guys refer to mortars? Is that just an upgraded catapult from the earlier ages? Because I read that's the only thing with enough range to reach British archers. Well, I'm already having to navigate around them with my Chinese archers. And if the catapult is, in fact, an underdeveloped mortar still capable of reaching British archers than that information could practically eliminate them as I might as well just go German because I get the 15% more damage and I could rush the catapult from farther away.

I have said that I don't care what nation I take, as long as it will serve me well in the later stages of the game, well that is dumb. I have been in the classical age for a while now, which means I will be in the medieval age and then gunpowder age for even longer periods of time and I image the Archer becoming ten times more fun with the advent of guns. So I want to choose the nation offering me the most fun for these next to ages.

So guys, I'm sorry if this looks like a...what nation to choose....in disguise, but this mass Archer attack has really got me excited, and excited usually leads to a million questions. And honestly guys, all help and advice is truly, truly helpful and I am very grateful for anyone who takes the time to offer it.

-Tyr'S Son

 

[kirsteym]

I have played as several nations, including Japanese, French, Romans, Koreans, British and Greeks. My fav is French, but thats because I like tanks (calvary). Since u prefer archers, I recommend British because of the 1 extra slot offensive advantage.

This does not make them unbeatable on defense, but they can drop and snipe a base of its resources quickly. As long as ur not into medals, u will probably like the quick in and out strategy.

The downside to the Brits is they have no stamina, so when u go to war or when ur ready to play for medals, ull need to protect those archers. U can do this by teaming them up with artillery/healers and using calvary to soak up the damage. Protect spells will also be ur friend.

Re mortars, this is confusing because there are defensive bldgs called mortar towers and offensive units called mortars. The defensive units are great, at least until they come up against tanks. The offensive units have value (imo) only until u r EA and can get cannons. Once u have cannons, u will probably find them less useful.

Welcome to Bleeding Souls. We are happy to have u on board.

 

[WhiteOfKnight]

Well crap,

I think I just found out that British archers can't shoot a catapult outside if the catapults reach, so I honestly don't think they are going to be the best choice for me considering the age I'm in.I'm really liking Koreans for the Archer with +40% dmg, but I hate their overall nation powers. I feel like I will just go German, with Teutonic fury my mass Archer squad will have 15% more damage and I can also rush the catapult from farther out. Also, it is very evident that Germans can serve an excellent purpose later in the game, although it will leave me to change playing styles then. One thing that worries me, is how much will I truly miss the fires twice as fast quality of the Chinese, especially if I switch to a nation whose unique unit isn't a ranged attacker.

Urgh, so confused. Is this +1 range for British archers worth anything to someone in medieval age?

 

[BV123]

As you have mentioned, you are in love with archers/rifles. The only logical path for you would be the British. But just like in real life, the love in this game is fickle too. You have not tried the barrack tanks, heavy tanks or arts/how yet.

I thought my love for the my earlier greek barrack tanks was un-dieing....then came the HTs. When I switched to German, I loved my German footies but they can't protect my canons the way rifles can. I thought I love my heal tactics but then...along came betrayal.
So you get my drift....

As your army is still small and young, you have not seen the usefulness of a french TB or the power of their tanks.

You have not seen a HT in action on the battlefield. The Roman extra troop space and the German -5sec cooldown and double rally duration are the best for HT users.

Or the importance of an extra Korean tactic in wars.

No one will fault you for going British. Their +1 rifle range is almost unstoppable but do you think you can never be bored with just using rifles all the way up to GA. When you start waring with the big boys, will a rifle battalion be enough to 5 star a really large base? The British are the only popular nation choice that I have a problem with. They are great in the early stages but I don't like the idea of being stuck with only rifles. To me (no offence to British users here)... they are just a one trick pony. Imho

You are only now going to MA. And as you mentioned, you have no problems raiding for resources. So unless you can spare 1k++ crowns later on for another national change, I say stick with the Chinese. Make full use of their +1 worker. At least up to EA. Then you can reassess your nation change again.

 

[Mike09]

The British units, in addition to their 1+ range also have a 15% attack bonus. As a British player I definitely agree they are a "one trick pony" though. Horde of riflemen, 3 or 4 artillery and a couple tanks to distract the mortars. Not an ineffective strategy though. In my experience capable of 5 starring almost any base, as long as rallies are strategically used and protect/sabotage are timely.

 

[Mike09]

White88Knight If you like the pure archer mass, try out a couple heavy cavalry in your regiment to distract those catapults, as they and the battle timer are your biggest enemy.
Playing that strategy is the British method in a nutshell. If you enjoy it and can navigate the archers around the base then the British might be for you! Definitely not for everyone though.

 

[_Flash_]

Well, this might sound disappointing to hear, but, let me break it to you anyways. Mass archer armies don't scale up or hold up on their own as you age up. Since you're in Classical Age, and combined with the fact that you're playing at the low medal ranges, you're probably getting away with it for now. Catapults (and later mortars) out range any archer, and Medieval Age bases have three of them usually, so, with their splash damage, they'll decimate mass archers quickly. Any well-designed base can repel mass archer armies. As you age up, you'll realize that the siege units cause most of the damage. The ranged units serve to protect the siege units from defenders. As much as you might hate the cavalry, you'll need them to take the hits from the catapults and protect your ranged units from their fire.
When players talk great of the British archers, they're referring how well they do in a mixed army composition, where archers are also one of the troops in the composition.
In terms of archers, I would rate the British archer ahead of the Korean archers, ahead of the Chinese archers. Chinese archers fire twice as fast, but cause only 60% damage with each shot. So, that's regular range and a boost of 20% damage. Korean archers cause 40% more damage. British archers have better survival rate because of their +1 range, and cause damage for longer time in the battle, combined with their 15% more damage.

The reason Romans are good is not because you can carry a few additional archers to an all-archer army - it's because you can have various compositions of troops, each of them taking up multiple troop spaces.

The reason Germans are a good choice is not because of their unique infantry - it's because they get a 15% damage bonus to ANY unit they choose, and for ANY combination of troops you throw in your army composition. 5 seconds of shorter rally cooldown might sound insignificant now, but, seconds are what make a difference between win and loss in battles. In Gunpowder Age, you have 4 chapters of Banners research at the Library, which amplify the rally related benefits for the Germans.

In all honesty, and with your best interests in mind, I would suggest that you really hold off from a nation change for now. From your description, I understand that you're quite new to the game, and you're yet to experience and understand the game dynamics in entirety. We've all been there, and it takes some time to develop that understanding, and to figure out the game for ourselves. I've been in your shoes, and so have been countless other players. So, my sincere advise would be to enjoy the game with your current nation for sometime, and get to know the game play dynamics, and how the complexity goes up as you age up. As other players have pointed out, Chinese aren't a bad choice after all. They are a decent nation, and is helpful to new players, by having something good in multiple areas. Once you've experienced the game enough, you can consider a nation change. This will save you money and crowns, while still allowing you to enjoy the game!
We're here to answer your questions as you play more, and help you all along. Cheers and happy gaming!

 

[BV123]

Ps: As you already know I'm a German user. The rally boost is a god send. The 15% rally boost is the cherry on top of the icing. In wars they are awesome. In PvP, they are more fun to use because I can experiment with any troop combo and still enjoy the fury.

But when I'm waiting for my heavy troops to cook, I wish I was french.
When I see 2 bunkers and 3 tank depots, I wish I was Korean with that extra betrayal.
Or when I to add an extra HT to my combo, I wished I had the roman's extra troop space.

But at the end of the day...I am glad I had choosen Germans.

 

[Mike09]

Yeah, I should restate that my post is definitely my opinion because I'm British. I played the Greeks up until mid Enlightenment Age, and to be honest up until then they were even an okay nation.
The nation change is definitely a good idea to put off until Gunpowder or Enlightenment age, when you've got a good handle on some different troop compositions and what you like to play with best.
Flash is correct in that avenue: mixed troop composition is increasingly important.

The hints in development also point out that Nexon is trying to increase the importance of this as well, with the releases of mortars and bazookas, and changes to their effectiveness.

 

[Ravenlord]

I think, White Knight, you should be wary of picking a nation just because people say it's easy to win with. Remember, the people saying brits are easy to win with have likely been using them for a while & probably, contrary to misconception, with a mixed army. Sure tanks distract mortar towers but rushing your troops toward a mortar at that crucial moment also helps save troops - and takes practice. Just dropping your archers won't guarantee a win.
Likewise using numbers of tanks takes practice too. The German rally bonus might not seem like much but during the battle, while you're concentrating on everything, those 5 seconds go by quickly and before you know it it's rally time again! But again, people playing as Germans have plenty of experience using the German strengths. Even the Romans with their extra numbers or Koreans with their extra power need to be controlled.

I trust you don't really expect the troops to win the battle for you. On the battlefield YOU are the commander. No matter how powerful your troops are YOU will need to direct them and YOU will win or lose the battle - therefore first perfect your style - don't just rely on a troop or two to win the battle for you. Just using archers is fine for now - but techniques like using tanks to distract towers or planes to clear a path, or rallying troops toward towers, etc, will be necessary later on.

If you want to spam 135 archers, fine - but you sound like you want yo have fun. You'll find a combination army is the most fun - yes, even with the brits! I'm glad you found out how good archers can be and Medieval is the perfect time to start mixing and trying and experimenting to see what army combo works best. If you lose troops big deal - just put the game down for a while and then, as a wise person ( vx1e4 ) said in another post, you can always raid more resources than you lose.

 

[Ravenlord]

Fyi, the brits have 15% extra damage too. But hey, if you're worried about towers killing archers then you've got to find the right strategies, not troops ....

 

[WhiteOfKnight]

Ok, here's the thing guys, have fun, is exactly what I'm trying to do, as Chinese is and always will be a bad choice that continually mocks me until it's change, just like hanging gardens was. And please don't label me arrogant but I figure for as long as I was in classical age, ill be in the next two ages for a month or more. That's a lot of play, play that I want to enjoy. And if at the end of that, I realize my pick, that was once very useful, is no longer what I want it to be, it's a simple ten dollar fix. Again, I'm not trying to sound arrogant nor do I want to spend more than X amount of dollars in this game but a mistake now that could lead to a months worth of fun can also be fixed later IF the need arises.

But, I'm thinking about nipping that in the bud now because as I already have to properly navigate my archers around the map to avoid catapults, I could do that with more efficiently using the Germans. And all I'm at a loss for is the +1 range (assuming my Teutonic fury is active) and this gives me the option to continue to love my all archer style for as long as I want until the need or want to try something different arises. Now my big question is, what's better...+1 range or -5 rally cool down and 100% increased rally?

Does this logic make sense. And I'm sorry guys but I often learn the hardest and when my mind is made up, it's made up. It's just the only made up part is a change is.coming with a day and a half.

 

[kirsteym]

Good advice, BV.

White, the answer really depends on how you play the game. Take the time to develop your style and the choice will become obvious to you. If it helps to try out a few different nations, and you have the money to spend (600 crowns = @ $6.00), then by all means try them out. As BV points out, the 3rd nation change will cost you more (1000 crowns) and thereafter, there will be incremental increases in the cost.

 

[WhiteOfKnight]

Well, it's just the way I've pictured it in my mind, there is there or four nations that are clearly most desirable later in the game. So, I'd rather not spend the money to try them all out as much as I'd like to pick something that can be useful and loads of fun and.coincidently serve me well all the way to the top. And the purchase of any more crowns can go to actual good decisions.

-John

 

[_Flash_]

Excellent advice, as always!

 

[Xerxes]

I'll add my 2 cents, as someone that used to be very archer heavy. There's nothing more gut wrenching than rallying 120 archers on a town center only to have a cannon roll out and kill every single one of them with a single shot.

Plus this: With the unit AI as horrible as it is, the only way to get you guys to something sort of like what you want is to rally, like, all the time. Being able to do that more often and for the effect to last longer is a pretty big advantage. The 15% DPS boost is just icing on the cake.

 

[WhiteOfKnight]

Oh, and I know this is totally off topic but could someone tell me what the Orange bars below a person's name and to the the right of there avatar are for. Oh and what the abbreviation OP means.

Thanks

 

[Magnifico]

The orange bars are based on how many likes a poster's posts have received.

OP may mean either "original post"/"original poster" or "overpowered", depending on the context.

 

[vx1e4]

That is indeed good advice Ravenlord ...and thanks for the mention

 

[Ravenlord]

Noooooo - not the bars again !!!!!