Huns: Battering Ram - They are really that good?

[Mikixi]

Battering Ram, one of the worste UU in the game i think;
of course they are better than a normal spearman, but...(for cities siege)
...they have lot of cons, and they are melee...

[cerberusiv]

The Huns, like the Assyrians, work best if they spawn near another civ or two. Then let your neighbour found cities for you (they may not be in quite the right places but hey it's easier than founding your own). An investment of 2 or 3 battering rams can easily turn into several cities.

No spears requires a change of approach - build some horse archers instead and just shoot enemy units to pieces.

The problem with the Huns is they are a one shot deal. If they don't overrun a neighbour or two early on there is really nothing else going for them.

[Damsteri]

Battering rams are excellent for one job only, conquering cities. But you need to be fast, really really fast. They can kill a flatland city in just two hits when unopposed and they are unstoppable in first 20-30 turns (standard speed). Battering ram is the only unit which can kill a whole civilization alone, if you are lucky and they watch to an other direction when you make those two hits. Timing and direction of attack are essential. Using a scout as a blocker/spotter also helps. Rams obsolete fast and I usually use horse archers (4x) + horseman combo later on, rather than bring rams with my army. Rams can give you the first capital and help in the next one, but my opinion is that horse archers are the Huns' main unit which make them great in hands of a human player.

I have conquered AI capitals many times with a ruins upgraded Battering ram in less than 10 turns from a game start, one example here. I got a ruins upgrade for my starting Warrior and eliminated Japan from the game.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=379394049

[Matthew]

Definitely not the worst UU.

They are like the military version of Spain. Spain finds a natural wonder right next to city... free settler. Huns gets a battering ram upgrade on their starting warrior... free city.

[gimmethegepgun]

Rams are definitely not the worst UU in the game. They're one of only 2 units in the entire game that can take a city by themselves when they're of equivalent tech to the opponent (the other being Siege Tower, of course).
I'd say the worst UU is the Quinquereme, since naval melee units are terrible at anything but last hitting a city, and there's no naval ranged unit until Compass, so who gives a ♥♥♥♥ about its extra strength. Sipahi, Winged Hussar, and Hakkapeliitta are up there too, since they're upgrades for one of the most pointless units in the game (though Hakkapeliitta can at least help a general keep up with everyone)

I really wish Pikemen upgraded to Musketmen instead of Lancer (or maybe make Tercio a common unit, weaker than musketman but has a cavalry bonus, and then upgrade that to Riflemen), and the cavalry line went Knight->Lancer->Cavalry. As it is, your medeival meat shield upgrades to something completely different, which can't make up its mind as it upgrades further, and Knights have an insane wait before being upgraded, with an equally insane +70% upgrade at the end of that wait.

[PhailRaptor]

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

and there's no naval ranged unit until Compass,

Isn't the Byzantine unique ship earlier? Or is that Compass?

[gimmethegepgun]

Originally posted by PhailRaptor:

Originally posted by gimmethegepgun:

and there's no naval ranged unit until Compass,

Isn't the Byzantine unique ship earlier? Or is that Compass?

Yeah, the Dromon is on Sailing. But, since it replaces the Trireme, it doesn't make the Trireme any less crap.

[Poppy]

They are. Attila is an ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.