Playing As Carthage: Where Are the Elephants?

[mfly6148]

I feel rather silly for asking, but I'm at turn 200 or so, and I don't seem to have the ability to produce any of the famed Carthaginian elephants. Is there a particular resource or technology that is required? Note: I'm on the same continent as Persia, Egypt, the Celts, Rome, and Russia, so I'm feeling like a little 'elephant intimidation' might serve me well as a deterrent to would-be aggressors. Thanks for any help!

[zxcvbob]

I think maybe you waited too long. They obsolete at Chivalry. Can you build knights?

[RogueJedi86]

All they require is the Horseback Riding tech and some horses. You probably overteched past them. Check out Zigzagzigai's Carthage guide if you need a little more help on playing Carthage.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=167304884

[mfly6148]

Yikes! that's probably what happened. Oh, well. Live and learn. I least I lived. :)
Thanks for the tips, everyone! Will check out the guide, and yes, I can build knights.

[Damsteri]

You probably didn't lose anything. Carthagenian elephants are useful only when they are used immediately when they are available. You probably wouldn't have any use for them, if you didn't go to horseback riding purposely. Did you have huge land wars in Classical era? At that time they are powerful and don't require any strategic resources, making them a good land force to stomp your enemies. But, they are offensive force, so there is not much need for them if you didn't have a land war. Only their Great Generals II promotion will carry over, so it will be the only difference between an Elephant which have been upgraded to a Knight and a standard Knight.

[mfly6148]

Thanks, Damsteri. That helps put things into perspective. I won't feel too disappointed, in that case (though I really wanted to see them lumbering around the landscape). There was a war on my continent between Egypt and the Celts early on, during which I made a brief, solo incursion against the Celts myself (for their repeated harassment of an allied CS of mine); I left their capital in a smoking shambles while most of their forces were occupied with Egypt, and I have to think some elephants might have been useful at the time, but the times have already advanced well beyond that (discovered archaeology recently).

[Damsteri]

Your welcome. You probably use those elephants next time you play Carthage, if you play again with them. Carthage is quite different civ to play on different type of maps, though archipelago or other water heavy map is best for them.

Elephants are fun, though not game changing. You should remember that they are still mounted units, like horseman which they replace. So, elephants have the same 33% attack penalty against cities, which all mounted units share (except some unique units).

Carthage's civilization specific achievement (almost all civs have one) is related to elephants though. Achievement is quite hard to get, it's: Hannibal’s Crossing - As Carthage, attack a Roman unit with an African Forest Elephant from a mountain tile. You need a Great General, enough mountains and Rome near you.

[RogueJedi86]

I would think Carthage does best on mountainous maps, which means less water and more land. The Quinquireme is just a slightly stronger Trireme, less distinct a unique unit than their war elephant, which can also take advantage of Carthage's ability to cross mountains.

[heatson]

It is 99.91% likely that the African Forest Elephant became obsolete. If you have the Chivelry technology (that's knights) then that is probably why. Start the game in the Ancient or Classical to take advantage of these fun units.

If not, it's probably some mod you have downloaded that changes the UI of civilizations.

[mfly6148]

Originally posted by Damsteri:

....
Carthage's civilization specific achievement (almost all civs have one) is related to elephants though. Achievement is quite hard to get, it's: Hannibal’s Crossing - As Carthage, attack a Roman unit with an African Forest Elephant from a mountain tile. You need a Great General, enough mountains and Rome near you.

Aw, nuts. Mighta been able to go for this one. By luck of the draw, Rome was one of the AI civs, and was on the same continent, even... *sigh*... oh, well! :)

[RogueJedi86]

It could be worse. I played Denmark once and started by tundras and made ski infantry and never took them a few tiles south to hit my tundra tiles for the achievement. I only realized after the match how easily I could've gotten the civ-specific achievement for Denmark.

[mfly6148]

:)

[Damsteri]

I like playing with Carthage on water maps... alot. I have played probably hundreds of hours with Carthage on Archipelago map. Elephants are almost useless on that map type and I rarely use them (and I lack that achievement), but free harbours give immediate city connection with syncs extremely well with Liberty and Exploration policy trees. Quinquireme is not special, but it's sturdy little ship and it's job is to secure trading ship lines agains barbarians. Trading provides Carthage more gold at start, because free harbours allow 50% longer trade routes. I usually go wide with religion and maybe aggressive on start, but tend to lean towards diplomatic and gold making in later game.

Originally posted by RogueJedi86:

It could be worse. I played Denmark once and started by tundras and made ski infantry and never took them a few tiles south to hit my tundra tiles for the achievement. I only realized after the match how easily I could've gotten the civ-specific achievement for Denmark.

I have played alot with Denmark, but never got that achievement in normal gameplay. So, I got it by "cheating". This achievement can be achieved very easily, because selecting Industrial era as starting era gives you riflemen as starting units, giving Norwegian ski infantry to Denmark. Ice age map type and industrial starting era gives correct unit and terrain immediately, then just reroll until you see snow :D