Sorting & Layering Troops

[Satan]

Scouts and Workers defense is actually 50 no matter what the little key says.

[scythe]

Pikes are great for a suppression battle, with swords supporting. Cavalry vs archers are a nightmare. Its hard to get used to this new way of layering as it goes against the old Age1 dynamic of range settings. Compact defence requires a lot of meat more than archers. Fast meat and cav will prove a bigger danger to your enemy than a archer rainbow defence. Archers can always play their part but when you are dealing with millions of troops swords are VERY dangerous. They can stand up to fierce punishment

[japanpimp]

Pikes are great for a suppression battle, with swords supporting. Cavalry vs archers are a nightmare. Its hard to get used to this new way of layering as it goes against the old Age1 dynamic of range settings. Compact defence requires a lot of meat more than archers. Fast meat and cav will prove a bigger danger to your enemy than a archer rainbow defence. Archers can always play their part but when you are dealing with millions of troops swords are VERY dangerous. They can stand up to fierce punishment

I agree, and the troop group you build will depend if you are the supressor or the upriser. High defense troops if you are trying to supress, high offense if you are trying to uprise. AND the supression/uprise battles will be pretty "blind". So we won't know exactly what troops we are going to fight against. Thus a whole new approach to large scale battles in Age 2. Thus a whole new look at offensive and defensive troops and what to build.

[scythe]

there is no defence and offence really, its like a valley battle, both side just try to kill each other. There is no wall, or range settings to make it a 'defence' battle. Rules apply both ways as far as I am aware. Perhaps the uprising is defending (rightside of report) and maybe that affects the cavalry but I am not so sure. Someone has to be on the right side but that does not mean its 'defence'.

[japanpimp]

In any case, the Age 2 uprise/suprression battles are a Whole New World. Let us cut to a lovely musical to express this thought....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGTb4ZFAS8

[sanford]

This is for AGE II.
Uprise and Suppression battles in Age 2 will be "blind". Troops garrisoned in a players embassy are "hidden" and do not show on the scout report.

This is wrong. Reinforcements DO show in scout reports in age2. (and age1, of course).

Also, during the 8hr battle reinforcements can be sent at the last minute by either side.

Troops can be added at the last minute in any battle in age1, also. No difference there. (of course the 8hr suppression timer doesn't exist in age1)

Also, the battles will be huge. EACH SIDE will have hundreds of thousands of troops, possibly millions of troops all packed into one city PLUS a embassy loaded with reinforcements.

True.

The battle will NOT happen in waves. It will be the entire mass of troops on BOTH SIDES all engaging at once. So the entire way of fighting in Age 2 along with what troops to use has suddenly changed from an exact science in Age 1 into a "blind" approach.

1) The waves will still happen, but only against player-owned historic cities.
2) Just to re-iterate: the whole concept of a "blind" fight is nothing new. In age2, it just happens more often because your opponent has 8 hrs to come online and arrange for more last-minute troops. But the concept is the same.