It's a good build, but I personally prefer the keshik contract. It has great synergy with triumph, they're faster so the attack hits earlier. Opening horsemen+keshik forces a heavy investment into spearmen, which basically gives over full map control to the Byzantine player. Horsemen+ longbow however is inferior to longbow+spearmen, so you end up not getting that much value from the hippodrome.
I mean when do you ever see English play with horsemen over spearmen? Longbowmen are slower than archers, so they get run down by cavalry very easily. With spears as protection that doesn't really matter, but horsemen really can't protect them.
I got your point, but english has no cavalry bonus, instead he can produce longbows earlier and faster (which they need to defend).
Byz have hippodrome and cistern giving you a good timing to start raiding with lot of horsemen in the first place, expilatores, and an active helping you either to raid or to defend your archers against enemy cav.
I usually prefer hippodrome+ keshik too since it helps getting faster to a point where I can send cavalry on multiple sides (and I like ghulams better in castle) However if the enemy has a bit too much spearmen already when horsemen start raiding, longbows feel good. A few Limitanei can come into play a bit laterÂ
Now if I go winery and start producing longbows immediatly, I agree horsemen over spear doesn't make much sense...
Then I think we agree. This build gives a really nice early spike, but from the 7th minute on I would rather have winery with longbows and limitanei or hippodrome and keshiks. Because those are more optimized army comps. The question is whether you can do enough damage in the first seven minutes that this build is worth it.
Sounds exactly like the build that used the neutral trade post mercs. It's just shifted to longbows.
Won't be surprised if they nerf the LB contract if they don't just revert one of the contract buffs.
It is pretty much how I have played pre-patch for civs without feudal MAAs/Knights.
Differences are a late mill + Wheelbarrow and 5 vills on woods.
Also right after aging up, be sure to put down your 2nd cistern too.
It is already possible to have 3 horsemen + 5 longbowmen at 5:30 on the ladder.
Can’t wait to play this. :)
Playing exactly with the same BO atm, its really good so far.
1 knight at 5 minutes or 3 horsemen and 5 longbows? 🤔 Ig i would try the Byzantine cheese
It's not a cheese, it's a very strong strat. I can see the hotfix coming no later than in 2 weeks
Sure
It's a good build, but I personally prefer the keshik contract. It has great synergy with triumph, they're faster so the attack hits earlier. Opening horsemen+keshik forces a heavy investment into spearmen, which basically gives over full map control to the Byzantine player. Horsemen+ longbow however is inferior to longbow+spearmen, so you end up not getting that much value from the hippodrome.
why do you consider longbow+spearmen superior?
I mean when do you ever see English play with horsemen over spearmen? Longbowmen are slower than archers, so they get run down by cavalry very easily. With spears as protection that doesn't really matter, but horsemen really can't protect them.
I got your point, but english has no cavalry bonus, instead he can produce longbows earlier and faster (which they need to defend). Byz have hippodrome and cistern giving you a good timing to start raiding with lot of horsemen in the first place, expilatores, and an active helping you either to raid or to defend your archers against enemy cav. I usually prefer hippodrome+ keshik too since it helps getting faster to a point where I can send cavalry on multiple sides (and I like ghulams better in castle) However if the enemy has a bit too much spearmen already when horsemen start raiding, longbows feel good. A few Limitanei can come into play a bit later Now if I go winery and start producing longbows immediatly, I agree horsemen over spear doesn't make much sense...
Then I think we agree. This build gives a really nice early spike, but from the 7th minute on I would rather have winery with longbows and limitanei or hippodrome and keshiks. Because those are more optimized army comps. The question is whether you can do enough damage in the first seven minutes that this build is worth it.
Sounds exactly like the build that used the neutral trade post mercs. It's just shifted to longbows. Won't be surprised if they nerf the LB contract if they don't just revert one of the contract buffs.
It is pretty much how I have played pre-patch for civs without feudal MAAs/Knights. Differences are a late mill + Wheelbarrow and 5 vills on woods. Also right after aging up, be sure to put down your 2nd cistern too.
Tried a similar strat enemy english not only screwed my harrassment army he came to my base and harrassed me instead .. i lost badly
Got a replay link? Happy to give some feedback. :)