Defending a Rush as Brits

[huGGy]

I have serious trouble defending early attacks vs Iros, Aztecs and so on. Any good Brit-Players here who can help me? What are your first cards and what do you do in Age2? Do you build Lbows/Pikes or Muskets/Hussars? Do you Age with Tower or 500 Food? All that stuff...

Help would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Kaiser_von_Nuben]

Aztec rushes are really difficult to fend off with the Brits, but there is hope. I approach them the same way I approach the Russians with the Germans. If I know for sure that I will be rushed I age with 13-14 vils without sending a 3 vil card, saving 2 shipments for Age 2. I gather wood to get 2 manors, then put everybody on food. I immediately send 700 wood, followed by 700 coin, put up 2 stables and spam hussars. If you get the food distribution right, you can have 8-10 hussars by 6:00. That is an unwelcome surprise for an Aztec rusher. You might have to call out the MM if he puts you under immediate pressure, but as Brits you have the economic advantage. Muskets are usually a bad idea early against Aztecs with all those maces.

LB/pike is OK, but all too often the pikes get massacred by the maces while the coyotes swarm in and kill the LBs. You can get around this sometimes by strategically placing your market/manors and creating choke points with walls. I find LBs behind walls to be really powerful. Coyotes are the problem; if you can restrict their movements, your LB's can shoot them up before they get to you. All in all, the key is to just survive that initial push. After that, you can manor boom and drive him back. Double rax LB/pike can usually outmass anyone in middle-colonial fights. You just need to survive his OP early shipments.

Iros will always have a balanced army with their big button tomas, shipped Kanyas and aennas. Muskets, again, are risky against aennas (X2 against HI... ouch). LB/pike is handy if you trust your micro. Once you get your econ rolling, hussars are a nice addition. Or you can go for an early stable, train 5 hussars for harassment purposes, THEN make LBs/pikes. The governor politician is vital for the coin here. Otherwise, it's all about food.

[36drew]

Criteria:
1) Tower Age
2) Markey w/ vill upgrades during transition
3) 6 musk + 6 lb in deck
4) T-U-R-T-L-E Power - Think building placement. Regardless of units, it matters.
5) Herding -- try to get two large herds to your tc.
6) Scout. Try to find rax/warhuts.
7) If it doesn't work C:/Reformat

[I__CHAOS__I]

almost always with the tower/200 gold and longbow+pikes is easier to manage imho (when playing defensively)

classic way is 3 vils/700 wood/military shipment (lbs unless lots of cav)

i like playing VC tho, and boom hard with CM as backup

[36drew]

[quote=""I__CHAOS__I""]
i like playing VC tho, and boom hard with CM as backup [/quote]

I wouldn't play VC (cheaper manors) if your facing a rush. It takes way too long to get those villager seconds back. CM is handy though.

While we are at it -- you can just let your tc go idle and age w/16 villages at about 4:15 too. Quicker than the 17 vills at 4:30-4:35. That helps a little and you only loose 1 villager out of 17 -- not catastrophic at all.

[I__CHAOS__I]

I do not really agree, together with the 700 wood you can get manors and longbows (some walls and an extra tower helps too) out rather easily, just don't overboom (which is the tricky part imho) The extra xp comes in handy as well
The playstyle is just different, and usually people go the classic way

[huGGy]

Starting with Hussars and raid the Aztec Player might be a good option. I need to watch my building placements and build more wall segments. Thanks for your tipps! I'll try to follow them.

[Alanriah]

huggy, from what i saw in the ottos-brits game i played vs you i may have some tips. instead of bilding those rax far away put them behind your tc, that way enemy units would be eaten alive by your tc, imagine if you did that and killed all my abus, GG right there.

[TheRam]

Can't be bothered to read everyone elses posts as it's late.
I've started playing Brits recently and flourished with them.
If you know you're playing a rush civ, and know they're gunna rush but just odn't know what with...
Build your Manors tactically around your base at some distance from your TC.
Then wall between them, or around them, either way it provides good LOS and can save money.
Stick LBs behind the walls, first card 3 vills, 15 villager age (YES, do it.)
Transition stick most on wood a few on food and a bit of coin for market upgrades.
Build your defence, outboom and always maintain enough military to fight off your enemy (longbows totally own at range, and realistically an aztec rush doesn't have that much siege (if it doesn't want to get demolished by LBs) and Iros lack the range/constant military spam.
I prefer the LB/Pike approach NP uses so effectively, but if you must FF, muskets + cannon really works, especially if you have a wall for the canon to hide behind. Age 3 Brits vs Age 2 civs listed = gg, providing you haven't lost your economy in the getting there.
Don't be afraid to use 500 Food age + all vills on wood during transition, for a pure LB/Pike with a manor boom that actually rocks. Tower doesn't do that much damage considering how easy it dies and 200g is practically useless unless you go fort.

[StrokeyBlofeld]

I agree with cammel here, I'd take the 500food politician over the tower/gold when planning to mass up some l-bows and pike. It allows you to gather more wood during the transition and go double rax.

Building placement is crucial to Brits IMO, as early game you will more than likely have to defend against all but a couple of civs. Your first manor should be built by one of your herding vills (2nd hunts if not too far, as should your second manor. This provides LOS for your hunters and creates a barrier from attack. Normaly this will be opposite side to the edge of the map from your TC.
During the transition, your market can get placed next to these manors creating even more barrier. When you go double rax upon hitting age 2, your 2 rax placed at 90 degress to your market will leave a gap to your TC which can be walled, this has now effectively created a large "L" shape barrier which your l-bows can camp behind. placing a gate in the small wall section provides your l-bows with use of both sides of the wall as a barrier if he tries to come round to attack.
Always use the map to help you create decent barriers and choke points, eg: Great Plains is a huge open map but with a TP near your starting base you can add your buildings next to it and use it as part of your barrier. On other maps like Texas there are cliff sections which are great for building off.

[I__CHAOS__I]

I used to be a fan of the 500 food politician, but even for pure lb spam, I think the tower/coin is better. Tower gives nice LOS, some extra xp, another drop-off point, protection for your many vils and the coin is never useless, a few musks wont hurt or an 2nd woodchopping upgrade rox. Heck, buy some wood with it if you want

[36drew]

Get that VOD on building placement up Jim, i'd love to see it since i'm horrid at it.

[LaZy]

Yeah Jim, Ive mentioned ur architectural skills more than once. Get a rec of it uploaded m8

out

[I__CHAOS__I]

the problem is that there's no fixed BO for that, each game it's different depending on many variables... the natural instinct to place em well is what makes a good brit player, and that comes with lots of playing only I guess.

[StrokeyBlofeld]

[quote=""I__CHAOS__I""]the problem is that there's no fixed BO for that, each game it's different depending on many variables... the natural instinct to place em well is what makes a good brit player, and that comes with lots of playing only I guess.[/quote]

This is very true, I've been trying to think of how I would do a VOD for it. Perhaps I'll just take some of my rec games and add my commentry in afterwards, trying to remember why I put buildings in the places I did.