Questions to ask yourself when playing Isis
By Gx_Iron · vanilla
Gx_Iron’s decision checklist for planning an Isis strategy around the map, opponent and game situation.
Ten things that should go through your mind when playing Isis:
1) What is the map?
You will have to devise your opening and your overall strategy to suit your map. If the map has fishing, will you go with just a few fishing boats and trireme rush, or make a ton of fishing boats and go to the third age? Will you defend your fishing and spend a lot on naval warfare, or leave him to make warships and attack on land yourself?
2) What civ are you playing against?
- If you’re playing vs Poseidon, I would stay heavier on food and lighter on wood in the first age.
- If you’re playing vs Hades, be sure to have some on wood, ready to make slingers.
- Playing vs a Norse or Egyptian player? Keep the econ balanced until you see what he’s building, then be ready to react.
3) When and where will you build your first monument?
You can do this right at the start of the game, but you may have a few idle TC seconds. I do that sometimes, but many times I wait until a couple of minutes into the game when I have a decent food supply. A good thing to remember is that Isis monuments block god powers, so try to place that monument towards the front of your base. Sometimes you may want to wait until the second age to place your first monument if you want to go up a little faster, in this case I would put it near my military buildings.
4) What food sources am I going to use?
What you want to do is scan around, using obelisks to see more, and decide on a path that your food villagers will take. Don’t get caught with your pants down, running out of those 2 rhino, then having to quickly look for more food. Always know where the next location is before hand so that you don’t have to think about it.
5) What food techs will I get and when?
If you see any decent hunting, get hunting dogs early. If its a very low food map, and there is less that 500 or so food to hunt, then I would avoid this tech. If you find a lot of sheep early, you may opt for the husbandry tech instead, since that not only lets you gather from sheep faster, but also fattens the sheep faster, so you will accrue more free food the longer that tech is in effect.
6) When do I use Prosperity?
Try to have the first gold upgrade before you use this god power, it will benefit you more. I try to get the gold upgrade half way through the first age, then use prosperity just before I advance to classical. If you are going to use your gold miners to make barracks, then avoid using prosperity until they are finished with the barracks. You don’t want to cast this power then be forced to move guys off of gold, its a waste. Try to have at least 5 or 6 guys on gold when you use this.
7) When should I advance?
Try to stay in the 5:30 – 6:00 range. If you go too far past 6:00 then your enemy may outmass you by too much and you’ll lose the early battles. Much faster than 5:30 and you wont have the econ to do much of anything.
8) What minor god should I choose when advancing?
Your choices are Anubis and Bast. If the map is more open like savannah, anubis may be the better choice because of serpents, which helps a great deal in the open field. If the map is more closed, like alfhiem, you may go with Bast, since it features 2 very good econ myth techs. Regardless of which you choose, favor is very useful, so get down your 2nd and 3rd monuments quickly.
9) Where should I make my barracks?
If you go up earlier or even with your opponent, try and take an offensive position. Locate a far gold mine or good far hunting, and place your barracks in a semi-circle around it to protect the area. Use your buildings to give you warning of oncoming attackers, and to get in the way of their pathing. If you go up later than your enemy, try and take a more defensive position, keeping near your tower range so that you don’t get overpowered in the early fighting. This will give you more time to mass up a force.
10) I got three crappy little units, what do I build?
Those crappy units are also cheap and build fast. This is where you need to scout your enemy and see what he’s making so that you can react. I would always make one round of 4 or so spearmen, to run around and scout.
- If you are playing vs Norse, if you see Raiding Cavalry and Throwing Axemen, go Spears and Slingers.
- If you see Hersir and Throwing Axemen, go Axemen and Slingers.
- When playing against greek, if you see Hippikons and Toxotes go Spears Slingers.
- If you see Hoplites/Toxotes go Axemen/Slingers.
- When playing another Egyptian player start with either Spears/Slingers or Axe/Slinger. You can get risky and if you see him Spear/Slinger try to go all Spearmen, and if you see him Axe/Slinger try all slinger. It’s hard to do, but if you’re good enough at it, you can adjust your econ to do this fairly quickly.
- Be sure to plop 2 or 3 priests and 2 or 3 Anubite/Sphinx into your army as well. The MU’s will provide the heavy beef your units lack.
Remember, this game isn’t about a particular strategy. Often times people ask me for strategies for certain civs, things that they can do every game. AoM doesn’t work this way. You have to learn to adapt to your map, and to what civ you are playing against, and to what units they are making. Adapting and using what the map gives you is the key. This here is actually my strategy.
I ask myself these questions, and the answers for each game is what develops what strategy I use for that particular game. The single most important piece of advice I can give anybody though, is to answer these questions with authority, and stick to the plan. If you decide you will spam fishing boats and go third age, then DONT change your mind half way through when he makes some galleys, and make 2 more docks, buildings your own galleys. You made your decision, now stick to the plan and MAKE IT HAPPEN! Too many times people get freaked out by certain things, such as your enemy going with a fast 3rd age. Don’t be afraid, just play your game.
Good luck, and… Happy gaming!
-Gx_Iron
Source: Gx_Iron · HeavenGames