I have seen from some Youtube comments and twitch chat this Steppe Lancer change idea which I think is awesome (so credits to them), and I wanted to post here and see how the community thinks about this.
Basically, make Steppe Lancers a low HP, very high atk, and yet very slow (I mean really slow, I'm thinking like 4.0s+) atk speed unit. Essentially a mounted shotel warrior with slightly more HP and very, very slow atk speed. Production cost could be changed accordingly.
1. This brings back the steppe and charge element (which I believe is what the unit is supposed to represent), and the unit becomes fun to play.
To represent the medieval cavalry charge, many suggested the lancers to deal bonus damage on first hit. While that's too difficult to implement, they could be a similar unit with the proposed change. Since with their very slow attack speed, they would be terrible at ongoing combats. So to properly utilize these units and justify their costs, players would need to micro to get multiple good "charges" instead of leaving them to fight on their own (you know, like a real commander).
With their 1 range, high movement speed, yet low HP, it would be a brilliant test of military maneuver for both the player and opponent as to when and where would you charge. The charge + hit-and-run centered gameplay would allow Lancers to really shine in the steppe and open fields, and not in choke points like currently (ironically).
2. The unit now has its distinct identity, viable use and easier to balance.
With the possibility of multiple hit-and-run high-damage "charges", Steppe Lancers now become solid choices to fight against army with melee units only (e.g. Knights). While their low pierce armor, combined with the now low HP, makes them very vulnerable to ranged units. Many would die before they charge into ranged army and more would perish before they could escape and regroup for another charge.
In 1v1 this would give an advantage for civs that have them, particularly against civs like Slavs, as opponent would need to add ranged units to support their knights if you go mass Lancers, which is a lot of tech cost. And when they did, civs with Lancers could translate into Paladins / Keshiks etc. Making Lancers a unit with great strategic value, instead of a "meh" version of Knights. And if Lancers turns out to be broken or underwhleming again, devs could easily balance with HP / atk stats.
3. It solves the Mongols "arguably" got the best Steppe Lancer dilemma and gives each civ something unique respectively
After the recent patch, the already very viable Mongols now gets Steppe Lancers with 30% HP bonus and instantly have many questioned, then what's the point of Tartars & Cumans Lancers? It's not like Lancers themselves are good now but even then, Mongols got the arguably best version. Hussars and Knight-line does better job (and resources-wise) at whatever the Lancer is doing (if pathing is fixed).
But now, with the new Lancers having low HP, high atk and increased need for micro, the situation becomes like this:
Mongols: With full upgrades and slightly more HP in castle age, now mongols player could have Lancers as a proper castle age transition, either directly from scout rush (no archer) or to counter enemy Knights (hopefully cheaper than camels). This is mainly to buy time for there advance to imperial age and Mangudai / Seige, as their lancers wihtout the last armor upgrade would die super quick to whatever ranged units in imp.
Cumans: Faster movement speed is pretty self-explanatory if Lancers became such a micro-intensive unit. Good for re-positioning, flanking, faster retreating from charge, and small groups of Lancer raidings too.
Tartars: With downhill bonus at 50%, downhill charge is gonna be MASSIVE, DEVESTATING, whatever you call it. Imagine a 25+ damage charging into the face of hopeless uphill armies (unless you're paladin or elephants), totally captures the spirit of medieval cavalry charge. Yet tartars Lancers could not just stay to fight in the hill either, as they are still bad in prolonged fights even if its downhill. So they'll need to maneuver constantly to find those favorable downhill charge again and again (like a steppe army would), instead of camping the hill.
I honestly think this would give Cumans and esp. Tartars some strength, as right now they are two steppe/CA civ without enough bonus, that other civs are just better if going CAs or Cavalry. And if any other civs were to get Steppe Lancers for the same reason Mongols did, they would likely be without significant bonuses and kept Cumans and Tartars' strength.
I really liked the idea of steppe lancers, that's why I spent a long time thinking and typing this thread, hoping that one day I'll see top players with a huge Lancer flank in big teamfights, or myself one day, commanding a downhill Lancer charge to victory.
Also, another relevant change is default units with longer range to march at the back.
For instance, right now Mamelukes just goes in front of Camels for some reason... and made the mixed army problematic. Although this should be a general change, but Lancers and Mamelukes might be more viable to be mixed into army.
So... what do you think :D
Basically, make Steppe Lancers a low HP, very high atk, and yet very slow (I mean really slow, I'm thinking like 4.0s+) atk speed unit. Essentially a mounted shotel warrior with slightly more HP and very, very slow atk speed. Production cost could be changed accordingly.
1. This brings back the steppe and charge element (which I believe is what the unit is supposed to represent), and the unit becomes fun to play.
To represent the medieval cavalry charge, many suggested the lancers to deal bonus damage on first hit. While that's too difficult to implement, they could be a similar unit with the proposed change. Since with their very slow attack speed, they would be terrible at ongoing combats. So to properly utilize these units and justify their costs, players would need to micro to get multiple good "charges" instead of leaving them to fight on their own (you know, like a real commander).
With their 1 range, high movement speed, yet low HP, it would be a brilliant test of military maneuver for both the player and opponent as to when and where would you charge. The charge + hit-and-run centered gameplay would allow Lancers to really shine in the steppe and open fields, and not in choke points like currently (ironically).
2. The unit now has its distinct identity, viable use and easier to balance.
With the possibility of multiple hit-and-run high-damage "charges", Steppe Lancers now become solid choices to fight against army with melee units only (e.g. Knights). While their low pierce armor, combined with the now low HP, makes them very vulnerable to ranged units. Many would die before they charge into ranged army and more would perish before they could escape and regroup for another charge.
In 1v1 this would give an advantage for civs that have them, particularly against civs like Slavs, as opponent would need to add ranged units to support their knights if you go mass Lancers, which is a lot of tech cost. And when they did, civs with Lancers could translate into Paladins / Keshiks etc. Making Lancers a unit with great strategic value, instead of a "meh" version of Knights. And if Lancers turns out to be broken or underwhleming again, devs could easily balance with HP / atk stats.
3. It solves the Mongols "arguably" got the best Steppe Lancer dilemma and gives each civ something unique respectively
After the recent patch, the already very viable Mongols now gets Steppe Lancers with 30% HP bonus and instantly have many questioned, then what's the point of Tartars & Cumans Lancers? It's not like Lancers themselves are good now but even then, Mongols got the arguably best version. Hussars and Knight-line does better job (and resources-wise) at whatever the Lancer is doing (if pathing is fixed).
But now, with the new Lancers having low HP, high atk and increased need for micro, the situation becomes like this:
Mongols: With full upgrades and slightly more HP in castle age, now mongols player could have Lancers as a proper castle age transition, either directly from scout rush (no archer) or to counter enemy Knights (hopefully cheaper than camels). This is mainly to buy time for there advance to imperial age and Mangudai / Seige, as their lancers wihtout the last armor upgrade would die super quick to whatever ranged units in imp.
Cumans: Faster movement speed is pretty self-explanatory if Lancers became such a micro-intensive unit. Good for re-positioning, flanking, faster retreating from charge, and small groups of Lancer raidings too.
Tartars: With downhill bonus at 50%, downhill charge is gonna be MASSIVE, DEVESTATING, whatever you call it. Imagine a 25+ damage charging into the face of hopeless uphill armies (unless you're paladin or elephants), totally captures the spirit of medieval cavalry charge. Yet tartars Lancers could not just stay to fight in the hill either, as they are still bad in prolonged fights even if its downhill. So they'll need to maneuver constantly to find those favorable downhill charge again and again (like a steppe army would), instead of camping the hill.
I honestly think this would give Cumans and esp. Tartars some strength, as right now they are two steppe/CA civ without enough bonus, that other civs are just better if going CAs or Cavalry. And if any other civs were to get Steppe Lancers for the same reason Mongols did, they would likely be without significant bonuses and kept Cumans and Tartars' strength.
I really liked the idea of steppe lancers, that's why I spent a long time thinking and typing this thread, hoping that one day I'll see top players with a huge Lancer flank in big teamfights, or myself one day, commanding a downhill Lancer charge to victory.
Also, another relevant change is default units with longer range to march at the back.
For instance, right now Mamelukes just goes in front of Camels for some reason... and made the mixed army problematic. Although this should be a general change, but Lancers and Mamelukes might be more viable to be mixed into army.
So... what do you think :D