All I have to say is... wow. Holy @#$%
What do you think so far?
I'd say, IronClad is probably the most game-changing UT out of all the new UT's that were given to the original civs.
It takes 3 hits from a paladin to kill a FU heavy scorpion. With IC, it takes 4.
It takes 3 hits from a champ to kill a FU heavy scorpion. With IC, it takes 5.
It takes 4 hits from a paladin to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 6.
It takes 5 hits from a champ to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 6.
It takes 5 hits from a paladin to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 8 (!!)
It takes 6 hits from a champ to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 8.
It takes 13 hits from a paladin to kill a FU siege ram. With IC's capped ram, it takes also 13.
It takes 14 hits from a champ to kill a FU siege ram. With IC's capped ram, it also takes 14.
Seems fine, huh? I mean, Celtic siege is obviously stronger with the above stats, and the ability to fire 20% faster as well as 20% faster production rate.
But here's the game changing part:
It takes 7 hits from a FU hussar to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 12.
It takes 7 hits from a FU halberdier to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 14.
It takes 9 hits from a FU hussar to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 20 (!!).
It takes 10 hits from a FU halberdier to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 27 (!!).
It takes 14 hits from a FU hussar to kill a treb. With IC, it takes 25 (!!).
It takes 15 hits from a FU halberdier to kill a treb. With IC, it takes 30 (!!).
It takes 20 hits from a FU hussar to kill another civ's FU siege ram. With Teutonic IC'd capped ram, it's 23.
It takes 21 hits from a FU halberdier to kill another civ's FU siege ram. With Teutonic IC'd capped ram, it's 25.
Two reasons why IronClad is a really REALLY powerful tech. First is that in imperial age, it forced your opponent to use strong units to counter their siege, units that basically cost gold. If you rely on your hussars to counter trebuchets, and your opponents is the Teutons, your castles might be all gone before you get a chance to scratch their trebs. In trash wars, this matter significantly because Teutonic siege stand up against trash much much better.
The second is that it's a castle age tech. Most units in castle age barely have melee attacks above 10, so you can imagine how a +5 melee armour would make their siege all that more powerful. Their scorpions is still not as strong as Celtic ones, and their mangonels still can't do anything to close range melee units, but it's their battering rams that have been made much stronger in castle age for the sole reason that they cannot be countered by villagers, yes even Incan villagers.
I'm not saying that Iron Clad is broken. Rather, it changes the gameplay of the Teutons by a lot, especially when they are slower now with the LoS bonus removed.
So what do you guys think?
What do you think so far?
I'd say, IronClad is probably the most game-changing UT out of all the new UT's that were given to the original civs.
It takes 3 hits from a paladin to kill a FU heavy scorpion. With IC, it takes 4.
It takes 3 hits from a champ to kill a FU heavy scorpion. With IC, it takes 5.
It takes 4 hits from a paladin to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 6.
It takes 5 hits from a champ to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 6.
It takes 5 hits from a paladin to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 8 (!!)
It takes 6 hits from a champ to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 8.
It takes 13 hits from a paladin to kill a FU siege ram. With IC's capped ram, it takes also 13.
It takes 14 hits from a champ to kill a FU siege ram. With IC's capped ram, it also takes 14.
Seems fine, huh? I mean, Celtic siege is obviously stronger with the above stats, and the ability to fire 20% faster as well as 20% faster production rate.
But here's the game changing part:
It takes 7 hits from a FU hussar to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 12.
It takes 7 hits from a FU halberdier to kill a FU siege onager. With IC, it takes 14.
It takes 9 hits from a FU hussar to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 20 (!!).
It takes 10 hits from a FU halberdier to kill a BBC. With IC, it takes 27 (!!).
It takes 14 hits from a FU hussar to kill a treb. With IC, it takes 25 (!!).
It takes 15 hits from a FU halberdier to kill a treb. With IC, it takes 30 (!!).
It takes 20 hits from a FU hussar to kill another civ's FU siege ram. With Teutonic IC'd capped ram, it's 23.
It takes 21 hits from a FU halberdier to kill another civ's FU siege ram. With Teutonic IC'd capped ram, it's 25.
Two reasons why IronClad is a really REALLY powerful tech. First is that in imperial age, it forced your opponent to use strong units to counter their siege, units that basically cost gold. If you rely on your hussars to counter trebuchets, and your opponents is the Teutons, your castles might be all gone before you get a chance to scratch their trebs. In trash wars, this matter significantly because Teutonic siege stand up against trash much much better.
The second is that it's a castle age tech. Most units in castle age barely have melee attacks above 10, so you can imagine how a +5 melee armour would make their siege all that more powerful. Their scorpions is still not as strong as Celtic ones, and their mangonels still can't do anything to close range melee units, but it's their battering rams that have been made much stronger in castle age for the sole reason that they cannot be countered by villagers, yes even Incan villagers.
I'm not saying that Iron Clad is broken. Rather, it changes the gameplay of the Teutons by a lot, especially when they are slower now with the LoS bonus removed.
So what do you guys think?