Part 1 of 4
Also was doing Small Movement tactics, soon will be doing Wall tactics.

Outposts are your scout buildings. If you were to complete an outpost, your range would extend. Here are a few pointers/reminders:
1. Outposts are easily damaged by take-over. Have a commandeer ready, then build an outpost as a SPY building, not for offensive reasons. Scouting first gives you an opputunity to improve your units.
2. If an outpost of yours was taken-over, after the next take-over, repair it next turn (the turn you''ve re-taken it, if possible) and continue spying on the enemy.
3. It is possible to spy on players from espionage, but it would b easier to upgrade your outpost range, that way, it will be easier to spy.
4. If you prefer espionage over range spying, then upgrade the outpost so you get a higher chance of success.

Last Edited : Tuesday, 14 August 2007 - 16:26

Examples:

1. Say I was interested in scouting ahead, but didn''t want to risk running into an enemy. Use a commandeer and build that way.
2. Say an enemy wanted to make their move. I would plant an outpost and spy on them.

Strategy #1:
Protecting an outpost can be a pain in the neck. Consider building walls/palisides after building an outpost, to further protect it.

outposts are good for both offensive and defencive, they give you the means to gather who is going where and when it is best to attack and can give you a full view of your opponents forces.

In defence they provide extra defence points for units garisoned inside and for ranged units and commandeers (when they are going to build) +1 range.

I normally don''t build walls near them unless they are near a strategic point that i might need to defend later, if it looks like someone is going to try and take one over, i can usually see them early enough to send units or in worst case remove the building so they cann''t use it

I usually put up outposts for defensive purposes...to provide sight for ballistas in towers OR if I''ve taken a large portion of the map and have walled off gaps between the mountains and trees, while my major forces are two or three kingdoms away.

Otherwise, I prefer to deploy 1 pop scout units to provide sight along my borders or for advance scouting.

advantages: they move plus don''t cost as much.

Strategy #2: Building Outposts should NOT b clustered. Keep them about 5-10 hexes apart, for better distance viewing.

Yep, that''s good advice...don''t think I''d build outposts that close.
Even at 10 hexes apart, two outposts would provide overlapping sight radius.

Last Edited : Tuesday, 14 August 2007 - 22:38

Strategy #3: Some people build outposts just to spy on you. Retaliate by building your own outposts, then attacking the enemy. (Note: Though not recommended, if you turn the tables, it would foil any other spying plans the enemy would have, and the reason it''s a NR (Not Recommended) is because people may counter and take it back.)

usually a military force near the border is enough to discourage people from building too close.

The building system makes that impossible.

Strategy #4: People may build palisides to protect their outposts. Use your own outposts to spy on paliside-protected-outpost (or PPO), destroy the palisides (Walls, if that was an option), then take the Outpost.

pallisades and walls are iffy at best, especially in large campain maps were they can be bipassed easilly. they mainly stand to delay but if someone bothers to put up a wall stretching the entire gap then it is likely they have no intenssion of attacking, or not much of a military presence in the area and are thus vulnerable. so it does little more than deture or highten the situation

It may delay the inevitable.

Strategy #5: Outposts play important roles: To seek resources. If you think one is near, plant an outpost to see if it really is, but make sure you defend it.

I do not think I have ever built pallisades or walls to protect outposts. they do the job themselves. when you see a threat you have 2 to 3 turns to get forces to the area.

No Crimson, An 8000 HP wall is NOT an iffy proposition - it will take an opponent a while to hack that down (unless he has 2 - 10 pop cats (which few do). My recommendation is simply that you not count on the wall by itself. For instance - build towers behind the wall and employ large stack balista or markmen into the towers, and throw an outpost out there for visual range - you have defense in every sense of the word at that point (it just takes time to build, and sometimes you don''t have that kinda time).


Jmacattack D~S

Well I''m also in favour of sugars proposal.

I use 1 pop scouts which can move forward and extend my sight ... don''t consume wood (precious for ballis), and they can run away and not be taken over.

excellent point, Gueritol - 1 pop scouts are the best method of (SCOUTING) that there is.

LOL

Jmacattack D~S

And we were wondering why on earth Req decided to call them like that, eh?

Guer, i don''t agree with that, 1-pops are like spies. They get captured and killed. Outposts are better.

Strategy #6: If you rely on just 1-pop scouts for scouting, then your as good as squashed. Outposts have more hp and, when used properly, are a great way to start, but make sure you have 10-pop units next to them (Rangers garrisoned in the tower)

Come duel with me ... and kill 1 of my scouts.

The problem is that outpost can be built, but not early in the game.

Your proposing spoting resources with your outpost, that means early game ... and I think outpost should not be an early tech/building.

I much rather spend my wood in barracks+archers or ballis.

You are not wrong in the usage of the outpost ... but they are not even close to 1-pop scouts in early stages of the game, and they are not a good tech choice to start.

Even the extra-view-range is cheaper than outpost tech and build.

to jmac''s post in reply to me, i ment it more in this sense, if a wall it to be effective you have to tie down troops to it and they can be bipassed unless you sink alot of money and resources into a continal defence which is well manned fortified and located in a place that give you the advantage in your defence and deployment. It great to delay but in a camp where i face someone equal to me in skill and power i would rather expand my military than build a wall.

i agree with crimson , altho towers are nice to have, pop scouts are cheaper,they moove, and it doesnt hurt to loose them. well that much . plus if taken over it is a disadvantage, expecially if closse enough to ur base or something you dont want them seein . i personally dont use towers . and if i use walls than billistas are fine without towers behind them . ... p.s. crimson.. IM BACK!!!