Tip of the Day — trample mode

[pecelot]

The last time someone tried to use trample mode to kill my minutemen I killed 3 huss by kiting. I would not recommend at all. Trample mode should never be used.

I don't think you can draw conclusions from a single example, especially when it seems your opponent was rather bad at this, to say the least. The trick is, as I described in the opening post, to switch to the trample mode just when you reach enemy units. I'm fully aware, given the aforementioned, of their speed loss, hence I recommend just a bit of micro (literally 3 clicks) to make it a lot more viable.

(we all know it takes a bit of time to change the stance of a unit)

I'm disappointed, just like when watching some other pro players' POV, since you don't even use basic hotkeys! I can't express how easy it is and it saves tons of time. Set „Q" for a normal unit-mode, „W" for melee, idk „E" for trample/cover mode and you're good!

[Kaiserklein]

I didn't mean that. I indeed don't use hotkeys for this but in most of times it doesn't slow me down. I meant the unit stops walking when you change the stance, for a short time, regardless of how fast you do it
It's not basic hotkeys btw, and it doesn't save tons of time

[pecelot]

I know that, of course, and mostly that's why you should have it hotkeyed, as when you want to melee musks into huss you don't have to move them, click the melee mode and move them again, just move them, press one key and just quickly click again. I clearly see a comparison between using formation hotkeys and not, and I can certainly claim it helps a lot. Not sure why some people who seem to be good at this game are so reluctant.

[Kaiserklein]

Because you're not supposed to change stances super often. You theoretically shouldn't ever melee your musks because if your opponent has a good micro he will pull back his huss. Tbh the most useful stance is probably the cover mode, and even this one you don't use too often because you rarely have melee infantry with most civs.
Either way, it's nearly as fast, and as I said even with a hotkey they will stop for a while, which makes trample mode even more awkward

[pecelot]

Sure, I saw what you wrote the other day about that, but that's just one case, think of melee explorers, cover mode explorers, melee dragoons etc. It doesn't harm, formation hotkeys don't cause conflicts, so I'd rather set them up just in case if I were you. For example, I don't build church very often, but I still have a hotkey for it, which I always remember, so when in need, I have everything ready!
My impression was somewhat based on recent or a bit older streams, where I saw players like Zuta who just melee their musks manually. Of course sometimes you're not able to switch them to a normal mode instantly, so they just very awkwardly walk with bayonets while dealing no damage to anything whatsoever. It's a pain to watch...

[evilcheadar]

Trample mode is very useful when using lancers!

[howlingwolfpaw]

if a unit like a lancer is putting out high damage then it is also taking 50% of that damage.... no its a lousy thing to use~!

[evilcheadar]

if a unit like a lancer is putting out high damage then it is also taking 50% of that damage.... no its a lousy thing to use~!

No, it's not the splash damage is excellent and lancer overkill too much

[howlingwolfpaw]

eh.... overkill not a big thing for me really. I see it as how many hits does it take to kill a unit. A full imperial lancer can kill skirms in 1-2 hits depending on unction or not. It takes a hussar 4-5 hits. now say you put lancer on trample.... to kill that 250ish skirm has to take 125 dmg... and takes more hits to kill it... but subsequent kills will take less hits to kill, but also result in more damage..... its total crap.... not to mention skirms will kite lancers in this mode!

[evilcheadar]

eh.... overkill not a big thing for me really. I see it as how many hits does it take to kill a unit. A full imperial lancer can kill skirms in 1-2 hits depending on unction or not. It takes a hussar 4-5 hits. now say you put lancer on trample.... to kill that 250ish skirm has to take 125 dmg... and takes more hits to kill it... but subsequent kills will take less hits to kill, but also result in more damage..... its total crap.... not to mention skirms will kite lancers in this mode!

You need to only engage trample when you close with the enemy

[howlingwolfpaw]

once engaged you can see it, and easily run away.... also it kills your troops way faster.....

[evilcheadar]

once engaged you can see it, and easily run away.... also it kills your troops way faster.....

You don't engage trample mode.....until...you are actually right next to the enemy soldiers....

[howlingwolfpaw]

yes i get that.... then the other guy can easily kite back.... then you have to disengage.... still neglecting that you lose out so much damage to do it...

[adderbrain5]

I think i said somewhere before, but I'm not sure because i can't find it :

I had great success using trample mode with Mams trained from saloon in trample mode vs hand infantry especially sams. Granted, this was against a noob, but there was no real tech gap, and i don't see how any better player could have done differently. I don't think it would be good vs FU ashi, but vs fully hand infantry I've found it works well...maybe because mama tank so much anyway

[pecelot]

They're primarily meant to tank, not to kill themselves.

[evilcheadar]

They're primarily meant to tank, not to kill themselves.

They can be good for harassment however

[yemshi]

They shouldn't be used to harass though

[evilcheadar]

They shouldn't be used to harass though

You can use them to do pretty much anything you want

[pecelot]

like fck your mum and nuke the basement

[yemshi]

They shouldn't be used to harass though

You can use them to do pretty much anything you want

You could but you shouldn't. Mams aren't nearly as strong on their own as they are if togheter with an army dealing demage.
A mameluke also barely has more attack than a Age II huss, the HP is irrelevant anyways as the vills have to retreat. Losing 5 Mams in a raid is really, really bad.

[yakuza]

great effort.
So, share it here. (I would share the screenshot later)
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 4214150583

[pecelot]

wow, thanks! @yakuza

notification

[yakuza]

wow, thanks! @yakuza

notification

mention not. it was quite interesting to read that. moreover, the discussion is quite informative.

[pecelot]

mention not

[tilanus]

I think the self-damage of the trample mode is too much of a deal breaker. Everyone knows about the advantages of splash damage, but like people said already, you're not only giving away half of your dmg (this alone is already sufficient as a drawback) but you also lose HP. So you're basically making your cavalry easier to kill, even for skirms and yes, most of them will receive some damage, but splash damage is also weaker on its rears. So the type of damage you intend to inflict is not only generally reduced it's also not homogenously spread. Melee splash is only really useful for hand cavalry units that have the splash by default such as cuirs or elephants, because for them the damage penalty and HP loss is not a thing.