Are the Goths the best anti-elephant civ?

Age of Empires II: DE II - Discussion
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Are the Goths the best anti-elephant civilization?

Since we are talking about elephants we are assuming this is a late team game of closed map like black forest/michi/amazon tunnel. I played a lot of elephants civs a lot of the time, and every time I see goths, I become quite nervous.

Late game Goths have very cheap infantry, insanely fast barracks, and anti-archer capabilities. Weakness heavy melee infantry. Goth Halberdier is ridiculously cost-effective compared to elephants, not to mention the creation speed.

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Except if enemy has sizeable army of Ballista Elephants

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No, Italians and Saracens are, followed by Incas.

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Those units require a castle. Which is a bit of a downside.

5

Elephants melt in front of those UUs while halbs are cost-effective, not pop-effective. Hera has mentioned that Persians have literally no tool against Italians in late game.

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Goths are possibly the weakest of the infantry specialist civs. Why would they be any better at countering elephants than Japanese and Bohemians for example?

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Don’t forget Scorpions. Romans/Khmer/Celts scorpion can just melt an elephant army in an instant.

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Maybe not the best, but my favorite is Spanish.

The best tech tree, fully upgraded trash units, a strong castle unique unit, faster conversion and missionaries.

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Bohemians can punish elephants severely : harder-hitting halbs, hussite chariots can match the tankyness of elephant archers, and trash monks who will still do a decent job at converting them provided the spiky meat shield holds.

A bit micro-intensive though.

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10

Japanese, Burmese and Aztec halbediers have more attack.

But personally against war elephants i’d prefer more buffy halbediers. I’d say halbediers with more armor. Thus Roman, Teutons, Sicilians.

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I agree with the Bohemians, if you have a decent micro no elephant is a problem. But even with the Ethiopians the same applies, you have to get to a critical mass of BBC. Halberdiers are only meat shields.