Spies are one way to counter no euro civ which often have tanky or annoying heros. even euro explorers are often used for tanking range shots.
for example spies are the easiest way to scout out japanese shrines and snipe the monks to prevent more shrine building.
Reducing their gold cost is probably a potential buff, they are suppose to be cheap but useful in niche situations. Also if Im not wrong they only cost 1 pop now so its pretty good.
After Assassins card, they are quite strong against both Explorers and Mercenaries, and even decent against normal units in small engagements.
Also, they absolutely murder Villagers.
I have been thinking the same, at least with the Assassins card you say, and even lower their cost to 100 coins or the card should at least send one to the game, that would be awesome! because yeah, they are not really good not even at large armies with even mercenaries because regular soldiers would kill them easily as they approach, ¡¡give Assasins ranged attack and send at least one with the card!! so at least you try that card, otherwise is not good even to try it!
Just look at this clip if you still think Spies are useless:
Its a niche unit and the mercenary bonus damage is actually pretty usefull against Japanese hakamota or German and now Swedish mercenary spam.
Just like the priest it arent really units you see much, does that make them bad? Not really, more of a situational unit.
It would be interesting to allow spies to disguise themselves as villagers or musketeers.etc
so it would be similar to a changeling in SC2. cool concept. then I suppose they would just revealed to be spies by explorers and towers as per usual.
I also think it would be cool to replace the spies’ multipliers with a powerful attack-from-stealth that does maybe 100 damage to any unit, and can only be used when initiating the attack while stealthed, or within .5 seconds of revealing themselves. however it would fit into the code.
The same attack-from-stealth concept could be applied to JPK? then JPK might not be so useless
Generally, civs like britain or smtn, really need spies if you get oushed by jagers, hakkapelits or the ■■■■■■■■ fussiliers, since you will lose fight after fight after fight vs those bastards, 600hp movement speed of 6 and 150 dmg overall
As others said, I pretty much only build to counter japan. I also use them for LOS as otto sometimes b/c you have a mosque up so early you can build them as soon as you hit age 2.
This guy modified the Spy with that ability, I think it would be great for killing WC, Daimyo and Japanese monks.
Not to mention that now the Spy would be extremely essential.
The spies need a ranged attack.
They need improvements by default and not only with cards.
Units like daymios and Mansabdar units should have heroes tag.
I forgot if they are classified as heavy infantry or not but if they have 200 base HP and 5.5 speed then they could be a very good unit for tanking.
Also since there are outlaw unit class now, they could also have bonuses against outlaws?
Yeah just give them a charged range ability like with USA and Mexican outlaws
ninjas are heavy infantry, but spies are just infantry, like a native scout or a mantlet. they’re quite good tanks in a pinch, much like envoys or priests
you know what I just realised they have 6.25 speed now, same as shock infantry.
They also get free shadow tech with age up.
I think just an HP bump would make them more then viable enough
They are basically shock infantry + rod combo