Discussion Hydras: Practical or Illogical?

[DeletedUser]

I've heard arguments from both sides on this one. Do you believe that hydra are a practical unit to use or just a waste of favor and farm space?

If you are pro-hydra: Explain how you utilize them and why they are the best at this task.

If you are anti-hydra: Let the hating begin

 

[DeletedUser27346]

I think hydras are like any unit they have both pros and cons to them
Pros: very high defense and attack, balanced unit, to build light ships and biremes to equal 1 hydra out for stats the hydra is actually smaller in population.
Cons: actually very slow compared to other ships. Can only support cities worshipping Poseidon

When I compare these things i prefer the ls, biremes, and even triemes over the hydra for speed and the fact i can support anyone i wish with ships, but to everyone that uses hydras good luck to ya.

 

[DeletedUser]

You are in Empire of Thrace in Athens, aren't you? Then you should know me

I am pro-hydra. Here's how I use them: On a frontline city that is primarily a hybrid nuke (hops/chariots). I use hydra instead of light ships because it enables me to use everything for either attack or defense. And since it's frontline, the TT doesn't really matter, and I'm able to get by with standard transports instead of FT, saving pop space

 

[DeletedUser27346]

Yeah i was there for the last couple weeks before The world was won. so i didnt really get to know everyone on the alliance really well but those are good reasons to use hydras. Never liked them myself in mass production im not patient enough to build up enough to really cause damage.

 

[DeletedUser]

Building 10 in a city to act as 50 ls works well enough I've found. The rebuild time is the same as it is for the troops.

 

[DeletedUser27346]

Even with needing the favor for it they still equal out?

 

[DeletedUser]

I can build 1-2 hydras everyday depending on my daily bonus size.

 

[DeletedUser27346]

Fair enough maybe ill take another look at them in one of my extra cities

 

[DeletedUser]

The main pro of the Hydra is that it can bypass fireships, outside of that, it has the same attack rate as LS, but requires favor and more resources. Technically less wood, and more stone, so that isn't so bad. A hydras defence rate isn't that great, they are outclassed by biremes.

 

[DeletedUser]

pros:
- high population, so can absorb more damage before one is destroyed or will give you less LS losses if you mix LS and hydras
- hydras are attacking units, so the extra defence doesn't mean much imo. BUT, if they do get caught in your harbour or offensively sniped in a siege then you'll get more BP than if it was LS (maybe 1/2 a pro)

cons:
- mega slow (although it's not an issue if they're with a CS)
- uses plenty favour which could be spend on wood and call of the ocean for LS


for me, LS win. that said, it's not a totally noobish unit to build as it does have one clear advantage being higher population

 

[DeletedUser]

pros:
- high population, so can absorb more damage before one is destroyed or will give you less LS losses if you mix LS and hydra

...

- mega slow (although it's not an issue if they're with a CS)

...

for me, LS win. that said, it's not a totally noobish unit to build as it does have one clear advantage being higher population

That is true, Hydras might be nice to use to clear an enemy harbor if they don't have a tonne of ships present, giving a seemingly favorable ratio when used right. Seems negligible as a tactic to employ.

Hydras would be a lot more fun to use if you could give them the breakthrough bonus without losing 50% strength... they are, after all, massive enough to get away with that.

 

[DeletedUser]

awesome idea actually, you should post it

 

[DeletedUser]

I agree, very unique idea to make the hydra more useful

 

[DeletedUser25074]

Not a fan of hydra really 50 pop for 1 hydra = 5 LS, 5 LS have the same attack value of 1 hydra.

But LS can be effected by captain which gives same bonus as priestess for hydra after that hydra's fall short as they arnt effected by Ram or winds. This coupled with the ridiculous favour cost and the really slow speed of the hydra's i never bother with them.

Edit: I am a fan of myths and i feel that hydra's are 1 of the most under powered of all myths and does need a big overhaul.

 

[DeletedUser]

Would you consider adding a few hydras (5?) to a bireme nuke to enable some attacking ability?

 

[DeletedUser25074]

Not really lets see 4 hydra's = 200 pop and 25 Bireme's = 200 pop but there is a massive difference there in the values.

4 hydra's = 2860 Def points
25 Bireme's = 4000 Def points

Yet again though Bireme's are still affected by ram which Hyrda's arnt. So in both fields attacking or defending they fall very very short in comparison.

 

[DeletedUser]

I didn't say build the hydras as a defensive unit. I said build them into a bireme nuke so that the city would still have some attacking capability but with more defense than building the light ships

 

[DeletedUser25074]

I know but my point is id rather us the pop to just make bireme's and have LS cities for my Off. By building just 4 hydra's im reducing the effectiveness of my bireme nuke by 1140 points or 4000 if im using the hydra's to attack

 

[DeletedUser]

5 hydra = 250 pop. That's 14.3 defense per fs or 3575 total defense.
31.25 biremes = 250 pop. That's 20 defense per fs or 5000 total defense. Difference of 1,425. Not too big.

On the flip side, you now get the equivalent of 25 light ships to your bireme nuke so that your city can act as a hybrid. I know that nukes are the way to go, but sometimes slight hybrids are effective, like having 700 hoplites in a land defense city sent to break a siege on your island.

 

[DeletedUser25074]

U say that lol but i am 1 of those unlucky people that has been done in by just that 1 extra bireme before In certain situations the extra points make a massive difference