Lion Heart's Rio Grande all in
A new entry in the "Memexico bull$hit" category. Push hard around 9min with this high-risk, high reward build. Lion Heart used this build in a game against JulianK where he managed to catch him off guard and get a win. Unlike the Central America all-in where we had a significant eco backed up by weak crates to produce our troops, this build sacrifies the entire eco and uses big shipments to keep the momentum up.
Game Plan :
Reach age 3 quite fast then revolt immediately to Rio Grande to sacrifice your entire eco in the name of crushing agression fueled by powerful unit shipments.
Age 1 :
- TP opening. Priority of food and treasures until the house is built. The focus on food treasure and livestock treasures. We can fatten any livestock captured and eat team before revolting.
- First shipment 2vils+hacienda. You can place the hacienda in base to fatten the cow or place it forward to tempt your oppenent to waste his/her time burning it down.
- 2nd shipment is the cathedral for more XP income without slowing our tempo.
- Age up with 14 villagers (it is ok to have TC downtime) around 3'00" using Michoacan (water map). Without a water map, Querétaro is a safe choice.
Transition :
The plan is simple :
- Mine 300c (for the next age up).
- Then all villagers back to food unless you feel an agression is coming. In this case build a house.
- Queue 2 villagers (they will have time to pay off their cost).
Age 2 :
- Ship 700c as soon as possible.
- Save the military wagon for later. You might want to hide it in a remote corner of the map.
- Once the coin crates arrive put a lot of villagers on it. You will have 1200f banked already. Age-up fast with either San Luis Potosi (safe choice) or Tabasco (if you believe your enemy will mass dragoons).
Transition :
You do not have a fast age up so you have time to scout the enemy and prepare for the revolution.
- Ship 700w and chop 50wood (to pay for Rio Grande).
- Mine 250 coin (also for Rio Grande).
- Then eat your livestock as you want to gather as much food as possible (to pay for Rio grande and extra revolutionaries).
Age 3 :
Get your crates and queue your revolt. Make sure you have collected all the XP crates before finishing the revolt ! Nothing feels worse than seeing a bunch of XP on the group you can't pickup. Build an artillery foundry with the wagon you hid in a corner of the map.
Revolt around 8'15"
Ship 3 falconets. Research all the age 4 artillery upgrades. train revolutionaries at your TC. Once the canons are here (at around 9'00"), push. You live or die based on your ability to keep these canons alive and shooting.
Branching paths :
- Ennemy artillery spotted ? Ship culverins. Yours will have their guard upgrade unlike your ennemy's.
- Ennemy is turtling with forts ? Ship the factory, set it on heavy canons.
- Do you see Somali Darood militia ? Ship chinacos to terrorise them to save your precious canons.
- It's ok to have revolutionaries die. It fuels the Sierra Madre republic which is your "reboom shipment".
Note :
Anyone with good common sense will make military if they see Mexico go for an early TP. This build makes you exposed for 8 minutes with your biggest window of vulnerability when you transition to age 3. Be ready to abandon the all-in and switch to a semi if you spot an attack. The deck has the essential age 2 shipments to allow you to hold.
