How do I Beat Back Rush Tactics?

[Velusion]

Baalz said:
Going with good scales can be a very viable strategy if you are playing a nation with strong non-holy units.

It's viable but more risky in the short run than going for an immediate strength bump like an awake combat pretender or a good bless.

...and if you've got some good combat mages to back up your stout troops you can most certainly hold off small uber blessed squads with very low level magic.

I don't agree with this... IMHO it takes more than the really early magic to hold back really good bless rushers. It also means you have to commit the bulk of your mages to fighting - which in the research scramble you'll fall behind.

I will agree that for some nations (Pan, Arco, Pythium) you can formulate a decent strategy around really good scales. However - when it comes to scaring away or stopping determined early bless rushers or elephants a combat pretender or counter bless will heavily strengthen a hand that would only otherwise have to rely on early magic.

Good scales can work well - but you're betting that your neighbors didn't invest their points into an early rush strategy or that you can avoid/counter it either through diplomacy or alliances... or that you can simply out play them.