Dog Soldier (Civ4)

The Dog Soldier is the unique unit of the Native American civilization.
== Strategy ==
Compared to the Axeman, which the Dog Soldier replaces, the Dog Soldier has 1 less strength, but twice as much bonus against Melee Units, and can be built without any resources.
=== Using Dog Soldiers ===
Against other melee units, the Dog Soldier can be considered to have a strength of 8, rather than the Axeman's 7.5, however any skills on Dog Soldiers are less effective than on normal axes, so a Shock Axe is on roughly equal footing to a Dog Soldier and any other bonuses are much more effective on Axes (e.g., a Dog Soldier has trouble attacking an Axe if it's on defensive terrain).
The Dog Soldier is also very effective for early-game rushes. With no need to spend time building a Copper Mine for resources, a quick army can be formed to conquer opponents who may not have even reached Archery. Try promoting them in Woodsman promotions, so they can get to enemies quickly.
=== Against Dog Soldiers ===
As such an effective rushing unit, if you see the Native Americans near you, it may be best to rush to Archery before anything else (other than maybe Religion.) Dog Soldiers are weaker against Archers than normal Axemen, and even more prone to Chariots.
== Civilopedia entry ==
Category:Native American