Rowain Wrote:If he stays with just 2 defenders all they would achieve are
a) some cheap promotions to Indian units.
b) give India points toward the next General
Again, I don't understand. Fortified units in a city with cultural bonuses or walls easily have a +100% combat bonus. Some of those cities were on hills. That means even a longbow has a reasonable chance of getting a kill, and a janissary has odds. Of course that's only against the first attacker. Then the unit is toast, but I would rather face one unit with some extra experience towards a promotion than two units.
What better use will Athlete have for longbows anyway? They won't be effective in a mass defense because then catapults will be sacrificed to pick them apart, and they won't be able to counterattack effectively.