This is a Russian tactic that the Russians used to beat Napoleon. If the enemy is coming with a large strike force abandon some of your border cities but leave 1 or 2 defenses to fake defense. Stop production in those cities and any things that may improve the cities. This will make them take extra time to set the city and any changes that may take extra turns. Keep a large counter attack force(CAF.). I recommend but nay need 1 or 2 explorers to scout what's left of the enemy's attack force. Eventually it will most likely get strectched out. Also make sure to keep CAF. out of their vision range so they don't figure out what your about to do. When your forces run away from your border cities make sure they destroy all improvements in their path.(Don't go out of your way to destroy them all.) Next you can do 1 of 2 things.1. Move around and take their border cities and use what's left to destroy what left of their strike force and start attacking their border cities. 2. Flank their strike force from behind and take back your cities and either make peace or use what left to take some cities.

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I always play Peter, I just survive until cossacks and then blitz them.
Your strat may work if you've no chance of hanging on to your possessions. Maybe you'd do this if you had poor cities on the border?

I get it now you're talking multiplayer. In that case keeping a rapid rebuttal force is good since most of your troops will be be mounted so they can be upgraded to mighty cossacks.

Russia's three best generals are January, February and UltimateGP!

Just wait for winter.

Don't let them take your border town or pillage your own city radius. You can keep a large forge outside their range of sight to lurk them into less defensible grounds. Works better against humans. AI seems to know if you have (reserve) troops awaiting, but on the other side won't always use that information...

When you let them take your border towns it just makes it harder to get them out, since they have better defence bonuses, and you lost yours, since your culture is 'gone'.

It realy depends if you play against AI or Human, when you have to think of clever traps. The Russian strategy had to do with food (and oil) supplies and this doesnt apply in this civ scenario.

You said flank em from behind. I'm sorry but civ doesn't give any bonuses for flanking.

Heck, you you completely surround a stack, there's no penalties for that stack. Hardly seems worth losing cities for.

Better fight tooth and nail within the city. Defense of Stalinggrad?

This is a Russian tactic that the Russians used to beat Napoleon.

At what difficulty level?;)

I had this happen to me the other day. Monty came at me with a force that I couldn't deal with so I pulled back and let him have a couple if minor cities. I then strengthen the defenses of the nearby towns and attacked with my strike force at the other end of his civilisation.
It seems that the AI will do anything for a couple of rubbish cities but runs out of steam quickly, leaving you to prepare, then attack attack ATTACK!!!!
As the main part of his army was far away I was able to destroy him pretty quickly and get an east domination victory.

I always play Peter, I just survive until cossacks and then blitz them.
Your strat may work if you've no chance of hanging on to your possessions. Maybe you'd do this if you had poor cities on the border?

I get it now you're talking multiplayer. In that case keeping a rapid rebuttal force is good since most of your troops will be be mounted so they can be upgraded to mighty cossacks.

Russia's three best generals are January, February and UltimateGP!

Thanks I haven't exactly tested this out but I'm going to try it later.:D

Don't start a land war in Asia. Even the game tells you that.

I've used this technique a few very rare times and in only the most desperate of situations. Pretend you have an entire army threatened to be destroyed and your counter-force is either too far away or unfinished... that's when I run away and let a few of my cities fall.

Note the Russians used this technique in almost every single major war they fought. That's what you get for having such a huge nation--there's plenty of room to run and regroup, and exhaust the invading army as well.

I've used this technique a few very rare times and in only the most desperate of situations. Pretend you have an entire army threatened to be destroyed and your counter-force is either too far away or unfinished... that's when I run away and let a few of my cities fall.

Note the Russians used this technique in almost every single major war they fought. That's what you get for having such a huge nation--there's plenty of room to run and regroup, and exhaust the invading army as well.

Exactly it's a great tactic IMO if you want to make short work of the enemy's attack force ratther than attack head on. It's also stylish and can make your opponent a little confused.

Exactly it's a great tactic IMO if you want to make short work of the enemy's attack force ratther than attack head on. It's also stylish and can make your opponent a little confused.

I agree with the style part. It's always a bit scary and baffling to have an open city sitting before you. You may start underestimating the enemy, thus making a self-made downfall when you find out your enemy isn't as weak as you thought...

Also the cities will be totally useless for a long time due to resistance. I usually grab them back before the resistance ends.

only ever done this once, had an invasion force in multiplayer being made, but they attacked before me, i left all the longbowmen in city to defence and retreated macemen, they put their whole stack in city, all injured with 0% bonus, my stack of macemen raped them after and took 3 cities which lead to their downfall :)