Okay. We've all just recently got to the point where tanks are available - BUT - there are only three sources of oil on the entire planet. One is controlled by a civilization so backward, the Persians, they haven't even built a well - problem is, they're on the complete other side of the planet, and have been a good friend, supplying other resources for centuries.

The second is controlled by my neighbour, Isabella, whom I'm pretty sure has the tech to build tanks.

The third is controlled by the world's superpower, Justinian, who is on another continent, and won't sell it - he previously offered it for 200g per turn, but now won't even consider it.

Any suggestions? I've gifted some techs to the Persians, in the hope they'll build a well and let me use thier oil...

Times like this I know how Dubya must feel...

Take Isabella down. You can't rely on oil you don't control. If your provider decides to stop delivering, you'll be very sorry.

You've got anti-tanks to take the tanks down, and they don't need oil to be buit. If Izzy doesn't have Flight yet, build some airships to weaken the tanks too. Have a plan, aim directly for the oil, sabotage her wells with spies before and during the war, and you'll be good.

Or you can build Ethanol Inc if you want to save yourself a lot of trouble.

No war for oil !!!! 3 :mad: faces in every city :rolleyes:

Go straight for the closest one asap... Waiting means more tanks for Issy

Okay - I've decided to target what military I do have right at the oil - a horde of cavalry, a few marines, and some artillery. It seems she hasn't got tanks yet, but she's got a LOT of cavalry. I don't think i've got the force to take out the city next to the oil...

Okay, the invasion was a complete and utter disaster. I'm pulling back what forces I still have to defend the threatened home front...

Never go in a war you're not sure to win beforehand.
The art of war for dummies.

No war for oil !!!! 3 :mad: faces in every city :rolleyes:
Unless you've got Mass Media and another country to blame. :mischief:

I'd say reload. I think you should have went against the Persians. Yes, a war hurts your relationship, but how important is it really? What good will your alliance/friendship with Persia be if you cannot build many modern units? A defensive pact will only ruin you and that civ, depending on other relations. I've had great recoveries, after declaring war on a friend--usually the "-2 You Declared War on Us!" hit important enough to get the oil--just hope that you can refuse to return the city with the UN.

For your war v. Isabella, I'd say the use of Blitz (your own Calvary) with a number of siege weapons would weaken them fast enough and let you strike with a comparable amount of units. Your force being 30-50% siege weapons? That'll likely work. Make sure you barrage the heck out of the city by the water--so you'll likely need a good number of ships (frigates and galleons). Get defense down to 0% or 50% in a turn and land the force at the same time. Next step would of course be to hit with collateral and then blitz the heck out of them.

World Edit Time? :devil:

If Isabella has coastal towns, use your marines for a coastal invasion. The best strategy is to maintain good relations until your invasion force is right at her cultural boundary. Next turn, declare war, send in the frigates and bombard her defences to zero, throw a couple of cannons to loosen up the defenders, and then unleash the marines and take the town in one turn. Move your transports into the town and garrison up with your remaining attackers. Hopefully, you will have promoted some of your marines with CG or included machine guns or infantry to defend. Now you have another base from which to attack.

Alternatively, you do not have to take the city: let the AI send lots of units to replace defenders while you send another force over land to take the oil city. There are lots of ways to implement the strategy which is to feint an attack in a weak spot, which distracts the AI, while your other forces either plunder the country side or take a specific advantage.

Go-go marines!:goodjob:

... There are lots of ways to implement the strategy which is to feint an attack in a weak spot, which distracts the AI, while your other forces either plunder the country side or take a specific advantage.

Go-go marines!:goodjob:

Using Paratroopers makes a great distraction. You could lure a lot of Izzy's forces away from your real target.

Welcome to the forums glevlana. :beer:

Thanks Supr.

I almost always promote a couple of paratroopers with hill and then airlift them into recently captured cities or bring them with the invasion force. Then I drop them on hills several tiles out just to cause the AI to expend more effort dislodging them.

Definitely though, properly promoted marines or troopers are great for creating secondary distractions that allows lot more options for military advantage. Throw in blimps and you can quickly cripple a co-located civ, even if they start with a military advantage.

Key is to know the strategic points and use surprise and appropriate units to greatest advantage in the first rounds of battle. Send a civ back to the stone age by knocking out iron/copper/oil/uranium/horses/elephants as quickly as possible.

What about founding Standard Ethanol?

Check Izzy's tech progress, either via the Foreign Adviser or espionage. If she hasn't got Industrialism and Combustion, she can't yet build tanks: in that case, sabotage her horses so she can't make more cavalry. If she can make tanks, sabotage the oil well, repeatedly. Don't waste time knocking out iron and copper, which she no longer needs.
Earlier posters have covered your other alternatives.

As I said before--going after Persia would be the fastest and most reliable, and recoverable, hit. Once you have oil for your tanks, Isabella's oil is next for the taking. Once you have her city and then one or two (securing the oil for you), you can "liberate" Persia's city, or keep control to prevent the oil from being traded away in the future or used to back-stab you. Quite frankly--the best course of action once you get oil is to control all other sources of oil--since then you can simply refuse the AI access to such a strategic resource. Remember that they can always use units they have--so watch out for units already built that rely on oil. Usually there are few enough that they won't threaten you. Controlling all oil on a Standard map is easy enough--it becomes near-impossible on a Huge map.

Okay, the invasion was a complete and utter disaster. I'm pulling back what forces I still have to defend the threatened home front...

this is so funny to me. It sounds so familiar. :lol:

I love it when I play through a game though with a bad situation like this and can still come out on top.

What about founding Standard Ethanol?
This seems much better than going to war

This seems much better than going to war

Depending on how your cards play out and how your GP factories produce, it may be all but impossible to pop a Great Scientist with that method. I generally shoot for Sid's Sushi and Mining Inc for hammer-dependent win, or Sid's Sushi, Creative Con, and Civ Jewelers for a culture win.

That, and Standard Ethanol saps most economies. That being said, however, your production cities are the only ones that need Std. Eth. to produce units.