How to stop the hammer runaway winning the International Games?

I feel that if I can win the IG my peaceful CV game is now good enough to post some decent early wins, but I'm always unable to win the IG, even with the hammer runaway at war with the world, they still put enough hammers into the game to stop me winning.

Last game I put 1500ish hammers into it, putting my 3 giant tradition cities on full production, but Casimir put over 2000 into it, despite being at war with everyone.

What to do?

That's bad luck with Poland. Organizing wars against the production leader is usually enough.

You could try saving (or faith-buying) a GA for a golden age. It can make the difference if the race is close.

Well past 1500 is still missing is very much just bad luck.

The only possible way to known before hand that Poland was doing so much of it would have been to have placed several spies + your choice of Diplomat/spy in Polish cities. Which wouldn't have helped if it was a different AI doing that.

All you can really do (short of time machine) is pretend that if you are one hammer short of what you could have done you'd be beat out, which would waste a lot of hammers in the more normal cases.

Nothing you can do really 1500 is good. Maybe trying to pass it sooner if possible or just accept that you won't win versus a 20cities AI.

You won't win; it's completely different from WF... AIs usually try very hard at IG, even non-culture/tourism flavored AIs will put 2000 hammers in (Shaka or Atilla). You can check the demographics screen and see how big their production is (manufactured goods); don't bother if you are ranked 6th or something.

CV which relies on winning IG alone is very risky unless you couple it with some domination. I've lost in the past with something like 1800 hammers (top AI had like 23XX); in most games I propose it for the diplo boost and don't bother going beyond 750 hammers (or if I don't have many CS allies anyway I don't even try for Bronze)

haha, dont even bother on the deity India gotm. one city's worth of production wont get you bronze when the runaway can finish it in 4 turns. all of the 'xx games' proposals finished in 6 turns or less in my playthru.

You stop the same way you stop them from winning the WF: by making sure it never happens

So the fast culture wins don't make use of IG, then?

Because in my recent games, I've had all the wonders, plenty of artefacts, hotels, Internet, etc, and my tourism has been quite low compared to the figures I've seen.

I don't MIND winning T250-300 but would, if possible like to win at least one super fast victory

the northman said:

That's bad luck with Poland. Organizing wars against the production leader is usually enough.

You could try saving (or faith-buying) a GA for a golden age. It can make the difference if the race is close.

Click to expand...

joncnunn said:

Well past 1500 is still missing is very much just bad luck.

Click to expand...

Wait, are you guys saying it IS possible to win IG?

Also, in this game, I didn't even have to organise the wars, Casimir was a violent psycho the whole game.

I had faith for a GA but it didn't occur to me that it would make enough difference to win. I will reload and test.

You definitely and obviously don't want IG if you want a CV around 250ish. You do need luck though, because if there's more than one culture runaway, then I have no idea how to deal with them. I have to wonder though, and it's sad I didn't screen it, I won the IG once by making 3800 hammers, with Theo coming in at 2nd with around 3000. I knew it was fishy because those particular IG took absolutely FOREVER, and I think it's a matter of how many TOTAL hammers do all of them make. Basically, if all contribute a fair bit, then the winner will win with less, smaller margin and it will take only a few turns to complete. There was a late WF once and I made 500 in around 4-5 turns, and that's all she wrote because it was over and the winner had around 650ish

A big help is the NVC, trade routes and Aesthetics finisher. If you don't have that many great works, don't rush it, obvious path is Opener -> Faster culture buildings -> excess happiness -> free Golden Age and boost to culture -> +15% tourism from OB and trades -> free Artist to finish. IIRC anything over 100 tourism before NVC, Airports and Internet should be really really good.

Still undecided on GS issues, perhaps it's wiser to plant the first one to speed up the midgame and save the rest of them to bulb Internet around 230ish

consentient said:

Wait, are you guys saying it IS possible to win IG?

Also, in this game, I didn't even have to organise the wars, Casimir was a violent psycho the whole game.

I had faith for a GA but it didn't occur to me that it would make enough difference to win. I will reload and test.

Click to expand...

It is but it can be extremely difficult with a runaway like you mentioned. The best you can probably do is get them into wars a few turns before the IG starts.