Jatta Pake
Warlord
These are my top ten things new players should be doing in BNW but are not:
10. Pillage - Pillaging enemy improvements damages the improvement making it unusable by the enemy. It also gives +25 health and some gold. AI will consider surrendering if you are devastating their territory.
9. Use Great Generals to create Citadels - The AI cannot figure out how to take out a Citadel and will waste endless units on it. Any enemy unit ending it's turn on or adjacent to a Citadel automatically takes -30 damage. You don't need to have a unit stationed inside for this benefit! However, it is worth having a unit that can absorb some punishment because the Zones of Control will mean any enemy moving through the area will end more turns on or near the Citadel. The Citadel also steals territory so it's fun to rob an AI when they spawn near you of their precious luxuries.
8. Open Tradition, Liberty, and Honor - The opener for all three policies gives you culture which you need to get even more policies. Additionally, each make a Wonder available to build. Don't bother going down a single policy path until you've opened all three. And the Tradition opener gives you +3 Culture per turn for the entire game so it helps you open other policies faster if you go Tradition first. Some will debate the value of opening Honor but if you turn on Raging Barbarians, the Honor opener outshines Liberty in culture production.
7. Build an Archer - A pop 3 city with an Archer can usually hold off an AI invasion force of three warriors and three archers. The game is highly skewed towards defense in the early game making warfare a losing proposition for attackers.
6. Open Patronage and Open Consulates, Then Promise to Protect Every City State - For the cost of two social policies, you can become Friendly with every City State on the map and gain all of their attendant bonuses. This is required if you have Venice, Greece, and/or Austria in the game and you don't want them to win early with a Diplomatic Victory.
5. Build a Scout as Your First Build - Scouts with Honor opened are great Barbarian killers at the beginning of the game. Don't try to explore the world with your Warrior. It's too slow and can't get to goody huts before the AI. A Scout popping a single goody hut will pay for itself in early Science, gold, population, culture or faith.
4. Use Internal Trade Routes - The food and production hammers generated by an internal trade route are bonuses. They don't take away any food or production from the city of origin. This is counter-intuitive and most players don't realize it. Bonus food is especially critical has high Pop cities are very important.
3. It's Better to Be Broke Than Unhappy - Falling into the red with negative gold per turn will pull from Science but it won't cripple you. Falling into negative happiness (unhappiness) is far more destructive. It stops your city growth (which is critical as one Pop 30 city is worth six Pop 10 cities). It also reduces production and war fighting ability. And you need production as it is often the only viable way to boost Happiness with new buildings. Losing a war is always bad period. If you are broke, you can always immediately disband your Workers for some quick cash and get a boost to gold per turn.
2. Sell Minor Conquested Cities To The AI - Cities are often rubbish after a conquest. The people are unhappy, the best buildings have been destroyed, and you generally have to invest some gold into making it a viable addition to your empire. It's much more strategically useful to have another AI take over the city. They act as a buffer and can make two distant civs share a border. If they are belligerent with each other, it may spark a war between the two.
1. Liberate Crap Cities and Annex Capitals- Bringing City States and dead Civs back to life often gives you an ally for the rest of the game. But always keep a Capital for yourself. They are often worth investing in to make them a viable city in your empire. Especially if they have Wonders and Great Works of Art.
10. Pillage - Pillaging enemy improvements damages the improvement making it unusable by the enemy. It also gives +25 health and some gold. AI will consider surrendering if you are devastating their territory.
9. Use Great Generals to create Citadels - The AI cannot figure out how to take out a Citadel and will waste endless units on it. Any enemy unit ending it's turn on or adjacent to a Citadel automatically takes -30 damage. You don't need to have a unit stationed inside for this benefit! However, it is worth having a unit that can absorb some punishment because the Zones of Control will mean any enemy moving through the area will end more turns on or near the Citadel. The Citadel also steals territory so it's fun to rob an AI when they spawn near you of their precious luxuries.
8. Open Tradition, Liberty, and Honor - The opener for all three policies gives you culture which you need to get even more policies. Additionally, each make a Wonder available to build. Don't bother going down a single policy path until you've opened all three. And the Tradition opener gives you +3 Culture per turn for the entire game so it helps you open other policies faster if you go Tradition first. Some will debate the value of opening Honor but if you turn on Raging Barbarians, the Honor opener outshines Liberty in culture production.
7. Build an Archer - A pop 3 city with an Archer can usually hold off an AI invasion force of three warriors and three archers. The game is highly skewed towards defense in the early game making warfare a losing proposition for attackers.
6. Open Patronage and Open Consulates, Then Promise to Protect Every City State - For the cost of two social policies, you can become Friendly with every City State on the map and gain all of their attendant bonuses. This is required if you have Venice, Greece, and/or Austria in the game and you don't want them to win early with a Diplomatic Victory.
5. Build a Scout as Your First Build - Scouts with Honor opened are great Barbarian killers at the beginning of the game. Don't try to explore the world with your Warrior. It's too slow and can't get to goody huts before the AI. A Scout popping a single goody hut will pay for itself in early Science, gold, population, culture or faith.
4. Use Internal Trade Routes - The food and production hammers generated by an internal trade route are bonuses. They don't take away any food or production from the city of origin. This is counter-intuitive and most players don't realize it. Bonus food is especially critical has high Pop cities are very important.
3. It's Better to Be Broke Than Unhappy - Falling into the red with negative gold per turn will pull from Science but it won't cripple you. Falling into negative happiness (unhappiness) is far more destructive. It stops your city growth (which is critical as one Pop 30 city is worth six Pop 10 cities). It also reduces production and war fighting ability. And you need production as it is often the only viable way to boost Happiness with new buildings. Losing a war is always bad period. If you are broke, you can always immediately disband your Workers for some quick cash and get a boost to gold per turn.
2. Sell Minor Conquested Cities To The AI - Cities are often rubbish after a conquest. The people are unhappy, the best buildings have been destroyed, and you generally have to invest some gold into making it a viable addition to your empire. It's much more strategically useful to have another AI take over the city. They act as a buffer and can make two distant civs share a border. If they are belligerent with each other, it may spark a war between the two.
1. Liberate Crap Cities and Annex Capitals- Bringing City States and dead Civs back to life often gives you an ally for the rest of the game. But always keep a Capital for yourself. They are often worth investing in to make them a viable city in your empire. Especially if they have Wonders and Great Works of Art.
