Capturing 1-tile island city

[Junkpan]

So we all know the AI loves to make a city on a 1-tile island. If I wanted to attack that city to capture it, how exactly do I go about doing so, being that I can't land any units next to it?

 

[KrikkitTwo]

So we all know the AI loves to make a city on a 1-tile island. If I wanted to attack that city to capture it, how exactly do I go about doing so, being that I can't land any units next to it?

A land unit can attack directly from the sea. (although it does get a -50% penalty for doing so.)

You will probably want to use Ships to bombard the city down first.

 

[Horizons]

Firaxis removed marines especially to make capturing such cities even more difficult.

 

[TPQ]

Just give some of your land units the amphibious promo, bombard the city with ships and then send the promoted land units in. Well, I say "units", but you could probably do it with one amphibious unit and a few ships.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Just give some of your land units the amphibious promo, bombard the city with ships and then send the promoted land units in. Well, I say "units", but you could probably do it with one amphibious unit and a few ships.

You DON'T need the Amphibious promotion. It does make it easier, but it is unnecessary.

 

[Bibor]

Firaxis removed marines especially to make capturing such cities even more difficult.

Any land unit that comes out with 30 XP can be a marine (amphibious promotion).

 

[UWHabs]

Just bombard it with ships/planes, then anyone can attack from the sea to take it.

 

[Drawmeus]

You DON'T need the Amphibious promotion. It does make it easier, but it is unnecessary.

Depends on the city and on the tech level. I've run into some situations where it's a suicide attack trying to take that city even though it's fully reduced. The Amphibious promotion has helped quite a bit in those situations

Aside from that situation, though, those cities can be some of the easiest to conquer due to the AI's inability to defend them.

 

[blac]

I would just rock 3-4 boats and bombard the daylights out of it. Unless it had an important resource I would personally leave it alone

 

[Ironmonger69]

Just remember, if your water-born unit can't reach the city on the first move, hold up outside bombardment range (two tiles between your unit and the city). Enemy territory doesn't affect movement at sea, and you'll be able to zip right on in the next turn if ready.

 

[clif9710]

I love one tile island cities to set up for assaults on the mainland. If you have a naval advantage, the IC can easily be bombarded so that just about any embarked unit can take it. Once you have it, you get the surrounding ocean as safe harbor where any unit of yours can heal and boats can easily move in and out of mainland city range. Elizabeth's ships of the line are perfect for this duty.

It sets up a nice situation where the AI will keep sending units to the mainland coast for you to easily destroy from the sea. Since even a very productive city takes a few turns to produce a fighting unit and you can eliminate it in one turn with your boats, it's a turkey shoot until rocket artillery comes into play, but you should be able to seize a mainland city before that happens and start you continental campaign - with a lot fewer units to face from your offshore bombardment.

A nearby military CS on the mainland with which you have allied is a wonderful thing as well, donating fighting units to you time and again.

 

[unfairlane]

Trying this right now, and despite of beeing far ahead in techs not even a marine can enter the totally defenceless outbombed city. What a game

 

[Volcanon]

Depends on the city and on the tech level. I've run into some situations where it's a suicide attack trying to take that city even though it's fully reduced. The Amphibious promotion has helped quite a bit in those situations

Aside from that situation, though, those cities can be some of the easiest to conquer due to the AI's inability to defend them.

A fully reduced city will not actually be a suicide attack, usually, but it might knock your unit down to 1 HP.

If you're fighting a one-island city why dont you just use a melee ship? They can capture cities.

 

[winstonthecat]

Seriously, I always use melee ships (mostly frigates or destroyers) for capturing coastal and island cities.

 

[cain3456]

frigates are not melee ships. Triremes, privateers, and destroyers are. Or you can soften them up with frigates and battleships then have a melee unit capture the city.

 

[pdxmm]

I don't know why you would use land based units to take a ocean based city unless you are unable to field a navy to start with. If I didn't have access to a navy I would just leave that city alone unless it is surrounded by ocean lux tiles because it isn't worth the trouble.