A good way to invade at sea?

[oPunchDrunko]

I'm playing continents and I just started a war with Russia who is cross the sea from me. I tired to invade the 1st time and captured 2 cities. Well, Russia responded so fast that I lost both cities in about 3 turns. Now I have to try and invade their borders again. Well, the problem is that cities can now bombard your embarked troops at sea, instantly killing them.

How should I invade their continent when my embarked army gets shot down by ciites and Russia's navy? Any help or tips?

 

[Celevin]

You need to control the seas yourself. A good navy will be able to stop theirs, distract their bombarding cities, and be able to bombard their cities and troops.

Don't land until their cities are bombarded to nothing. Land merely to bombard their troops with ships. Wear down his army before sending in your main force. Use hills and forests to your advantage, otherwise he'll kill you on the attack.

 

[Chiyochan]

once in the mideval era triremes are almost entirely useless except to pick up transports and to be shot at by catapualts instead of your important units. if you cant close without getting picked off by the citys defenses you need to land away from the city. its best to take the city that provides their resources.

 

[Jerrymander]

Or, you could do what I did, and invade a neutral city state on Russia's land, giving you a beachhead. It might not be an option, however.

 

[duxup]

Invade a non allied city state. That should give you a good foothold to invade from. Even if they're an ally declare war on Russia, declare peace, then invade the city state.


Otherwise you'll need a nice navy capable of bombarding the opponent at the chosen landing site (even during the invasion for quite a while after that), AND use some navy units to harass the opponent elsewhere. Even if you're just bombarding a city, picking off some random units / workers.

If possible make a landing at a good defensive site and land some units who can defend them self, and some bombarding unit(s) who can beat down the inevitable counter attack. Have them hold their ground and maybe open a new beachhead near the first landing site after you figure out what your opponent is going to do in order to stretch out the front lines and minimize your opponent's ability to concentrate their attack. Stay close to the beach so navy units can at least provide some bombardment cover. If possible take some time absorbing the opponent's attack rather than rush for a city inland.


Also before the invasion don't build up a lot of embarked units off your opponent's shore. The AI is dumb but the AI will see that and prepare for an invasion even before they ask you what you're up to.

 

[Dunkah]

Distract the AI... Build up like three units off of one shore and leave them there for several turns before declaring war. Then move the bulk to where you really want to attack.

 

[CaptainJewbeard]

In general, I'm finding a good strategy is something like:

2 strong ships that will bombard whatever city you're targeting, and will draw their fire. (like a frigate, if you're in that era)

3-4 fast, mid-strength ships that can escort your troops, protect from any intercepting ships Russia has, and possibly assist after landing.

Due to one-unit-per-hex, you'll probably need to land most of your people away from the targeted city, so the more maneuverable ships can help in roaming up and down the coast, weakening enemy units that threaten yours as you make the dash toward the city.

Once you've got your beachhead, you're in good shape.

Edit: Duxup beat me to the punch

 

[WeaselSlapper]

I like to pick the city I want and bomb the crap out of it with a lot of ships then I take the city from the water. Now I control some territory and my units get the bonuses for fighting in my borders and I can land them in my territory in defensible positions and I can usually hold on long enough to get a fighting force on the water. Turn after you take the city land a siege unit in the city to help slow down the counter attack.

 

[Tennyson]

You could buy an allied citystate, move some units in on their territory, declare war, repel attack, then land more troops.

 

[Kin]

Think polar route. Go along the ice then land and march south. If he is in North America then you could land in South America.

 

[delra]

Send a dozen of Frigates, sink their ships, raze their city walls, bombard their army. Then land and claim a wide area (3-4 cities) for yourself at once to disperse their counter-attack a bit. And if everything else fails - run back to boats.

Naval supremacy is necessary for wars between continents unless you are Songhai (their transports can defend themselves) or England (their transports move as fast as their ships) - and even as those it's good to bring a lot of ships as artillery support. Sadly AI is very bad at naval warfare so this kind of makes your kind a bit easier than it should.

 

[ShowOfForce]

Yeah the number one thing is to not land where they can get to you. If you can establish a beachhead somewhere outside of their territory (the less defended the better) you'll have a much better chance of getting work done. Also I've been trying to use a unit once, then retreat them to the back and rotate in fresh units, so I don't lose them, and can let them get healthy before sending them in again.

 

[Bibor]

1) Scout out where their ships are. Bring at least 6 attack ships to blockade their 2 nearest ports (AI likes to purchase ships when facing an invasion) or to clear any possible opposing ships.
2) Either get an Ally city-state on their continent (or invade a neutral city-state) and use it as a staging area.
3) If you are forced to rush the beaches (no city states available) line up your melee (soakers) one hex from their sea borders (so they can't see your force), line up your artillery/GGs behind your melee.
4) Take a city, surround it with melee and put the artillery in the core.
5) Let them come.
6) When they stop coming, plow over the continent

P.s. I just played a game with Elisabeth and OH MY GOD naval invasions are so much easier to do.

 

[delra]

You could ally a city state or better two, gift them half of your invasion army, start a war and just sit back and watch the fireworks for 10-15 turns. Than land on an empty island and take it.

 

[Bibor]

You could ally a city state or better two, gift them half of your invasion army

That's a really, really bad idea.

My latest discovery is that a city-state will spend its own built guided missile to kill an enemy caravel. The only units you can effectively give away to a city-state are Janissaries and even then it's a risk.

 

[delra]

Your invasion army is all guided missiles?

 

[Bibor]

Your invasion army is all guided missiles?

Lol no, i never build guided missiles. The city states built'em (the overall tech level was pretty high). Carriers with (stealth) bombers are the way to go.

 

[delra]

So you suggest he waited till Carrier era with his conquest?