Are coastal cities actually less defensible?

[acluewithout]

I often see it said that one of the downsides of Coastal Cities is that they are less defensible. But is that right?

I mean, I guess it must be, because they’re more vulerable to Naval Melee and (more importantly) Naval Ranged which can wreck walls and cities. But...

- Assuming a coastal assult, I think it’s also easier to attack invading sea units from your coastal city: you ranged unit can sit in the city centre district and shoot out, and if you have walls you can use you wall’s attack on more ships etc.

- That, in turn, makes it harder to get land units up onto shore to seige your city. (Although, I guess if you have city a few tiles in, you can still hit land units once they come onto shore.)

- You own defending naval units can withdraw to the city centre to heal if they need to. You can also keep building or buy naval units even if your port gets pillaged.

- Naval melee can use rams (nuts, I know), but I think it ends up being less efficient than using them on land.

- Relatedly; I find it much easier to avoid my harbours getting pillaged if I have a coastal city with walls and a garrisoned troop or naval melee.

- Also relatedly; I think Naval Melee can attack through cliffs. I haven’t properly tested this, but if true I assume it’s a bug.

I dont know. Maybe coastal cities are weaker on defence, thats what I always hear, but at least in SP, I wonder if it’s a bit overstated.

 

[Rosty K]

Was it in the context of a single player, or multiplayer? AI coastal cities are absolutely easy prey, and you're almost invulnerable against attacks on yours if you have some navy, and it's at home, but I'm not sure what happens when a human needs to defend a coastal city from another human.

 

[acluewithout]

I agree AI coastal cities are easy to take. You can rush Frigates easily, and they just wreck the AI. But I put that down more to the weakness of the AI...

 

[Art Morte]

Yeah, it's a biiiiiig difference between single and multi player. The AI is pretty much incapable of using its navy in an organized manner.

I once lost a newly-found unwalled city to a single barbarian caravel, though, that was super annoying lol.

 

[Victoria]

If you do not have a navy and cannot embark troops you cannot siege a coastal city and so they are more defensible if you do not have a navy.
If you are playing SP and want to take a coastal city then there is nothing really to stop you beyond them seriously out-tekking you.

Considering a human versus human, if the opposition is on the coast they will have a Navy or they just have not been playing MP enough.
The reality is you can have a melee ship in your city and a Ranged land unit which makes it stronger than a land based city. You can also have a land and sea unit in your city with walls and an encampment with a land ranged unit so that's 5 ranged attacks against an oppressor although they get first attack so quite likely can reduce a wall or 2.
Its really a question of comparative strengths but regardless, naval range does not suffer the -50% of land ranged and so is a bit OP vs a city. I really have no idea why they did not include it, makes the naval game too easy in SP and quite dangerous in MP.

 

[rjg85]

I once lost a newly-found unwalled city to a single barbarian caravel, though, that was super annoying lol.

This has happened to me several times. Barb Caravels turn up ridiculously early and can easily take unwalled cities by themselves. They are far more of a threat than the AI civs - I've never lost a coastal city to an AI civ but I have had a couple of coastal cities raised by a single barb.

 

[Art Morte]

This has happened to me several times. Barb Caravels turn up ridiculously early and can easily take unwalled cities by themselves. They are far more of a threat than the AI civs - I've never lost a coastal city to an AI civ but I have had a couple of coastal cities raised by a single barb.

Yes, the caravel's strength against unwalled cities in those "early caravel times" is a bit out of hand. You have to be mindful about it and try to have a crossbow in the city if it is on dangerous coast.

 

[acluewithout]

I kind of like how barbarian caravels keep you honest in terms of city defence.

 

[eleven11]

I kind of like how barbarian caravels keep you honest in terms of city defence.

*cough*fix the AI*cough*

I feel better now

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

If you control the seas, your coastal city is more defensible.

If your enemy controls the seas, your coastal city is more vulnerable.

This one Civ 6 gets right!

 

[Kryxal]

Its really a question of comparative strengths but regardless, naval range does not suffer the -50% of land ranged and so is a bit OP vs a city. I really have no idea why they did not include it, makes the naval game too easy in SP and quite dangerous in MP.

I thought that made a certain amount of sense, at least for later eras ... naval "ranged" ends up being more like siege weaponry anyway in later eras.

 

[Jkchart]

If you control the seas, your coastal city is more defensible.

If your enemy controls the seas, your coastal city is more vulnerable.

This one Civ 6 gets right!

I agree with this entirely.

 

[kaspergm]

I kind of like how barbarian caravels keep you honest in terms of city defence.

Well I kind of agree, but when building Ancient walls takes 40 turns in a new city your plop down on the coast, sometimes it's a bit difficult to be on front with things.