Best thing to kill a fortified spearman

[Fr8monkey]

I always go straight to Iron Making and build Veteran Swordsmen (with a barracks). I always attack a city with 1 spearman and 3 Vet. Swordsmen. NEVER attack across a river and always keep the attackers in the woods or on a hill. I've found out that for every 2 defending spearmen you will lose 1 swordsman. With pikemen I go all out 2 catapults, 4 Vet. Swordsmen and 2 spearmen (I hate killing pikemen, what a pain).

 

[muppet]

Originally posted by The Art of War
It is 450 A.D. and I'm the english. I need to take St. Petersburg, but I can't defeat these two fortified spearmen, what is the best unit to use against them?

Your options, if you like to gamble:
(a) Throw 2 of swordsman in there,
(b) Charge 3 horsies at them, or
(c) Organize a 'combined arms' attack with 1 catapult, 1 swordsman, and 1 horsie.

If you prescribe to the doctrine of overwhelming force:
(a) Throw 4 swordsman in there,
(b) Charge 5 knights at them, or
(c) Organize a 'combined arms' attack with 4 cannon, 2 swordsman, and 2 knights.

If you simply don't like gambling at all, or have taken Sun Tzu's Art of War to heart:

Start with pillaging all surrounding terrain (starve the population below 7), build your own city on their border and railroad (to get your forces within 1 movement turn of a sneak attack), then --

(a) Throw 10 Tanks in there,
(b) Charge 20 Modern Armor at them, or
(c) Organize a 'combined arms' attack with 20 Radar Artillery, 30 Stealth Bombers, and 40 Modern Armor.

I hope this has been an educational experience.

 

[davidttm]

Good question, and lots of good advice. I've been forgetting about the effect of rivers myself, so thanks for that especially.

I'm curious about the difficulty levels though. The advice seems to range from attacking with two swordsmen up to an attack with ten combined arms.

I have been playing on Chieftain and I'd like to ask how many more to add to a stack of two or three if I'm moving up to the next level.

 

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by muppet
If you simply don't like gambling at all, or have taken Sun Tzu's Art of War to heart:
. . .
(a) Throw 10 Tanks in there,
(b) Charge 20 Modern Armor at them, or
(c) Organize a 'combined arms' attack with 20 Radar Artillery, 30 Stealth Bombers, and 40 Modern Armor.

I hope this has been an educational experience.

Quite!

(Must be Afghanistan c.2002)

 

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by davidttm
I'm curious about the difficulty levels though. The advice seems to range from attacking with two swordsmen up to an attack with ten combined arms.

I have been playing on Chieftain and I'd like to ask how many more to add to a stack of two or three if I'm moving up to the next level.

Level doesn't directly affect combat, just production and commerce. But it does affect your ability to bring sufficient forces to bear, and your ability to recoup from an unexpected defeat due to "bad luck."

War is not meant to be fair. So if you got 'em, use 'em.

 

[IronicWarrior19]

'If they won't die, try attacking from another square, since civ3 is buggy like that.'

Cheeeting.....

'I wasn't aware that you could get GL's from defending. Has that happened to anyone? The only time I ever get great leaders is when I'm victorious while attacking.'

It's happened to me attacking the AI, I captured a city which had generated a great leader while I'd been pounding it with archers. Was a great feeling watching their leader being cut up by my troops. So it looks like you're a liar!

'??? Why was it out of line? If it's possible for the AI to defend with conscript spearmen, then I apologize. That's what I was asking. However, unless someone can explain how conscript spearmen appear, then it's clear he's lying.'

He's obviously not lying, I've made that mistake before (when working out how to attack a city in my head). Christ, give the guy a break!

 

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by Buecephalus
I wasn't aware that you could get GL's from defending. Has that happened to anyone? The only time I ever get great leaders is when I'm victorious while attacking.

On the other hand, I could be lying.

Just got one! Enemy cavalry was attacking my elite cavalry on a mountain. He was weak, but won anyway. I got R.E. Lee. Problem was, it was still the enemy's turn. They threw more cavalry on my poor guy, he lost and poor Lee was destroyed too!

He never had a chance.