Bulbing strategies for conquest in G&K

[snarzberry]

After taking some months off civ 5 I've recently started playing again and I've been thinking about the new tech tree and the implications for domination victories.

The thread I want to start is about ideas to use saved GS+Oxford+SR to get a tech lead mid game and then sweep the map. As per the old beeline stealth plan. What units to go for? How to prepare and play the early game etc. The new tree puts stealth right at the end (thankfully) so other powerful units can be used much earlier, WW1 and regular bombers for example.

After playing around a bit it's still obv that a large airforce + fast moving melee units is an unstoppable army in the hands of a skilled player. There's still no limit on air stacking, which I'm mildly surprised about.

The games I've been playing recently have been as Arabia, using camel archers to puppet a civ or two and then building up the economy and saving multiple GS to use with oxford to beeline radar. Then rush buy/build as many bombers as possible and upgrade the camels to cavalry/tanks. If you pull off getting to radar early enough then immortal is crushed and deity is on.

I need to familiarize myself with the new tree and balance changes but there will be other possibilities to use that massive amount of beakers by using SR, oxford and bulbs on the same turn to slay a part of the tech tree and open up a crucial military tech.

Ideas, hints, tips?

 

[Tabarnak]

Largely depends of civ you play. I made a domination game with CKNs, Grendeldef made some with Arabia(you should ask him what he beelined after his Camels). The idea is to build a TON of them(UUs)

Since CB rushes work agasint almost everyone, it's almost always profitable to wipe out a civ or 2 before turn 90 and work on a large workforce focused on economy and science until you want THE tech that will help you to use your Magic Sweeper against everyone. Of course, with a tech lead and every units needed there is no way for you to lose unless you are multi DoWed.

Burning a gs or 2(not settling them at all) with Oxford for Dynamite is often the way to go.

Oh, and welcome btw!

 

[Avatan]

Largely depends of civ you play. I made a domination game with CKNs, Grendeldef made some with Arabia(you should ask him what he beelined after his Camels). The idea is to build a TON of them(UUs)

Since CB rushes work agasint almost everyone, it's almost always profitable to wipe out a civ or 2 before turn 90 and work on a large workforce focused on economy and science until you want THE tech that will help you to use your Magic Sweeper against everyone. Of course, with a tech lead and every units needed there is no way for you to lose unless you are multi DoWed.

Burning a gs or 2(not settling them at all) with Oxford for Dynamite is often the way to go.

Oh, and welcome btw!

I agree artillery completely change warfare, and being the only one with them make conquest a breeze. Alternatively, tech rushing a unique unit really can make a big difference (I'm looking at you, insane cho-ko-nu rush).

 

[snarzberry]

So what finish times are players getting for domination on deity these days?

Attacking early with ranged units/UUs is always going to be strong but surely there are alternatives that rely on a longer build up period and a later attack, but with better units. Have bombers fallen out of vogue completely? After only a small number of games I still feel like you can build a winning deity strat around building a large fleet as early as possible.

 

[Crafty Bison]

The OP looks like you're asking what's hot since GnK with respect to units and bulbing:

1) Early rush with non-UU is all about CompB's atm, as mentioned.
2) Bombers still kick just as much tail. Now you can start them earlier. Usually never get to stealth though, GWB's and Bombers are strong enough in their era's so still bulb to these.
3) Until the patch comes out, the other OP unit is the gatling gun. Conveniently upgrades from your promoted CB's via XB's. You can certainly bulb to that.
4) Artillery still very strong but new siege mechanics means not quite as OP as before against units. Still a decent shout though.
5) Standard melee is weaker than it used to be, along with all UU's. Anti-mounted line is now stronger early so immortals/hoplites are viable. haven't tried pictish warriors.
6) All mounted is now at least 4 movement (excluding UU's), so Knight UU's are decent.

Generally what has been nerfed most is the concept of bulbing itself, due to weaker RA's and GS bulbs. Oxford and Rationalism still work just fine, but now you can only really do one big one a game, or a couple of 2ish tech ones.

In terms of turn times, I usually play my domination deity with Persia/England, or less so with Mongolia/Denmark/Incas, all for the movement bonuses. usually end up with wins abt turn 230-250ish on a standard map unless things go pear shaped (not uncommon ). I'm sure much quicker times are possible but few of my games go without some kind of hitch, and I make a couple of mistakes.

And yes, water is a little more fun now. England still rules, but is now joined by dromon, sea beggar, ottoman UA, and to a lesser extent carthage and korea.

 

[EasyGoin]

For a typical domination game as any civ, I don't think you can beat dynamite for artillery. It's the first shared ranged unit that has 3 range and indirect fire, and represents a tremendous increase in combat effectiveness over anything that comes before.

The G&K artillery doesn't shred everything like it used to (and like bombers or rocket artillery does), but it's in the mid game while the others come at the end. The primary downside to bee-lining artillery is that you have to go quite a bit out of your way from public schools, so you might fall behind on tech at higher difficulties.

 

[Tabarnak]

So what finish times are players getting for domination on deity these days?

In memory of your last total domination challenge from vanilla(Grendeldef's idea).

 

[bcaiko]

Burning a gs or 2(not settling them at all) with Oxford for Dynamite is often the way to go.

Unless you have the Great Wall. In that case, avoiding Dynamite means any city you take will be nearly impossible for your opponent to take back. You can get Great War Bombers and Battleships without Dynamite, anyway.