Coastal cities are difficult to take

[myclan]

I planned for a knight rush with 2 knights couple with 2 battering rams and 5 crossbowmen, ai only had warriors(no iron), archers and horsemen. Thinking it will be an easy war and I broke the wall of the city easily. But when I tried to take the city, I found I can't put in into under siege because it is a coastal city and I don't have any to build a ship. It recovered every turn and my 5 crossbowmen are not producing satisfying damage. At last I had to attack with both my knights and crossbowmen, with few hp left took the city finally.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

This is by design. The devs originally thought that the inability to siege a city without mixed land and naval units would compensate for the reduced number of workable tiles.

 

[Locke_Daemonfire]

If you have the tech for embarking, you can siege a coastal city by embarking units on the adjacent coast tiles. You don't have zone of control, so you need one unit on each tile. You also put yourself at risk of getting hit by ships (I got killed by barbs doing that at some point). But it works in a pinch.

 

[Tacgnol]

Coastal cities are the easiest to take.

Just build 3 or 4 Frigates or Battleships, spend a turn or two bombarding then send in one destroyer or caravel to take the city.

Once you get Battleships you can bombard the city without even being in range of its attack.

 

[LuckyAC]

On the other hand, if you have any ships at all, they are absolutely trivial to take, even against an AI in a later era with a bigger army - they make no attempt to defend themselves against ships.

 

[myclan]

If you have the tech for embarking, you can siege a coastal city by embarking units on the adjacent coast tiles. You don't have zone of control, so you need one unit on each tile. You also put yourself at risk of getting hit by ships (I got killed by barbs doing that at some point). But it works in a pinch.

Thanks, I will try it

 

[Kimiimaro]

You don't need to have directly coastal city to build a ship. You just need city with access to sea and you must build a harbour. I would reccomend to settle one. Ranged ships (Frigates, Battleships, Missile Cruisers) are incredibly strong. And the AI is horrible in using them, so you'll need just 3-5 to sink enemy ships and conquer any city that lies near coast.
Actually, when I was going for domination as Germany, I conquered every coastal city I wanted thanks to ships (and nukes). By the times I reached Battleships, I conquered Spanish cities after 3-5 turns.

 

[myclan]

On the other hand, if you have any ships at all, they are absolutely trivial to take, even against an AI in a later era with a bigger army - they make no attempt to defend themselves against ships.

Sometimes the map just prevents you from building a ship. Coastal cities are lack of housing and difficult to grow up, resulting a short of production and takes very long to build a ship. It becomes ever worse when the only exit to the sea is the polar area.

You don't need to have directly coastal city to build a ship. You just need city with access to sea and you must build a harbour. I would reccomend to settle one. Ranged ships (Frigates, Battleships, Missile Cruisers) are incredibly strong. And the AI is horrible in using them, so you'll need just 3-5 to sink enemy ships and conquer any city that lies near coast.
Actually, when I was going for domination as Germany, I conquered every coastal city I wanted thanks to ships (and nukes). By the times I reached Battleships, I conquered Spanish cities after 3-5 turns.

But when I become able to build a harbor and then a frigate/battleship it is quite late. I just found if I don't start a war early enough it will be impossible to catch up with the AI.

Coastal cities are the easiest to take.

Just build 3 or 4 Frigates or Battleships, spend a turn or two bombarding then send in one destroyer or caravel to take the city.

Once you get Battleships you can bombard the city without even being in range of its attack.

I don't use them often but I know without bombard crossbowman are impossible to take a city with wall. How is the efficiency of frigates to destroy the wall comparing to the bomber?

Moderator Action: Please use mutli-quote to respond to multiple posters. Three posts merged. --Jon

 

[Kimiimaro]

I don't use them often but I know without bombard crossbowman are impossible to take a city with wall. How is the efficiency of frigates to destroy the wall comparing to the bomber?

Crossbowman ranged strenght: 40
Bombard ranged strenght: 55
Frigate ranged strenght: 55

 

[myclan]

Crossbowman ranged strenght: 40
Bombard ranged strenght: 55
Frigate ranged strenght: 55

But even field cannon is not as effective as a bombard

 

[Kimiimaro]

But even field cannon is not as effective as a bombard

Because Bombard is siege unit - that means they don't have any damage reduction towards enemy cities. Field cannon is better in attacking enemy units.

 

[stinkubus]

Just commit to settling two coastal cities and use Maritime Industries for a few turns and you can hammer out galleys and quads in no time which you can then upgrade dirt cheap to caravels and frigates. If you are running Professional Army a quad costs like ~125 or so to upgrade.

 

[myclan]

Because Bombard is siege unit - that means they don't have any damage reduction towards enemy cities. Field cannon is better in attacking enemy units.

So will frigate also suffer from the -17 strenth against city?

 

[FireLionCow]

So will frigate also suffer from the -17 strenth against city?

They do not.

 

[myclan]

They do not.

Wow I didn't know that, it make them very suitable for attaking a city! Thanks.

 

[Victoria]

Going the sea route allows the ability to take cities a lot easier but it does take time. Frigates will struggle when walls are much stronger from later eras and if the city houses a ship and a bombard you can be in big trouble before you know it.
Also a sub suddenly appears of an early battleship and things can get messy. I would always have a few melee ships guarding my ranged ships because eventually you meet something that can hammer you a bit.

 

[myclan]

Going the sea route allows the ability to take cities a lot easier but it does take time. Frigates will struggle when walls are much stronger from later eras and if the city houses a ship and a bombard you can be in big trouble before you know it.
Also a sub suddenly appears of an early battleship and things can get messy. I would always have a few melee ships guarding my ranged ships because eventually you meet something that can hammer you a bit.

Yes, if AI just learns to fortrify a range unit inside a city it will be much more difficult for us to take a city

 

[Rosty K]

Harald says 'build some navy', yeah.

I was very surprised when I saw the title of this thread, as I'm kind of playing peacefully normally, but if I ever end up taking cities, those will be coastal most of the time. Because 2 frigates (or maybe privateers, cause the city doesn't see them, so won't shoot back) + a caravel is just about all you need.

 

[myclan]

Harald says 'build some navy', yeah.

I was very surprised when I saw the title of this thread, as I'm kind of playing peacefully normally, but if I ever end up taking cities, those will be coastal most of the time. Because 2 frigates (or maybe privateers, cause the city doesn't see them, so won't shoot back) + a caravel is just about all you need.

I like to build my cities where they have fresh water. No fresh water/Aqueduact/Neighbourhood coastal cities are difficult to grow to 5 pop. But maybe I have to be used to it and just use them to build galley or quadrireme

 

[Rosty K]

I like to build my cities where they have fresh water. No fresh water/Aqueduact/Neighbourhood coastal cities are difficult to grow to 5 pop. But maybe I have to be used to it and just use them to build galley or quadrireme

Never had a problem with that, granary + lighthouse pretty much delays the problem until the neighborhoods... Also, rivers go to the sea sometimes...