Conquest VC: Case for the strategic reserve

[FreeTheSlaves]

Hi there, first post and all.

Okay, I am playing emperor, standard sized pangea with conquest victory again (numerous defeats) and I am having a lot more success this time.

Reasons?


1) Strategic reserve army: This is the big reason. I am a monarch so all cities have 3 troops, interior cities get the hand-me-down obsolete troops. All border cities have an extra 1-2 troops + siege engine + mountain sentries nearby.

More specifically I have a mobile core force acting as a fire-brigade, growing stronger with the goal of splitting when numerous enough into a strategic reserve & an invasion force. Almost all these troops are elite & pack 2/3 of my trebuchet.

I quit my previous game when I got dogpiled. My army was fighting in the west but the real battle was in the east = overrun. My current strategy means that my strategic reserve can buy enough time to call back the horde or even to break even with redirected reserves. My current short-term strategy aims to cripple but not mortally break my neighbours, weak neighbours are good neighbours.

2) "Filler" war cities: You know, barracks, use unused but worked tiles & set to perpetual war production.

3) Lucky breaks with luxeries & resources: deliberate expansion & a couple of border towns specifically located (bitterly contested battle sites*2).

4) Prolific trading: I met everyone early & now in the middle ages I am only 2 techs behind (soon be able to trade to near parity).

5) Squeaky clean reputation: Avoiding the dogpile by all means. Stopped razing cities & starving populations.

Anyhoo, this is the formular that has me 2nd on the power score so far. Who knows, maybe I'll get my 1st Emperor win?

 

[Grogs]

I think a strategic reserve is always a good idea. How big of a force you need depends on your geography and the level you're playing at. I like to have fast attack units as my primary strategic reserve just because they can cover a large area of the empire from a central staging point.


In my last game, I was invading the countries to my north for stategic/luxury resources, but I had a strong AI to my West that gave me cause for concern. At the time I had about 11 cities (pretty much my entire core--I was shooting for a domination victory) producing nothing but military units. I designated 2 of those towns near my Western border as my strategic reserve. All units produced by those towns stayed at home while the other 9 towns sent their forces off to the northern front. My Western neighbor never did attack me, but by the time I researched Military Tradition, I had about 25 cavalry and 12 Medieval Infantry along the borders. This proved to be more than enough to start an invasion and eventually finish off my neighbor.

 

[sabo]

strategic reserve is always good, it comes in especially helpfull when it's time to invade your pesky neighbor civ you have some units to automically be used as MP so you won't have to build too many during the war and can concentrate on offensive units

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Oops, my strategic reserve are all foot plodders. Currently I have a solitary knight. I think I will make this a priority.

The problem is that most of my high production cities are building developments & I don't bother with building knights if it takes 8+ turns. These cities can build pikemen, MI & Trebuchet instead. So I only have 2 of my 17 cities* building knights.

I also look at the unit cost in shields and the city production. I want to have the most effective ratio while still building the desired troop types.

*Hanging out for a leader!

 

[James I]

Of course.......when you get swarmed by a couple of powers (due poor diplomacy lol) the saddest moment is when you have to commit your reserve, and THEN someone else attacks...... (usually about two turns later)

 

[planetfall]

Do you really need a strat reserve? You have a ton of military in your inner cities. Why pay maintenance on the extra old miltary?

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Do you really need a strat reserve? You have a ton of military in your inner cities. Why pay maintenance on the extra old miltary?

Good point, I usually play domination & conquest at emperer level. I find I can trade techs to get reasonable parity but always am behind somewhat. It is therefore in my interests to wage war early rather than later - before the quality difference becomes pronounced.

In regard to so many troops - the only games I have lost are the ones where I got dogpiled. Those extra troops are therefore essential to buy time for the reserve to arrive and fight a bloody stalemate and thus the AI accepting peace overtures.

The old military gets rotated with the new: every city gets a modern defender while the rest of the inner garrison gets obsolete & the outer gets more modern. Only about 1/3 army needs to get upgraded in this manner - cutting costs is essential for a large military.

 

[planetfall]

What does "Conquest VC" mean?

Your strategy does not make sense to me. It might work but is not as effective as other strategies.

I don't play domination as it is boring, but coast at emperor and play for conquest all the time.

Questions:
1. how long have you been playing?
2. have you played any GOTM?
3. have you played any succession games?
4. how many luxuries do you usually have?
5. how many cities do you usually have?
6. why are you getting dogpilled, i.e. , what is the problem you run into that you are trying to fix with a strategic reserve?
7. What civs are the worst problems for you?
8. what civ(s) do you play?

PF

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

What does "Conquest VC" mean?

Your strategy does not make sense to me. It might work but is not as effective as other strategies.

I don't play domination as it is boring, but coast at emperor and play for conquest all the time.

Questions:
1. how long have you been playing?
2. have you played any GOTM?
3. have you played any succession games?
4. how many luxuries do you usually have?
5. how many cities do you usually have?
6. why are you getting dogpilled, i.e. , what is the problem you run into that you are trying to fix with a strategic reserve?
7. What civs are the worst problems for you?
8. what civ(s) do you play?

PF

What does "Conquest VC" mean? = Victory Condition
1. Civ1 & Civ2 when they came out, Civ3 a few months, C3C four weeks? Emperor is my comfort zone, any higher and I have to endlessly reload for better than average starts = waste of my time.
2. Nope
3. Nope
4. As many as I can grab. Typically one at hand but I'll war for more.
5. Standard map - 15+ core (inc. fort/resource & luxery cities) and I like to bite 2-3 off an AI at a time.
6. Sprawling empire on Pangea & Continents with multiple fronts with civs
7. None specifically
8. Germans exclusively

 

[planetfall]

What does "Conquest VC" mean? = Victory Condition
1. Civ1 & Civ2 when they came out, Civ3 a few months, C3C four weeks? Emperor is my comfort zone, any higher and I have to endlessly reload for better than average starts = waste of my time.
2. Nope
3. Nope

Later you should try one or two just to get new ideas on how to play

4. As many as I can grab. Typically one at hand but I'll war for more.

That's your problem. You need at least 3, 4 will be easier and 5 is a walk in the park. Trading for luxuries is essential until you can campaign for free luxuries.

5. Standard map - 15+ core (inc. fort/resource & luxery cities) and I like to bite 2-3 off an AI at a time.
6. Sprawling empire on Pangea & Continents with multiple fronts with civs
7. None specifically
8. Germans exclusively

See the Isiom thread on Germany and my comments there.

Still don't get, what is the problem you are trying to solve with reserves?

Are you
1. watching to see military does not stay weak very long. NB: offense is counted more than defense in this rating. So build archers instead of spears.
2. Are you making good trade so AI civs lose if they go to war with you?
3. wasting too much on granaries?
4. are you building enough barrage units, i.e. catapults, trebots, artillery? A useful goal is 10x era. ancient= at least 10, medieval= at least 20, indust= at least 30, modern=at least 40.

Since you are playing pangea, you don't need Air Force or Navy, just army.


Again is the basic problem for which you need a reserve. J[ust for reference in my middle cities I have 0 to 1 units.]
A- being attacked and not strong enough defense , or
B- attacking and losing units too quickly to continue the assault, or
C- something else?

PF

 

[planetfall]

What's your standard research tree?

What does your city spacing look like? A gif?

Why are you still in Monarchy?

Did you research Lit early or later than AI?

Did you get philosophy first?

What does your standard offense look like in:
-- late ancient age
-- early middle age

You don't want to put barrage units 1 to a city like the AI. They are not strong enough. Concentrate them into one or two stacks for better effect.


PF

 

[James I]

The Reserve i use is for 3 main reasons.....

Precaution in case attack by 2nd AI civ while my main army is waging war against 1st AI civ on opposite side of empire (before RR)- or against Human player trechery "ï'm just passing through"

An exploitation force if an unforseen opportunity presents itself to grab Resources/luxuries/cities/workers/settlers....

A herding group to block off AI Settlers/warriors/scouts.....

Generally my Strat reserve only begins to exist once major exploration has finished, and fairly fixed borders exist.... otherwise these units will be gimme hut grabbing/exploring- alternatively, if all my explorer units are miles away from my cities, and i don't want to build 2-3 defence in all my cities at that point- a force that can defend just a threatened city will free up production.

Ideally it consists of movement 2 units, but occasionally if horses unavailable, it might be a few (2-3 early on) tougher units (spearmen/archers depending on my tech standing)- hopefully not enough to stiffle other production

Because it is placed centrally in my Empire, it can cover my fronteirs more effectively, and doesn't get tied up being MP i can't afford to release later....

This tactic lends itself to some games more than others...... Generally where you feel you are weak militarily..... but aren't ready/ can't fix this yet.

Just some ramblings......hope this answers at least some of your question.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

Still don't get, what is the problem you are trying to solve with reserves?

Sneak attacks from bordering civs while main army is elsewhere, prior to railroads especially.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

What's your standard research tree?

What does your city spacing look like? A gif?

Why are you still in Monarchy?

Did you research Lit early or later than AI?

Did you get philosophy first?

What does your standard offense look like in:
-- late ancient age
-- early middle age

You don't want to put barrage units 1 to a city like the AI. They are not strong enough. Concentrate them into one or two stacks for better effect.


PF

First off, I tend to win my games so there is no panic or hair pulling. It is just that the times I lose (other than from a stifled early expansion) is because I hadn't had enough troops at hand, they being elsewhere.

I research pottery & ceremonial burial, wheel & iron (to mark out prime real estate) and then whatever I think the AI isn't researching. I trade techs prolifically and try to get a distinct edge through the middle ages by warfare.

Monarchy (or Feudalism) is the warmongers choice. I have only been in a situation to choose feudalism once, it was quite successful but only for a while.

Never get literacy or philosophy first. Never bother to compete with AI for early wonders unless I've got a remarkably lucky start.

Bit hard to say what my military is but in the last game:
(early)
- each city has warrior*2 + spear*1 garrison
- 10 to 15 cities
- force in the field is 10*spear, 15*sword, 15*catapult + misc units
(middle age)
- each city has warrior*1 + spear*1 + pike*1 garrison
- 15 to 20 cities
- forces in the field consist of a 30+ stack (40% catapults), a 10+ stack forming and a MI army.
By late middle ages I had 3*armies, a 40+stack and 3*reserve forces.