Could you do this?

[GGitchell]

Is there a way when wanting to attack a city to get the enemy to leave their cities into the open and then clean them up with mounted units, so the city is easier to take.

 

[Earthling]

AI - yes, in principle, though not by direct methods. But the AI often keeps a huge proportion of its army in one big SoD so you can wait and kill this first before going after their cities.

Humans - no, there's no game mechanic to do so (and shouldn't be) so this would just be the result of stupidity.

 

[Airey]

I used to use lots of warriors (or obelete units) left over from Hereditary Rule, and fortify 1 at enemy's metal source (copper, iron) , attacking stack 1 tile away from that...and wait for the show.

 

[pi-r8]

I used to use lots of warriors (or obelete units) left over from Hereditary Rule, and fortify 1 at enemy's metal source (copper, iron) , attacking stack 1 tile away from that...and wait for the show.

That's a good idea. If you have a unit fortified on a resource, does it deny them the use of that resource? Or does it just prevent them from working that square?

On a similiar note, let's see you have a city which has expanded just once, so it's working a BFC. You could put a warrior or whatever on the diagonal next to the city, and mounted units two squares directly away, so that whatever's in the city can't see them. That might even fool a human.

 

[Gagonite]

Probably could, unless the mounted units are still within Line of Sight. If not.. you just need to hope that they go after your bait.

 

[Jet]

AIs always get a few tiles of extra visibility into the fog of war.

Against a human you can only really get one unit at a time that way -- but at the stack level with multiple stacks moving around sometimes you can sacrifice a mini stack and come out on top. It helps when there's time pressure and your enemy doesn't have time to analyze every move in detail.

To the original question, one thing you can do is threaten their capital, or multiple cities, or get multiple civs to fight them. That seems to encourage defending AIs to move their units around from city to city.

 

[Airey]

If you have a unit fortified on a resource, does it deny them the use of that resource? Or does it just prevent them from working that square?

I generally destory that tile because I play with lots of workers. It gives the defender less oppournity to slave/complete another unit on the same turn the initial scarifical unit is killed. I remember when AI has unit on my resources, I lost that resource AND unable to work that tile. But I might remember wrong. Please correct me if I am wrong.

...and mounted units two squares directly away, so that whatever's in the city can't see them. That might even fool a human

Against AI is fine. In multiplayer, should have other better strategies (ie. build a diverse stack rather than gimmick like this), imo.

 

[Jet]

No, you have to pillage to deny the resource.

 

[bobbyboy29]

here's a fun strategy to try, if you're in lots of wars try to get lots of mounted units to high levels, upgrade along the combat line until you get the commando promo which lets you use enemy roads, 3 to 4 (or more!)mounted units promoted like this coupled with a spy to revolt a city can result in pretty effective surprise attack allowing you to take a mature city on the first turn of a war.

 

[henrebotha]

Every game as Peter or Catherine, I've tried to get my Cossacks up to Commando. Never once have I actually gotten there.

 

[huerfanista]

Every game as Peter or Catherine, I've tried to get my Cossacks up to Commando. Never once have I actually gotten there.

Cath should be easier than Pete because she's IMP (more GGs), but the real problem is XP inflation (the increasing # of XP needed to go from one level to the next). 26XP is a tough road to hoe in order to get the commando promo. AGG leaders cut an entire level out, since melee/gunpowder units start with C1 and they can get commando at 17XP (no help for mounted, though ). CHA leaders nerf the promo chain (20XP needed for commando, including mounted). Boudica's the best, though (CHA/AGG) - you can get commando melee/gun units with barracks + 2GGs + WP + 1 civic (theo or vass) = 13XP (or just via lots of combat!). It also helps if you play large/huge maps for more warring. I've gotten commando cossacks straight out of the box with Stalin on those kinds of maps. They are LOTS of fun.

 

[henrebotha]

Cath should be easier than Pete because she's IMP (more GGs), but the real problem is XP inflation (the increasing # of XP needed to go from one level to the next). 26XP is a tough road to hoe in order to get the commando promo. AGG leaders cut an entire level out, since melee/gunpowder units start with C1 and they can get commando at 17XP (no help for mounted, though ). CHA leaders nerf the promo chain (20XP needed for commando, including mounted). Boudica's the best, though (CHA/AGG) - you can get commando melee/gun units with barracks + 2GGs + WP + 1 civic (theo or vass) = 13XP (or just via lots of combat!). It also helps if you play large/huge maps for more warring. I've gotten commando cossacks straight out of the box with Stalin on those kinds of maps. They are LOTS of fun.

I'm playing Vanilla.