I had won BTS every way except Conquest. So I turned off Space Ships and started trying for games with good Conquest opportunities. (I probably should have turned off Domination as well... more on that below.) I approached the Prince-level game with a strategy similar to my Domination games, imagining that I could easily mop up any remaining resistance in the late game. Bear with me while I explain my game, because the hitch comes at the end of what has been a very good game. This is an Ancient start, Epic speed.
Playing as Brennus (no good reason, hadn't won with him yet). I start at NE corner of tall continent with Asoka in NW and Mehmet in far S. Used primitive troops to rush Asoka's major cities before he had more than one defender. Made me biggest player on block and in total control of northern hemisphere on my continent. Developed peacefully to build my own cities, buildings, roads, etc. Lucky geography gave me nice natural border with jungle and Mehmet never tries any aggression. Remnant of Asoka had only 3 cities left as of medieval era and was vassal to Mehmet. Attacked both with ease in quick war to wipe out Asoka and hurt Mehmet. Then peaceful development into industrial era. Behind on tech, by spying got me up to speed. First to circumnavigate. Met Washington, Isabella, Khmer guy and Cyrus on far side, where Wash and Izzy were dominant. Trade with them big time an they love me, especially Wash. Took out most of Mehmet with first tanks, made him vassal. Finish him off later for Conquest when, I'm thinking.
Plan my attacks as I get a lead in war techs and build my massive army. I get UN and ban nukes. Opposite continent: Izzy has NW, Khmer NE, Wash SW, Cyrus SE. Cy is Izzy's vassal, Khmer is Wash's. They are at war, but only significance is Wash picking up territory from Cy and capturing cities Khmer loses to Izzy. So Wash is getting big. With most advances other than Stealth-era stuff, I attack Khmer, putting me at war with Wash. My goal is to gain a beachhead and then go to peace while I move troops over. But he's tougher than I expect with better anti-air defenses against my bombers and fighters. I get three large coastal cities and sue for peace. I change strategies. I now go to war with Izzy and wipe out Cyrus. No problem. No inroads into Spanish homeland, but I'm not worried. I sue for peace again. Now I'm ready for my big push to wipe out Wash., the only real competitor, and the rest should be easy. I pick up the Stealth-era techs, and build up solid defensive stacks in my new Persian and Khmer acquisitions, while building up a massive offensive stack in the Persian area, and a smaller one near the remaining Khmer region.
Because Dominant is still active, I'm thinking I have to start Burning cities to avoid triggering that win. Here's the thing: In all of my games, I've never used that strategy. So I don't really know what to expect.
I launch my massive attack. At first all is well. My Stealth-bombers, jets and cruise missiles devastate most of Wash's nearby cities. My gunships, mobile artillery and modern armor easily cleanup. Four or five major cities fall in the first wave of my attack. I notice the message about partisans forming, but don't pay much attention at first. There are units scattered everywhere, so what's happening isn't obvious to me right away. Wash's first counterattack on his own eastern flank is weak, though he is more aggressive going against my smaller Khmer beachead, which I lose over a few turns. No big loss. He's hurt much worse and those cities are stripped of most of their value. Over the same period, I destroy about four more of his cities. I begin to notice that the "partisan" message comes along with new Mech Inf troops surrounding his cities. Hadn't counted on that. These Mech. Inf troops start to hassle my stacks. And I start to find that they are such a problem, my attack is losing steam quicker than I can get more troops airlifted or transported across the sea. It's obvious that I miscalculated, and I sue for peace before it can get any worse. I even have to give Wash. one minor city I'd taken from the Persians earlier. So this is the only losing war I've had the entire game. I lost my three Khmer cities back to Wash., along with the one Persian city. I destroyed about 8 of his eastern cities, all of which were either captures he'd made from Cyrus himself, or relatively new American builds. I haven't hurt him too badly, though I've made it difficult for our missiles to reach each other without ships.
I'm getting ready to rebuild and try again. Looking for suggestions on a better strategy. I've thought about planning my city by city attacks so that I don't take/burn any until I have enough extra offense in a nearby stack to kill of any partisans. Anything else that anyone would recommend?
Playing as Brennus (no good reason, hadn't won with him yet). I start at NE corner of tall continent with Asoka in NW and Mehmet in far S. Used primitive troops to rush Asoka's major cities before he had more than one defender. Made me biggest player on block and in total control of northern hemisphere on my continent. Developed peacefully to build my own cities, buildings, roads, etc. Lucky geography gave me nice natural border with jungle and Mehmet never tries any aggression. Remnant of Asoka had only 3 cities left as of medieval era and was vassal to Mehmet. Attacked both with ease in quick war to wipe out Asoka and hurt Mehmet. Then peaceful development into industrial era. Behind on tech, by spying got me up to speed. First to circumnavigate. Met Washington, Isabella, Khmer guy and Cyrus on far side, where Wash and Izzy were dominant. Trade with them big time an they love me, especially Wash. Took out most of Mehmet with first tanks, made him vassal. Finish him off later for Conquest when, I'm thinking.
Plan my attacks as I get a lead in war techs and build my massive army. I get UN and ban nukes. Opposite continent: Izzy has NW, Khmer NE, Wash SW, Cyrus SE. Cy is Izzy's vassal, Khmer is Wash's. They are at war, but only significance is Wash picking up territory from Cy and capturing cities Khmer loses to Izzy. So Wash is getting big. With most advances other than Stealth-era stuff, I attack Khmer, putting me at war with Wash. My goal is to gain a beachhead and then go to peace while I move troops over. But he's tougher than I expect with better anti-air defenses against my bombers and fighters. I get three large coastal cities and sue for peace. I change strategies. I now go to war with Izzy and wipe out Cyrus. No problem. No inroads into Spanish homeland, but I'm not worried. I sue for peace again. Now I'm ready for my big push to wipe out Wash., the only real competitor, and the rest should be easy. I pick up the Stealth-era techs, and build up solid defensive stacks in my new Persian and Khmer acquisitions, while building up a massive offensive stack in the Persian area, and a smaller one near the remaining Khmer region.
Because Dominant is still active, I'm thinking I have to start Burning cities to avoid triggering that win. Here's the thing: In all of my games, I've never used that strategy. So I don't really know what to expect.
I launch my massive attack. At first all is well. My Stealth-bombers, jets and cruise missiles devastate most of Wash's nearby cities. My gunships, mobile artillery and modern armor easily cleanup. Four or five major cities fall in the first wave of my attack. I notice the message about partisans forming, but don't pay much attention at first. There are units scattered everywhere, so what's happening isn't obvious to me right away. Wash's first counterattack on his own eastern flank is weak, though he is more aggressive going against my smaller Khmer beachead, which I lose over a few turns. No big loss. He's hurt much worse and those cities are stripped of most of their value. Over the same period, I destroy about four more of his cities. I begin to notice that the "partisan" message comes along with new Mech Inf troops surrounding his cities. Hadn't counted on that. These Mech. Inf troops start to hassle my stacks. And I start to find that they are such a problem, my attack is losing steam quicker than I can get more troops airlifted or transported across the sea. It's obvious that I miscalculated, and I sue for peace before it can get any worse. I even have to give Wash. one minor city I'd taken from the Persians earlier. So this is the only losing war I've had the entire game. I lost my three Khmer cities back to Wash., along with the one Persian city. I destroyed about 8 of his eastern cities, all of which were either captures he'd made from Cyrus himself, or relatively new American builds. I haven't hurt him too badly, though I've made it difficult for our missiles to reach each other without ships.
I'm getting ready to rebuild and try again. Looking for suggestions on a better strategy. I've thought about planning my city by city attacks so that I don't take/burn any until I have enough extra offense in a nearby stack to kill of any partisans. Anything else that anyone would recommend?
