Early game military

[59saintdane]

I play on Deity and always seem to have trouble balancing infrastructure and military units. I usually build next to none, but I feel like that's a suboptimal strategy as it leaves me very vulnerable to attack in the early game. At the same time, however, I also find that a lot of the things I'm building are quite essential and building military units would delay my development.
Take my last game, for example. My build order was scout -> monument -> scout (it was pangaea) -> granary -> settler -> library -> caravan. Just as I was about to finish the caravan on turn 45, I got DoWed by Isabella, by turn 52 my second city was gone and I just gave up at that point. The problem is, if I had built an early archer it *might* have helped, but that would mean delaying critical buildings. Any thoughts?

 

[tetley]

Yes, delay the buildings. In not building early military, you are delaying critical experience and unit promotions. Get a good military, then you can build both an economy and an experienced military at the same time.

 

[joncnunn]

The problem is, if I had built an early archer it *might* have helped, but that would mean delaying critical buildings. Any thoughts?

There's nothing more critical than surviving.
Either have an isolated start or build an early army capable of defending yourself. Settlers need paired with Archers. (Note that you don't need barracks that early though)

 

[59saintdane]

All right, but what kind of timing do I need for building units? For example, if I'm building an archer, I don't want it to come at the cost of delaying a granary, library, settler, or something like that. I also need to get NC up at a good time, and maybe build a wonder (pyramids if liberty, petra if lots of desert, possibly oracle) so I have difficulty finding the right time to build a military.

 

[fils]

I have the same problem in a lot of games. Here are some things I find to work well:

1. Buying an archer seems to be a good investment, or at least having the gold in reserve to do so. Focus on connecting horses or any sellable resources first so you have enough gold.

2. I don't build a library as early as you do (maybe this is a mistake?). I find that a caravan to be enough for early science. They provide some extra gold too for your archer buying, and can even prevent the war dec to begin with if sent to the right civ. Also keep in mind skipping the library will cause your caravans to give more tech because you will be further behind in science. I would prioritize archer over library, if necessary.

3. I try not to build a granary right before my first settler because the food is wasted, with the exception being a really strong wheat/deer start. I usually go for a shrine instead to get a pantheon bonus even if a religion is unlikely. Shrines are a bit cheaper, which leaves you time to at least prebuild your caravan for a few turns before going settler. The faith tends to come in handy later when you get a religion from the AI.

4. Early harassment is obviously important. I much prefer to steal a worker from an AI civ than a CS because it slows them down. The best is when I get my workers from most threatening AI nearby, and then don't make peace right away. This levels up archers and gives me room and time to expand. It can really cripple them for the rest of the game if done right.

 

[joncnunn]

All right, but what kind of timing do I need for building units? For example, if I'm building an archer, I don't want it to come at the cost of delaying a granary, library, settler, or something like that. I also need to get NC up at a good time, and maybe build a wonder (pyramids if liberty, petra if lots of desert, possibly oracle) so I have difficulty finding the right time to build a military.

Actually you NEED to delay the settler by the turns to produce the archer that's going to secure the new city. It's a cheap unit while you can still build them.

Granary & Library are both before any settlers and therefore before the archer.

As to great wonders, you should complete ALL the archers you are planning before starting to hand build one. (Archers much quicker to build than Composites)

 

[Illianor123]

Oracle you can build afte the NC and usually get because most AIs don't go for it.

If going tradition, then you don't need to build the monument and you can spend those hammers on the archer instead. Building the granary before the settler I only find useful if you have wheat/deer/bananas. When building settlers there seems to be 3 food = 1 hammer ratio so the excess food is not wasted.

 

[BurnBabyBurn]

Circumstance depends on starting location and Civs that you're going to be confronting. Also where you lay your cities, if next to an aggressive Civ and you have no military, you have to prioritize what you will absolutely need. I would pick a Civ with a great UU, like Babylon if you're having issues.(though my best start was with Germany, as you can KO a few Barb Camps and if you're lucky get 3-4 free Archers or Axe, if you wait a bit the Archers are usual for the price of 1 Archer and 1 Warrior per Barb Camp or use your Scouts with your Archer) Also this is my usual start...

Scout/Scout/Scout = Get lucky and get 2 or 3 free techs or 2 free upgrades and get paid back by encountering more CSs early... You get paid to meet them first a higher wage then 2nd hand meeting. If I can pick a Civ that is vulnerable and not too too close I will farm their Citizens..this was mentioned earlier and I have gotten as many as 6 workers for free and stunted their growth. If you really want to win and an Enemy Civ is very close you may forced to do this but you have to watch yourself. They may not offer peace depending, also you may get hit in the back by another Civ while your deployed.

I usually take the Tradition free Monument as mentioned...along with quick 2nd Settler and then lay down the Granary/Library/NC. You should have 2 settlers setting out the Door by the time you have put down your NC and get ready for Oxford to stay competitive with Tech.

Of course all this is very hard to do with a lot of aggressive AI on you. So a little lucky, good defensible location or another strategy may be required in various situations. Modify/alter and hope you don't have to face several Carpets of Doom...and go quick Building Route, though if you get a Carpet of Doom with 1 Archer per City and what you're building you will most assuredly be eaten. I tend to play on smaller maps too.. If you delete off a few Civs, it makes the Real Estate not so picked off early but you will get a runaway or two...

You might also play with facing more peaceful Civs, but then they will do nothing but Spam Cities and RAs all game long and you will have your work cut out for you.

Caravans return more Science on a low Pop Capitol with NC, so it can be delayed. Usual for me by turn 35 is 5 Bowmen(Archers) 2 melee(an absolute MUST have to defend yourself) If you don't have that rethink your strategies or start in a remote location. Good luck and winning on Deity is a challenge.

 

[Vitruvius]

Maybe you arn't micromanaging your tiles properly. Try to balance hammers and food. Your granary and library were built too early. You don't need granaries until you are done pumping out settlers. You don't need library until you are almost going to make NC. And you don't need NC until you are done expanding. So time things well. You will be able to squeeze out a few units.