Early Game Rush Advice Needed

[Emperor Giulio]

What are some good strategies for early game conquests? I can’t seems to really get any offense victories until I get catapults, any advice?

 

[Refar]

Sisiutil's The Early Rush

 

[AfterShafter]

I'd say the best advice for rushing is learn how play, *then* learn how to rush. Rushing is the easy part... Keeping your empire together, keeping your tech going by squeezing out great people and hitting the right techs at the right times, building certain structures in places where they're needed, is the tough part, and a few games focusing on economy doesn't hurt before you go all war-bot.

 

[Emperor Giulio]

I'd say the best advice for rushing is learn how play, *then* learn how to rush. Rushing is the easy part... Keeping your empire together, keeping your tech going by squeezing out great people and hitting the right techs at the right times, building certain structures in places where they're needed, is the tough part, and a few games focusing on economy doesn't hurt before you go all war-bot.

I have beaten games in a rather peaceful way. I have achieved cultural, space race, and diplomatic before, test of time, as well as domination (later part of the the game).

I just want some advice on early conquests

 

[Emperor Giulio]

Sisiutil's The Early Rush

thank you

 

[AfterShafter]

Then what's to know? If you've figured out the rest, rushing should be a total cakewalk. Chop rush, focus on early production, and hit a guy early, not congregating outside of cities prior to attack so they don't beef up defenses.

 

[Emperor Giulio]

Then what's to know? If you've figured out the rest, rushing should be a total cakewalk.

I just wanted some tips from other players on how to do it better. I can’t seem to get thing going until the ADs. I wanted some advice on how to cripple my neighbors early on.

 

[Scaramanga]

Avoid protective civs and cities on hills. No when to just back off and pillage. Disconnecting metals and horses is of the utmost importance since you can then just spam swordsmen. If you can sneak in and grab a worker early in the game (especially from and Expansive leader since you're then robbing them of one their bonuses) it will be hugely beneficial to you and devastating to them. Choke them like a boa constrictor by placing units (on easily defendable land) close to resources so they can't be worked and attacking settler parties and new cities. Make sure you're actually benefitting from your aggression and weigh your options.

 

[Emperor Giulio]

thanks for the advice guys

 

[Willem]

If you're besieging a city, maybe healing units or waiting for reinforcements, make sure to pillage any roads leading to the rest of the empire. This will make it more difficult for the enemy to reinforce the city's defence. It's probably even a good idea to park your attacking force between the city you want to take out and the rest of the empire so you can attack any units coming up to help out.

 

[Duelingground]

It's probably even a good idea to park your attacking force between the city you want to take out and the rest of the empire so you can attack any units coming up to help out.

Good advice there, placement of your forces can be critical. Not only are you able to interdict enemy reinforcements, you're also one step closer to their next city.

Another key to success is bringing garrison troops along to hold your new city. Keeping your momentum going is important, the fewer turns you have to wait while your enemy is whipping out more troops the better.

 

[stachnie]

The best civs for early rush are these with strong early UU's like Incans, Persians, Egyptians or Romans. In my present game I have made a successful Quechua rush on Egypt and I was lucky: Hatty had no horses and copper was a bit too far Usually I faced 3 defenders per city but I had a 3:1 numerical advantage.

In a previous game I have failed - when I launched an attack on Joao's capital it turned out that it was on hills and defended by an archer and 2 axemen

S.

 

[AmazonQueen]

With BtS the AI seems to use axemen a lot more for defence. This makes swordsmen less effective. I tend to use axemen with CR promotions for pre-catapult rushes now (unless I have a good rush UU).

 

[Emperor Giulio]

With BtS the AI seems to use axemen a lot more for defence. This makes swordsmen less effective. I tend to use axemen with CR promotions for pre-catapult rushes now (unless I have a good rush UU).

I've noticed that too, the AI's use of axemen is frustrating. I should look to cut off copper supply as a first priority when invading early on.

 

[AmazonQueen]

I've noticed that too, the AI's use of axemen is frustrating. I should look to cut off copper supply as a first priority when invading early on.

I first noticed it when I took a stack of swordsmen promoted with CR and a axemen with shock. Whenever the swordsman attacked an axeman would defend, whenever the axeman attacked an archer would defend
I probably should've waited for catapults, it was a bit late for an axe rush, especially against the Zulus who build loads of units

 

[futurehermit]

Focus more:

e.g.,

Build: Worker, warrior, worker, settler

Settle: City that has horse or copper, which should be in the first ring of the bfc if not creative

Connect horse/copper and cities asap

Chop/whip barracks in each city; chop/whip ~10 units

Sack capital, use reinforcements to eliminate other cities

 

[hecubus]

With BtS the AI seems to use axemen a lot more for defence. This makes swordsmen less effective. I tend to use axemen with CR promotions for pre-catapult rushes now (unless I have a good rush UU).

Agreed. I haven't built a non-UU swordsman in a very long time.

 

[Scaramanga]

Sack capital, use reinforcements to eliminate other cities

Just curious what your definition of a sack is? It's not really an option when capturing a city but I consider a sack to be identical to what a barbarian uprising does to a captured player city: install a governor but leave the city totally undefended while moving to the next one (except I'll wait for my units to heal first since they will do so faster in a city).

 

[futurehermit]

sack = capture (to me)

non-uu swordsmen are great, you just have to mix in axes as well. i routinely overrun a 1st or 2nd ai with a mix of swords and axes. against any unit other than axes, the swords will be the better attacker.

 

[AfterShafter]

sack = capture (to me)

non-uu swordsmen are great, you just have to mix in axes as well. i routinely overrun a 1st or 2nd ai with a mix of swords and axes. against any unit other than axes, the swords will be the better attacker.

Less vulnerable on the field. You have a stack of axemen defended by a spearmen or two, you'd better pray those two spearmen don't die, or your axemen are complete chariot bait. A few swordsmen in the stack mean that, even if your spearmen on the side die, your stack won't be utter bait for chariots.