Fun early tactic: Spider farming.

[Vortex79]

Don't know if any of you have tried this, but capture a spider bring it back to a city to heal, go out and attack something with it.. make sure it gets the final hit.. bring the baby back to the city and keep it there til the baby spider matures. Take it out, make sure it gets the last hit again on a kill and continue using the initial spider this way.

Watch out, using this strategy in an overly aggressive fashion can bog down your entire civilization's progress due to maintenance costs in keeping your spiders well fed but enjoy your 6 legged army. I almost renamed my Civ: Zerg.

If they start becoming to much of a hassle, they can be converted to spider cages for great civ benefits in your cities for mid and late game. This tactic worked in .023, hadn't had a chance to use it in .025 yet to see if the same pattern still works.

 

[JDexter]

I haven't gotten many baby spiders, I'd guess less than 5% spawn rate in combat (in 0.25k).

 

[Civkid1991]

i very rarely see spiders.. do u guys have raging barbs on?

 

[xienwolf]

Hrm, I had thought that the baby spider had to get in combat to grow up, sort of like a Werewolf. Only played with them a little while, and most of my babies died off while I was trying to get them a success

But then again, my Momma spider wiped out 5 civilizations while popping out the family, so I decided to quit that game and up the difficulty

Spiders seem to be a bit less prolific with raging barbs and Lairs enabled. Of the two, turning off Lairs tends to be the best bet for upping the number of available spiders.

 

[JDexter]

I thought so too (babies need to fight to grow), so I never let them stick around (and I think once one grew by combat, but maybe the chance is just higher when winning?).
Usually I don't play with raging barbs and still get a few spiders, not too many, but they'll eat one or the other scout and warrior (and an occasional hunter, too).

 

[kamandi]

I have moved baby spiders to a city and left them as I was going to make a spider cage but lacked the tech, in time they grew up even though they were not involved in combat.

 

[jeff_vandenberg]

Yes! I use this strategy often. Particularly if I have a civ that starts with farming so I can get animal handling early. I've had several games with 5-7 Giant Spiders waging war, who often end up having CR5 + Mobility 1-2. I use them to take out opponents who don't have copper or hunters. I've also had spiders equipped with orthus' axe.

The primary drawback to it is that you can't pillage, but really, it's not that much of a drawback. On the whole, the strategy reminds me of the mindworm strategy from Alpha Centauri.

I hate hunters, so much. But that's more of a general dislike for hunters being one of the strongest units to defend a city with early. But that's a rant for another thread.

 

[Marksman77]

To my experience, baby spiders have a chance to grow every turn, independent of being in combat.
I also tried "spider farming" strat once or twice. Most fun came from eliminating city defenders with HN spiders and declaring war only to take defenseless cities with my troops.

 

[tharg]

City gets attacked by hoard of barbarians.

Next turn delete loads of baby spiders. City gets by another by hoard of barbarians.

Next turn delete loads of baby spiders. City gets attacked by hoard of barbarians.

....

Exciting stuff.

 

[kumquatelvis]

...but enjoy your 6 legged army.

8 legged army. Spiders have 8 legs.

 

[jenks]

maybe its 6 legs and 2 arms...

we will never know.

 

[zxcvbnm]

maybe its 6 legs and 2 arms...

we will never know.

Creationists claim that grasshoppers must have 4 legs and 2 arms so why spiders can't have 6 and 2?

Spoiler :

Of winged 4-legged animals ye art allowed to eat those whose thighs go higher than the rest of the body. Of these ye art allowed to eat all grasshoppers etc. All other winged 4-legged little animals be disgust to you
(Leviticus, 11:21-23)

(please excuse the bad english, it's translated from a foreign version)

 

[jeff_vandenberg]

To my experience, baby spiders have a chance to grow every turn, independent of being in combat.
I also tried "spider farming" strat once or twice. Most fun came from eliminating city defenders with HN spiders and declaring war only to take defenseless cities with my troops.

Or to declare war and just take the cities with the spiders, thus negating a need for even involving your own units. At least that's how it worked out for me.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

iirc, Giant spiders (or most other animals, or mercenaries) can't ever capture cities, even when their nationality is declared and you are at war, but baby spiders can take rival cities while still HN.

There isn't really a reason to ever declare war in .25 (at least if you can build the Council of Esus first), sine you can conquer the world with HN units.

 

[Marksman77]

There isn't really a reason to ever declare war in .25 (at least if you can build the Council of Esus first), sine you can conquer the world with HN units.

Right, that's new in .25
Quite unfair against AI if you ask me

 

[Calavente]

corrected in last patch AFAIK...
but without war... the best spider farming is :
kill all defensors... (get new baby spiders)
wait for barbs to take the cities.. (grow the babies into full spiders)
kill the barbs with spiders (get new baby spiders)
take the cities with baby spiders or lone warriors...

==> stay HN, never declar war. save for the killing blow : always funnier to be the one to actually kill a civ's last city/unit

 

[xienwolf]

Isn't there a negative diplomacy mod for wiping out a civilization though? (at least with the good guys / trade partners?)

 

[TravellingHat]

Isn't there a negative diplomacy mod for wiping out a civilization though? (at least with teh good duys / trade partners?)

Only if you get caught. It's called "plausible deniability".

I wiped out the ljosalfar with HN units and they remained pleased even when the hill giants were tearing their last city down around their ears. Also, HN units from my own roster built with the Council of Esus *were* able to capture cities without declaring war, but would incur penalties for razing.

For truly duplicitous treachery, you really need a human.

Edit: removed long, rambling waffle

 

[zxcvbnm]

HN units shouldn't be able to capture cities or travel in stacks with non-HN units, or at least then their nationality should be declared until enemy's sight of that unit ceases and it begins to travel alone. If they capture cities they should get war declared and an extra "betrayal" diplo penalty to at least good civs

 

[TravellingHat]

I agree. Treachery, when discovered, should certainly count diplomatically. Whoever you betrayed should hate you. However, their enemies may be positively inclined that you have so neatly stitiched up their opponents, though you'd still be untrustworthy. Maybe:

The betrayed:
-1 You have proven yourself untrustworthy
-3 You betrayed us
(all in addition to declaring war)

Enemies of the betrayed:
-1 You have proven yourself untrustworthy
+2 You made fools of our enemies

Everyone else:
-1 You have proven yourself untrustworthy

What do you think?