Game conditions

[Aslan]

What sort of game conditions do most people like to have before they go on the warpath? How many cities, how many units? How much culture, how much gold? At what point do you send your military out burn a swath through neighboring lands of the inferior infedels? (I like the idea of burning swaths through land, kinda like Gen. Sherman in the South).



Aslan the Lion

 

[eyrei]

Once I am satisfied that I can defend my territory on at least two fronts, I begin to build an assault force separate from my defense force. Once it is done, I choose someone to attack. This way, if the civ I attack has any allies, I can hold them off while I advance.

Add to this that I wait until I am done expanding.

 

[eMarkM]

Of course, a lot of people start rushing from the get go. They just produce endless warriors and horsemen and assail their neighbors as soon as they meet them. This is Despot Rush.

Me, I usually wait until swordsmen for my first war, they're the best ancient unit for offensives. Generally, in the early going the AI will have two defenders per city. If it's two spearmen, you'll need at least 4 swordsmen.

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[eyrei]

I think the patch has effectively crippled the despot rush strategy. Since size one cities are destroyed when they are captured, and if the AI feels your armies threaten it, it will rush units in its cities, lowering many to size one. You will not really gain anything from early wars except maybe the enemy capital, and a possible leader. Gone are the days of expanding ones empire in 2000BC by attacking fringe cities of your closest neighbor. I think I like this.

 

[Sam_Catchem]

Depends on the situation like always. If you get boxed in early..you got no choice but to go on the hunt. I build for as long as I can peacefully..but when I start brushing up to another civ and I need to get bigger. I go to war. I prepare by building barracks in every city possible. Sure up my defenses after that. Then I go for my best offensive units and stockpile them on the outside of their borders. It depends on the size of the city and what units are available to choose my army and how large. A good rule of thumb for defense is to have at least 2 def units in each city. For attacking..if it is a big city..lots of units..some to pillage and others to attack. Just set your tax rate high and overwhelm them. Just make sure to start the attack with large numbers.

 

[Aslan]

Great suggestions...keep them coming!

 

[Sultan Bhargash]

Before I go to war I certainly try to have Iron and Horses connected to most of my cities, as well as two or more luxury goods, and have at least three barracks built. Actually, 90% of games, I like to get Sun Tzu before I fight an offensive war. Sun Tzu, and then Cavalry, Riders, or Cossacks. I love to swamp enemy cities with veteran mobile units.

I have gone to war with Horsemen and actually hunted down the French on a huge map and extincted them purely with horsemen. But that was only once.

And I just played my best game ever, and it was all Despot rush with the patch. I played on a 60% land tiny Pangea as the Iroquois, quickly cornered horses and iron, then homicide-built barracks followed by an endless stream of Mounted Warriors. I took over the whole world in 610 and scored 4,450 (regent level). Every city was size one because as soon as they were size two, out popped a veteran Mounted Warrior. And when I captured enemy workers, they knew they were going to the slaughterhouse to feed my Mounted Warrior needs. The game lasted an hour and a half, five hours before I was ready to go to bed...

 

[Sam_Catchem]

I find it help ful to know where the iron is BEFORE you go after another civ (IE get iron working fast.) Just word to the wise. If you cannot find their iron..it is pain to know where to pillage. Those swordsman can smart. Learned that the hard way.