Help as china

[theguy8882]

So I played with a mod on a true start earth map as china (no other mods except for a leaders for city sates mod). I have four cities going up and down the coast of china and they all are doing pretty well. I am doing the best out of all the civilizations I know except for siam who is starting to encroach on my borders. I also have no iron and there is only one source i can see which is way up in the tundra's of siberia. I need to start taking out Siam because they are quickly becoming the runaway civ and they are taking a lot of territory i wanted. My military is strong, but my units need to be upgraded and I don't have much money, but my economy is making a quick recovery. I'm allied with Gandhi, Oda and Harun. Oda could help with siam because he has a decent navy and might embark some units. Gandhi despises siam, but he has a crappy military. Harun is a bit of a hike from siam and I don't think he would help. I've got a lot of horses and siam has none so I think I could overwhelm hm with pikeman or knights, but he has a decent military so it could backfire and i'd be screwed. Also polynesia decided to get on the mainland and settle near me so now I might have to deal with him. Sorry for the novel.

 

[joshua43214]

You want chu's, lots of chu's.
You don't need iron with China. You can capture a city with a scout if you kill the defenses first.

I have found the best strat with china for a domination victory is to beeline machinery as best as possible, then jump up and go for chivalry, then down to combustion. By-pass all Melle units in favor of mounted units. Alternately I do a beeline for philosophy to get the NC, down to machinery, then to education. Both have advantages nd disadvantages, I choose depending on the map.

You will probably get forced into making a few infantry, but don't make too many because you will be upgrading the mounted units to tanks. You will use them as meat shields later for your tanks and Chu's. Take good care of your Chu's, once they have logistics they can stand up to about anything. Don't upgrade them until you have artillery, and even there you may not upgrade them at all.

Don't let Siam run away. He is IMO by far the hardest AI to beat once he is established. When He gets away on me, I usually try to make DoF with him, and save him for stealth. Its easier to do that than slog against him for ever.

Also, try not to ally with other AI's. It can be good at times, but more often then not it will cause you pain. Japan loves to back stab - you will take a diplo hit if your friend denounces you. Other love to beg lux's, and if you don't give them the lux, they will be very slow to forgive. Being allied to someone gives you bad diplo with their enemies. If Hiawatha makes friends with another AI that goes to war with a friend of yours, he will almost always DoW you for being a friend of a friends enemy - breaking RA's, trade agreements etc.

 

[Silverfuturist]

Make paper makers ASAP in all of your cities (like a mini-market and a library) then get to machinery... the AI is too dumb to handle those chu-ko-nus, you will eventually have heavily promoted chu-ko-nus that can do amazing things like shoot 3 tiles.

Chu-ko-nus that are upgraded into rifles can also attack twice the same turn! If you plan on promoting any of them to rifles, pick siege and cover as the promotions, they carry over to rifles. I like to keep heavily promoted chu-ko-nus forever, minimum 2 damage to any unit, no matter how strong.

 

[Syailendra]

If you use real start mod, then there should be some hills dividing you and siam right?
That spot is the best place to put 4 CKNs and wage a defensive war for a moment, dont forget to bring 2 pikes to cover your CKNs.

 

[theguy8882]

Oh I forgot about Narusean's elephants how do i handle them?

 

[strijder20]

Oh I forgot about Narusean's elephants how do i handle them?

CKNs if you use them right, or Rifles.

 

[joncnunn]

Agreed, CKNs are their own screen. (Double line of CKNs)

If there's any horses, have a Horsemen (or later Knight) to capture the cities after they get red-lined. But even the lowly scout will work.

And yup, after Rifling, you basically promote half of them to Rifles.
(Line of Rifles with CKNs behind).

 

[theguy8882]

Agreed, CKNs are their own screen. (Double line of CKNs)

If there's any horses, have a Horsemen (or later Knight) to capture the cities after they get red-lined. But even the lowly scout will work.

I don't think that knights are an option. I tried using the knights on the siamese when I was arabia and the Narusean's elpehants tore them apart.

 

[joncnunn]

I don't think that knights are an option. I tried using the knights on the siamese when I was arabia and the Narusean's elpehants tore them apart.

The solo Knight is not for combat; but taking over the city since ranged units aren't allowed to take a city after they zero out the defenses. It stays behind the CKNs until then, and then stays in the city the turn it takes it.

 

[joshua43214]

The solo Knight is not for combat; but taking over the city since ranged units aren't allowed to take a city after they zero out the defenses. It stays behind the CKNs until then, and then stays in the city the turn it takes it.

^^This
mounted units don't get fortify, use them to attack only. Just be patient with your agression, position your Chu's and let them come to you, then shred them. Remember with a double line you can shoot once with the front line, swap with the rear line and shoot two more times. A mounted unit on the flanks can then be used to pick off anything that refused to die.

Elephants suck because they only get two movement and die easily to ranged units.

 

[notadummy]

knights are not really the units to first attack with. I think of them more as a "finishing up unit". So you can easily kill off a unit, back off, and let the CKN or rifles do their own work.

 

[theguy8882]

why don't I use pikemen instead of knights? That way if the naruseans elephants get close I can swap them in and kill them. I have a 2-3 pikeman with 3-4 upgrades

UPDATE: economy's booming people are happy and I"ve got some CKN's built with more coming. ANd I caught a break Gandhi and siam are having a war. Gandhi appear's to be losing (he lost a city), but he is holding strong. Siam also has the pointiest sticks. so should I

A: attack now and take divide and conquer them

or

B: wait to produce more CKN's and hope that Gandhi is still holding up.

 

[The Pilgrim]

I don't think that knights are an option. I tried using the knights on the siamese when I was arabia and the Narusean's elpehants tore them apart.

Arabian knights are ranged units, they cannot melee attack. Their combat strength is low (very low compared to this of elephants) but they can withdraw after shooting. So if you use them wisely, they shouldn't die.
Pikes are fine as meatshields when facing Siam, however, CKN's are so powerful you barely need them. Mainly for roads blocking and preventing elephants from moving more than 2 hexes. Just have enough CKN's an they'll kill everything in vicinity.

 

[theguy8882]

Arabian knights are ranged units, they cannot melee attack. Their combat strength is low (very low compared to this of elephants) but they can withdraw after shooting. So if you use them wisely, they shouldn't die.
Pikes are fine as meatshields when facing Siam, however, CKN's are so powerful you barely need them. Mainly for roads blocking and preventing elephants from moving more than 2 hexes. Just have enough CKN's an they'll kill everything in vicinity.

I meant camel archers I guess i wasn't really thinking.

 

[The Pilgrim]

I meant camel archers I guess i wasn't really thinking.

I meant them too.