HELP! How the heck to i counter this...

[Lurking Badger]

Maybe he just wanted to say: THIS IS SPARTAAA ?
Ok, nvm about that.

 

[50_dollar_bag]

Ragnar is good like that, we's always wandering around with huge stacks of units in my game too .
My view is that he shouldn't attack you if he's friendly assuming that he didn't decide to before he reached friendly.
Somebody else mentioned getting somebody to attack him or his vassal, that might work. otherwise good luck

 

[Scaphism]

Good catch Welnic, I definitely goofed on that one.

Unless you have a sizable standing army, Argos is toast. Shore up your defenses everywhere and gift Ragnar something - anything - to buy yourself a few more turns. Time for War Civics, whatever you have - Theocracy, Vassalage, Slavery.

 

[SickCycle]

I'd start by switching to vassalage/theocracy and whip/drafting muskets in my cities mass them in whichever city is closest to the stack then start pumping out trebs, muskets are 9 and berz r 8 soooo with a few trebs to knock the stack down a couple health I don't see it as a problem.

I'd be worried if I had no units in the area and/or don't have the capacity to pump out a stack quickly, if he declares war before you can get them out of production I'd fortify whatever I could in the city and give them garrison promos and just keep pumping out muskets and trebs.

He's right tho, if you can bribe him to attack someone right now he'll prob do it, ragnar is nuts and I wouldn't doubt he'd attack you with that stack if you don't have any defenders on the bordering cities.

You play with Aggressive AI? If so, I'd almost guarantee thats going for you if your cities aren't guarded by atleast half that stack number

Also, my biggest worry would be the greeks to the north, to counter that stack if you don't have similar numbers already stationed in your other cities you can pull out to guard that border when he attacks pericles will declare and since it's going to take most of your units by the way you make it sound pericles is either gonna pillage you back to the stone age or maybe take a city or two. It's not one or the other I'd be worried about it's guarding both borders at the same time, thats not a bad stack he has there so.. luckily I don't see any trebs/cats so worst comes to worst bunker up and let him pillage for ten turns and then sign a peace treaty.

Did he just vassal the greeks? I noticed he's in sparta, if he just vassaled them that could be his stack left over from his battle with pericles in which case he most likely won't attack you, but if it was awhile ago, I'd have to assume it was headed for me considering it's ragnar

Since theres three civs in the low end of the score that are different religion then ragnar and you seem to have a tech lead? I don't see why it would be hard to throw him a tech or two to attacking issy/sittingbull/...whoever the other one was, then build up some muskets and upgrade them when you get a chance if your that worried.

 

[Thomas G.]

Crossbows counter melee, and would be the most cost-effective choice here.
Berserkers only have +10% city attack and amphib bonus, both useless on defense. If he is in the open you might want to hit him there. Because if he strips away your target city's cultural defense I belive that his CR II units would have pretty good odds versus your city garrisons.

If you can "sort of" numerically match his force when/if he invades, I believe you will do great damage to him. You attack with 3-4 catapults (Strength or barrage promotions) and after that all your unharmed 8 str. macemen should kill their damaged (7.5 or worse) berserkers. If you can make a few with shock (mabye from a city with barracks + Military instructor) they should really have a field day. One attack, one kill. Crossbows would even be better. After his stack is reduced even axemen can kill weakened troops. And to mop up the remaining (1.2, 0.2) units you can send in archers and warriors if you have some .

But only attack if you can wipe him out, if not wait behind city walls while you produce units. If city can't be held, lose it, and save your troops.

 

[futurehermit]

xbows ftw!

 

[Lurking Liu]

Yeah, that's what I've been saying. Build Crossbows, draft Muskets with Nationalism. As good as Crossbows are, Muskets are better--except they cost more... Thankfully you can Draft them for free a little later on.

 

[sveint]

i have about 2/3 of his power but im way ahead of him in everything else.

This is your mistake then, if you are ahead, you CAN AFFORD an army.

But like the others said, start building an army now. Don't stop until your power is at the same level as the strongest enemy (Rangar I take it).

And unlike other advice, I'd say build a mixed army. A few anti-melee crossbows, some CG muskets, some combat muskets, quite a few camels and don't forget a couple of suicide catapults. Trebuchets are only useful if you're taking cities.

Also if you are ahead in tech you can afford to go for some military techs next (curassiers, rifles, cannons or grenadiers, whichever is fastest to get).

 

[sveint]

PS Don't forget a couple of flanking camels if this is BTS.

 

[Hellspark]

Always remember any trade/gift results in 10 turns of peace, so give Raggs 1 gold gift - cheap peace at that, 10 turns later more cheap peace. This is an exploit (of the AI's greed) I know but it works.

 

[Mu'min]

thanks for all the good advice everyone.

I did the trade thing with ragnar, does the peace thing run out even if the trade carries on? Or do i have to give a new deal?

I have rifles now and im 4 turns away from chemistry, ragnar is researching gunpower . Should i make sure in doesn't build up enough gold to upgrade his troops to muskets? I also checked the military screen, apparently ragnar has 47 berzerkers , which explains why no one is willing to go to war with ragnar, not that any one has an army to speak off. its been a peaceful game(apart from ragnar). Most of the civs have mostly defensive troops, longbows ect, ragnar has the biggest offensive army, with me and hannibal with small offensive armies.

What i thought of doing next is this. I have a great prophet with which i could start a golden age with, and in 3 turns a lot of builds come to a end and i plan to start the oxford university in Mecca. So im thinking of switching to war civics, starting a golden age and building as many rifles as i can at the same time in 3 turns. Is this a good idea? Or should i wait one more turn for chemistry? After that i don't know, will have to see what the situation is.

 

[Solomwi]

Thanks.

I've only just started playing v1.61 of Vanilla, and from what I've read the AI is much better in BTS, so I'd have to agree with you. It probably wouldn't work.

In that case I'd probably just put all my units into Transports, find a tropical island somewhere and wait for my people to become cannibals.

Actually, I did something similar to the BtS AI. I was preparing for an invasion of my good friend Wang Kon, so the bulk of my army was in the east of my empire, 3-4 turns away from the two cities in question (separated by enough tiles to make this work). I had one outdated unit in each, since they didn't seem to be likely targets. I had railroads, but had not had them long, so the path wasn't fully RR'd for my cavs and rifles when Justinian showed up with a stack of galleons full of units. I knew I'd rather sink the invasion force than let them land, but I didn't have enough ships to do it. In a slight panic, I emptied the northern city trying to bolster the city he could reach next turn. I noticed that his ships turned northward. Replayed the turn and didn't move him, and they attacked the southern city. So I just kept emptying one, then the other, and sinking a couple of his galleons each turn. He kept turning from one to the other until I had his flotilla whittled away to nothing. Meanwhile, I was able to get a large stack close enough to move into either city in a turn, just in case.

 

[axident]

Crossbows and, when you can get them, rifles to beat up his zerkers and jumbos. Also, if you need time to build up your own army, try to fight a series of delaying actions where you mass units in forests and hills and with any luck the idiotic AI will attack those stacks without the benefit of City Raider promos and the +100% treb attack bonus vs. cities.

 

[axident]

thanks for all the good advice everyone.

I did the trade thing with ragnar, does the peace thing run out even if the trade carries on? Or do i have to give a new deal?

I have rifles now and im 4 turns away from chemistry, ragnar is researching gunpower . Should i make sure in doesn't build up enough gold to upgrade his troops to muskets? I also checked the military screen, apparently ragnar has 47 berzerkers , which explains why no one is willing to go to war with ragnar, not that any one has an army to speak off. its been a peaceful game(apart from ragnar). Most of the civs have mostly defensive troops, longbows ect, ragnar has the biggest offensive army, with me and hannibal with small offensive armies.

What i thought of doing next is this. I have a great prophet with which i could start a golden age with, and in 3 turns a lot of builds come to a end and i plan to start the oxford university in Mecca. So im thinking of switching to war civics, starting a golden age and building as many rifles as i can at the same time in 3 turns. Is this a good idea? Or should i wait one more turn for chemistry? After that i don't know, will have to see what the situation is.

I'm not sure 1 gpt gifts or resource trades or open borders agreements or anything short of him demanding something and you agreeing, will get you 10 turns of guaranteed peace, because I've traded with someone and then immediately DoW the next turn anyway.

 

[Janus0]

offer him a gift, in BTS if he takes tribute there is a 10 turn treaty in effect.. just keep giving him things till your defences are built up... buy peace till war is cheaper.

 

[Matty R]

Actually, I did something similar to the BtS AI. I was preparing for an invasion of my good friend Wang Kon, so the bulk of my army was in the east of my empire, 3-4 turns away from the two cities in question (separated by enough tiles to make this work). I had one outdated unit in each, since they didn't seem to be likely targets. I had railroads, but had not had them long, so the path wasn't fully RR'd for my cavs and rifles when Justinian showed up with a stack of galleons full of units. I knew I'd rather sink the invasion force than let them land, but I didn't have enough ships to do it. In a slight panic, I emptied the northern city trying to bolster the city he could reach next turn. I noticed that his ships turned northward. Replayed the turn and didn't move him, and they attacked the southern city. So I just kept emptying one, then the other, and sinking a couple of his galleons each turn. He kept turning from one to the other until I had his flotilla whittled away to nothing. Meanwhile, I was able to get a large stack close enough to move into either city in a turn, just in case.

Brilliant. Thats great AI if its reacting to possible threats and its not just programmed to go after particular units.

I've thought of something else. Not really a way to counter it, but if you end up at war, maybe you could build some dedicated pillagers. Create units for the sole purpose of annihilating his economy. Multiple moves per turn, extra movement in terrains etc.

With any luck his attackers will turn away from battling you and move to intercept your pillagers. That could give you time to build more units. And if he doesn't go after them, you'd have an oppurtunity to make sure he can't afford a prolonged war.

 

[Dan Quale]

The answer is already in your screenshot, you are researching rifling, build a stack of rifles, kill him, or get steel, then kill him faster.

 

[Phrederick]

If he has 47 berserkers, you can take him once you have 25 rifles and 10-20 catapults. Suicide catapults until your rifles have 85%+ odds, then send in the rifles. You'll be able to take out a good half of his army, and the rest should be damaged from the catapults, so won't pose a huge counterattack threat. However, you NEED to have a war before he reaches riflemen/grenadiers so he can't upgrade all those troops. Use your technical superiority while you can.
Edit: Would you post the save? This sounds like a fun challenge.

 

[Welnic]

There will be a notice when the peace treaty runs out. You could then cancle the trade and try to do it again. Nothing upgrades to muskets. You don't have to worry about him upgrading his berserkers until chemistry.

 

[Mu'min]

Oh thanks welnic, guess what ragnars researching? Thats right - chemistry!
Seriously though, the power graph is looking better, im half way through a golden age and the rifles & privateers im churning out are pushing my power rating up faster than his. And he is still willing to trade with me, so i sold him an really old tech for all of his gold, It looks like the war between us is turning into i kind of cold war, with him not willing to move against me until his troops match mine tech wise. Anyway by the time the golden age comes to an end i will have cannons, which will give him something else to try and tech to.