how best to declare war?

[PattonTwo]

If I'm ready to go to war, what's the best way to decare it? I've tried goading my enemy into attacking me, but the don't do anything.

Can I just call up their Foreign Advisor and declare war? I don't have any treaties with them.

PattonTwo

 

[WildFire]

When you declare war, make sure you have no trades going on with your intended war victim. If so, try and wait to cancel them peacefully after they expire. Then make sure all of your units are outside of their land. Then declare war!

 

[Phantom Lord]

Send them a surprise nuke, hehe.

At least that's what Carthago did against me today, funny thing was that the romans instantly declared war on them and nuked Carthago's capital. When I arrived there, there wasn't much left to kill.

But seriously: I don't know if there is a best way to do it, I often declare war when other civs cross my territory again and again against my will since I find this is a valid reason. You should have no treaties with them at the time you declare war I guess, no matter if trade or military agreements.

 

[looper]

Dont worry about war awearness, if you can annihilate their Civilization or if not totolly crash their civilization ( by that I meant they will have 2 cities in a remote island left) , then go for the war, dont wait for them to declar war on ya. If you annihilate their civilization, the war is ended people will be happy. if you crashed their civ and they have 2 tiny island cities left where you have to use marines to conquer (provided you dont have marines now) then make peace with them, beileve me they will give you whatever you want.

If you can not annihilate their civ, just going for a couple of city, then DO NOT even start the war, not worthy it, My thing is, everytime going into a war, you will have to take over 1 civilization, otherwise you are NOT READY for a war.

OIMO (only in my opinion)

 

[MTheil3508]

You can try tempting them to declare war on you by building a undefended city(or emptying one) on their border. The AI can't resist this and will declare war in a few turns.

OR...

You can renegociate peace and after they give you something that would help your invasion, i.e. territory map, gold, techs. (nothing per turn), you can declare war on them, but not through negotiations for 20 turns.

AND...

If you are about to destroy their civ, ask for cities, gold, anything not per turn, and then finish of their civ. Think of it as not wasting a... well, not too powerful a civ's mind and squeezing the most out of a civ.

 

[werdhertz]

Press Shift-D select them then in the list select "Thats it! Prepare for WAR!". If thats what you meant.

 

[iiee]

If your enemy has unit in your territory, that will be very easy.

1) Bring up the trade dialog with the enemy
2) Ask for 10000 gold per turn for no reason, keeping clicking until the enemy become furious.
3) Bring up trade dialog again, ask the enmy to remove unit from your place or...
4) 90% they will declare war on you, unless they are really really weak.

I use this method and have war all the time with democracy, no war weariness.

You are not betraying anyone, and not doing something that will cause negative opinion to other civs.

 

[looper]

iiee,

good idea, when you are not very strong.

however when you have a very strong military, that aint gonna work, they will whimp out 99% of the time and leave your country even if they are furious.

in this case, I'd say just initiate the attack, and try to finish the war ( I meant finish that whole country) as fast as you can so that war awareness wont get to be too bad at home.

 

[Effing]

Originally posted by iiee
If your enemy has unit in your territory, that will be very easy.

1) Bring up the trade dialog with the enemy
2) Ask for 10000 gold per turn for no reason, keeping clicking until the enemy become furious.
3) Bring up trade dialog again, ask the enmy to remove unit from your place or...
4) 90% they will declare war on you, unless they are really really weak.

I use this method and have war all the time with democracy, no war weariness.

You are not betraying anyone, and not doing something that will cause negative opinion to other civs.

But what if the enemy hasn't got any units on your territory? That's always my problem ...
IMHO one of the best strategies to start a war: Just try bluntly to steel their plans, technologies etc - commit obious espionage attempts, if they've been furious before, they'll probably declare war. But that's only for modern ages when you've already got intelligence angency

 

[anarres]

If you want to save your international rep you must follow these rules:

1) No active deals
2) No troops in their territory
3) No troops can enter their territory the turn you declare war

1) and 2) are well known, but not everyone knows that you should declare war the turn before entering their territory.

 

[Zachriel]

Today, most prefer a swift backslap of the glove held loosely in the hand, then throwing or dropping the glove at the feet of their nemesis. But back in the Old Days, they would send the head of the rival's emissary home in a nice giftbox, usually ornate, though anything immediately available would still suit the needs of politeness (such as when on a field campaign).

There's something to be said for the Old Days. People nowadays have lost their concern for the common courtesies.



Being a soldier is an ancient and honorable profession. It is not a dishonor to declare war. It is only a dishonor to promise one thing and do another. Declare war before attacking.

Justifications for War
http://www.zachriel.com/justification.htm

 

[SanPellegrino]

Originally posted by anarres
If you want to save your international rep you must follow these rules:

1) No active deals
2) No troops in their territory
3) No troops can enter their territory the turn you declare war

1) and 2) are well known, but not everyone knows that you should declare war the turn before entering their territory.

Did a Firaxian confirm this? And do you mean there should be no units able to enter their territory or just don't do it?

 

[anarres]

@SanPellegrino:

1) and 2) are common knowledge. Everyone here would agree.

Concerning 3), I don't know about Firaxis confirming it or not - it is observed behaviour by myself and a few others I have spoken to.

I mean just don't do it. AFAIK, you need to not enter their territory on the same turn as declaring war. Maybe someone else could confirm/deny this.

 

[SanPellegrino]

Sorry I didn't made myself clear, of course I know about 1) and 2).

3) I will observe when I extinct the rotten spanish tonight

 

[anarres]

I used to get really upset when the whole world turned on me after being nice all along.

The big downside is that in 1 turn the AI can rush whatever he wants in his cities. Bit of a bummer really.

 

[Tacit_Exit]

Originally posted by anarres
@SanPellegrino:
Concerning 3), I don't know about Firaxis confirming it or not - it is observed behaviour by myself and a few others I have spoken to.

I mean just don't do it. AFAIK, you need to not enter their territory on the same turn as declaring war. Maybe someone else could confirm/deny this.

Being an avid reloader (bad habit;trying to break it) I can confirm that I have gotten the same impression (from comparing differences in diplo attitudes changes of 3rd party civs in response to different ways of declaring war)
But I got the impression that I could declare war and move a unit into enemy territory on the same turn, just had to declare war first.In the game I did this as my only war declaration, I never had any diplo messages that referred to "sneak attacks" or suchlike.
But I must admit its an impression.I haven't applied scientific principles. (thats sumthinelse)

 

[Shabbaman]

Originally posted by Phantom Lord
Send them a surprise nuke, hehe.

At least that's what Carthago did against me today, funny thing was that the romans instantly declared war on them and nuked Carthago's capital. When I arrived there, there wasn't much left to kill.

But seriously: I don't know if there is a best way to do it, I often declare war when other civs cross my territory again and again against my will since I find this is a valid reason. You should have no treaties with them at the time you declare war I guess, no matter if trade or military agreements.

The cartaginians are surely suicidal. Yesterday, them being no.1, me being no. 2, they sent a galleon over to my continent to drop a numidian mercenary. Next turn, they attacked, throwing themselves at my infantry. Splat!

That's a nice way to do it... Although I got every other nation on my side to pick on them in return.
I still don't get how stupid the AI is (sometimes...) I had 5 different trade deals plus a military alliance versus Joan with Hannibal.
Funny thing, when I contacted him to make another deal the turn before he attacked me, he said something like "There's nothing to gain from this stalemate, Shabbaman."

On topic: the most important thing to do before you declare war: no ROP rape!

 

[Knowze Gungk]

Originally posted by Phantom Lord
Send them a surprise nuke, hehe.

Ah yes, but remember, you must attach the war declaration letter to it first. It just makes it more official

 

[Gregski]

Build up a really big army and ignore public opinion.

 

[darious001]

MPP everyone except the target. Place a guy or three near one of their cities. When they tell you to move the units, what do you do, move it, but leave it near their city (you did listen the first time afterall). Then they'll ask again, this time they go outside the border, just move them right back in. They ask again, just go to war with them. I did this little strategy, half the world declared war on them, then after an ICBM took out a town, the rest of the world followed suit. Fortunately they're just about destroyed, bad news though, my flank just decided they didn't like me anymore. Two civs right next to my continent are going ballistic towards me. Oh well, just going to have to fight them off with a stick. Hopefully no one goes and joins them. I doubt I'll be able to handle these guys very well as is.