How do you handly the initial rush by multiple civs a the start ?

[blueinf]

It seems that in higher difficulties you can get attacked by 3 civs.

How do you handle that ?

Do you finish 1 civ and then go after another or do you beat up one civ until you get a peace treaty and then go after another civ ?

 

[Machiavelli24]

3 Archers and walls. The slinger->archer is dirt cheap (30 gold) so you can easily afford to do it 3 times with the gold you'll accumulate from villages. Range ball is still the best army composition (at least in early game defense).

 

[isau]

I start every game by going Animal Husbandry > Archery and make sure I build a couple of Slingers to upgrade the second Archery pops. I don't get a Builder until after the third Archer, unless I'm done with the second Archer and still no rivals have shown up yet. Getting caught flat footed will, as you noted, kill you very quickly.

 

[paz_paz]

On deity: 6-8 warriors. 2 archers. Fortify on hills and you are fine. Don't move, don't attack unless you can finish a unit off. Keep >70% guys in the front line and try to avoid 3 vs 1 situations. After 1-2000 years, you will get a city for your trouble cause the AI will likely be overrun by barbs or neighbors.