How to destroy a city after capturing?

[sjongejonge]

I know when the computer captures a city it sometimes eliminates the city straight away. I didn't find the option to do that and just starve the city till it's size 1 and then buy a settler to destroy the city. Is there an option to destroy a city at once if you don't want to keep it?

 

[fluyt]

when the computer captures a city it sometimes eliminates the city straight away

AI eliminates cities with the population over than 1? I haven't ever noticed that.

Is there an option to destroy a city at once if you don't want to keep it?

You always can wait until AI builds new units in a besieged city or he moves the reinforcements there from other ones, and methodically kill them decreasing the city's population. Of course, there shouldn't be the walls in the city.

Another idea: if you're in short of the labor force, improve terrain around the city with mines and forests, switch the citizens upon them and build settlers. Make sure you assigned newly built settlers to the other cities before eliminating the unlucky one. P.S. I've just realized if you lack settlers it will be difficult to find others to improve terrain to get some more. Foolish me.

 

[darkpanda]

You can also nuke it until it is size 1 then capture it: nukes divide the population by 2, even if the city is undefended.

 

[sjongejonge]

I have starved civilizations to death by swamping everything with the help of polution.
Another tactic was to build forests everywhere to starve them.
Occupying all spots around a city worked as well.
I made their size 1 cities vanish by standing on the correct ground type at the correct time.

But is there a real option to vanish a city straight away? Just like I found out at one point that it is possible to rename cities but that option is not on the menu bar.

 

[Whelkman]

Diplomats and/or Caravans make for good starvation aids.

 

[fluyt]

Diplomats and/or Caravans make for good starvation aids.

How is it possible?

 

[Whelkman]

Surround the city with Caravans/Diplomats. And Transports if it's near the water.

 

[fluyt]

Surround the city with Caravans/Diplomats. And Transports if it's near the water.

Do you mean depriving the city of food? Wouldn't it be easier to blockade it by military units as caravans and diplos are vulnerable?

 

[Whelkman]

I'd say a swarm of Caravans and Transports is easier under a mature democracy than managing unhappiness brought by military units, but if you're actually threatened by the target civilization, then it would be better to use military units, though such would be quite wasteful when considering how they are being used to manage threats. That is, if you can actually dedicate the military resources to surround a single city then you can probably manage to eliminate military threats entirely.

 

[Dark_Nephi]

yeah.. you gotta wait until the city is at the 1 and had no city wall and has one unit inside in order to destroy the city all together... its really hard to buy setters and destroy it that way I think. I usually just sentry the military unit by the city so that once an enemy unit appear my military unit is awakened and can attack... eventually it will be down to 1. starving cities out with none military units like diplomats is legit.. but cumbersome.

 

[ksme]

Can you remove your own railroad to help starving the city?

 

[Whelkman]

The Pillage command removes railroads and all other improvements.

 

[JMKosaty]

the best way to destroy captured cities is to withdraw all crops - than famine wil reduce city to the lovest number of 1 - that either wait the other civilisation to capture this "1 number" city or leave only one military unit in this city - the weak one - a nd wait till this city become attacked. First succesful attack of your enemy will lead to destruction of unwanted city.

 

[Theov]

Nukes.

 

[dynamictom2409]

nuke it down until size 1 - then capture it and the enemy city should be removed

 

[simonnomis]

If it's a border city and you're at war with someone, then I used to simply starve it down and/or defend it with caravans or diplomats (0 defensive strength) to the size of the population. Virtually any enemy unit will wipe out your city at that point.

The only time that a city can truly be eliminated irrespective of it's size is when roaming mainland barbarians (ie not the sea-faring ones) capture it. They always completely destroy it no matter how big.

 

[vgrn]

I make city famish till it reaches 1 civilian left and then build colonist