how to: domination

[jdolan98]

I always find myself behind in EVERYTHING when i try for domination. If i build more units i run out of money while the AI has this giant ass army 20 Turns in. Are you supposed to wait before you start an army or instantly go hostile when you get Catapults

 

[x2Madda]

I always find myself behind in EVERYTHING when i try for domination. If i build more units i run out of money while the AI has this giant ass army 20 Turns in. Are you supposed to wait before you start an army or instantly go hostile when you get Catapults

The following will only work against the AI, or rookie human players. Most humans will spot your tactics and counter attack but against the AI it is mostly flawless.

Open the game as you normally would and play as if you were peaceful. Focus on growing and science, the two are related so fulfilling one will fulfill the other.
Your goals are composite bowmen and spearmen.

Composite bowmen are fierce at the time you unlock them and the faster you get them the longer their glory period lasts. You only need 2, for your first try I recommend 4 but remember that promotions make good units, godly and the more units you have the more those promotions get stretched outwards, delaying them.

A single spearman is fine but 2 again is probably better incase of a hiccup. The spearman moves into the city range triggering war if you haven't already and then you end turn to let it get shot. The AI usually (but not always) fixates on 1 target and that will be the spearman so leave him healing himself and his promotions should focus either on ranged defense or faster healing. Eventually you want as many promotions on him as you can get. Meanwhile move your bowmen in range and they should do around 20~ damage each per turn. A city heals 25 damage per turn regardless so eventually they will win the battle of attrition.

Alternately, you can replace the bowmen with horse archers and/or the spearmen with horsemen for incredible mobility. I personally use comp~ bowmen & spearmen/swordsmen because bowmen upgrade to crossbowmen but horse archers do not promote to other archer type units so whereas the bowmen will be useful all game the horse archers will not be. Spearmen eventually promote to a mounted unit anyway but spearmen is on the tech path of mining so it can help to pick it up afterwards unlike horsemen.

Comp~ bowmen require gods & kings expansion. Furthermore catapults are generally really bad; if only they got a buff or the setup requirement removed.

--Edit
AI has cheats on, trying to copy the AI will never work. A small army won't bankrupt you, a big one early in the game, will. Try to bribe AI to war each other so you can sneak attack the losing side. Raze rubbish enemy cities, or puppet them as this will force them to gold focus only which will help fund your war effort.

 

[joshua43214]

I have the best success with liberty and a tech order of pottery, archery, mining, masonry, >>phylo
and a BO of scout, monument, scout, 2 - 3 archers, pyramids, archer, etc.

You can get a nice early war going and work the archers really hard to get them range, then you control the game until modern. Follow a science growth focus until scientific theory, then head for artillery. You will lose about 3gpt very early, but just good scouting should give you enough gold to take it. once you get some workers home you can sell your lux's

 

[BasedGod]

IMO focus on warring sometime after getting universities. I know it seems really late but you should have your circus maximus at that point and since AI usually lag in getting universities and instead rely on cheating to get their tech lead you should have a lead in science rate for a little while and can take out 1 or 2 civs with a good push. Typically you should have an army composition of mostly x-bows, some trebs and a couple pikemen. Try to take out mostly everyone else once you hit gunpowder units (cannons, muskets, gatling guns) and then mop up the remaining civs once you research flight. You can try to conquer a city or two around mathematics if you want but typically you will spend the earlygame in BNW trying to catch up to the AI and putting yourself in unhappiness/going broke, side effects of capping a couple early cites will set your tech back too much to catch up, unless you are Assyria.

 

[Walter R]

IMO focus on warring sometime after getting universities.

This is what I do. I never fight an offensive war (well hardly ever) until:

1. My cities are growing well and producing a good amount of both science and gold (i.e home base is strong)
2. I've got some happiness reserve so that it doesn't fall off a cliff with the first city I take
3. I've sussed out the most appropriate target in terms of world diplomacy and strategic benefit.

It doesn't always play out perfectly of course (or more honestly I don't always make the best choices), but it generally works well for me. I guess there's another important point - make best use of your UU's (e.g. if I'm playing as England I try and establish supremacy whilst my SOTL rule the waves)

However, a big disclaimer: I'm great at King but still pants at Emperor!

 

[Mutineer]

Secret of warring in civ 5 last 2 expancion is patience. If you city bordering other put your army in defencive position next to your city.

AI will try to flank and attack at front, pick units one by one with out putting your units in danger. Use your range or horse units to do finish blow and retreat.
When you decide you weeker enemy enogth move your line to 3 ties of there city and be patient again. AI will try to attack you repeat, untill you ready. Under ready I mean you have 3 -4 siege units. and they position such way so they can get into 2 ties of city in 1 turn. (You can start war with out siege, you will have enogth time to build them). Then move your melee next to city and siege at 2 ties of city where they can hit it. take city. Easy.

Money? Again, when going for domination develop your economy! first. save money for a time you increase your army size. Colosys a good wander to pick when getting access to swords.
you can start effectivelly warring when you get acceess to cats.