How to effectively manage spies

[Sambah]

Greetings all.

I would like some advice on managing spies. It seems that when I'm ahead on the scoreboard every other turn I am getting hit by enemy spy actions. Sometimes stealing huge amounts of gold (+20k gold more than once).

I've done the basics: constructed counter-espionage buildings and wonders like constabulary, set my spies to counter-intelligence duty on the cities with the most stars, sometimes all of my spies are playing defense. And still every other turn I get hit by enemy spies.

Enemy civs that get cought are asked not to spy anymore and sometimes denounced but I don't see to much difference.

Is there a way to train spies to increase their level so they can be more effective?

At the moment I never leave huge amounts of gold on the treasure but sometimes I need to like on the eve of a huge army upgrade for example.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance for the replies.

 

[crdvis16]

If you're ahead and that causes everyone to spy on you then it's sort of a first world problem. It sounds like you're taking the steps to mitigate it as much as you can but getting spied on just comes with the territory of winning. Maybe play a higher difficulty where you'll be more in the middle of the pack?

 

[chicorbeef]

Use experienced spies for counter espionage. You can level them up by sending them as Diplomats or having them steal techs. Using an inexperienced spy doing counter espionage doesn't work in my experience- they do gain experience from killing enemy spies but they can't kill spies because they're inexperienced.

Consider picking Mandirs if you want to avoid GP assassination.

 

[TranceBlossom]

Having a Level 1 spy attempt to counterspy is a waste. Get them leveled up (preferably twice) before planting them in your own cities.

 

[tu_79]

What chicorbeef said. Also, try not having that much gold in your treasure. The worst thing that can happen to you is having your great people killed. You can get mandirs with the religious belief or building Angkor Wat. Make this wonder a priority if you are going Tradition and leading the score.

 

[Minh Le]

Spies can be very annoying sometimes. Rank from worst to best: GP killed > Rebel > Resistance > Wonder disrupted > tech stolen > research stolen > gold stolen. Getting gold stolen is actually the best advance action you can get from an enemy spy . One time I had a rebel in my cap from enemy spy and it spawn like 5 lancers going rampage pillage all of my improvements

 

[Gazebo]

Spies can be very annoying sometimes. Rank from worst to best: GP killed > Rebel > Resistance > Wonder disrupted > tech stolen > research stolen > gold stolen. Getting gold stolen is actually the best advance action you can get from an enemy spy . One time I had a rebel in my cap from enemy spy and it spawn like 5 lancers going rampage pillage all of my improvements

This made me evil laugh.

G

 

[Stalker0]

Spies can be very annoying sometimes. Rank from worst to best: GP killed > Rebel > Resistance > Wonder disrupted > tech stolen > research stolen > gold stolen. Getting gold stolen is actually the best advance action you can get from an enemy spy . One time I had a rebel in my cap from enemy spy and it spawn like 5 lancers going rampage pillage all of my improvements

If I'm playing Tradition, I will take a GP killed any day over a rebellion in my Capital. When that happens its like your civ goes to sleep for 6 turns, the only thing that makes me feel more helpless is a bad unhappy spiral.

 

[Gazebo]

If I'm playing Tradition, I will take a GP killed any day over a rebellion in my Capital. When that happens its like your civ goes to sleep for 6 turns, the only thing that makes me feel more helpless is a bad unhappy spiral.

I fixed it some time ago so that it's always just one turn of unrest, doesn't scale anymore.

G

 

[azum4roll]

Tech stolen is ok; you don't actually lose anything. Wonder disrupted can cost you the wonder and that's very bad.

 

[Gokudo01]

if you know you are the tech leader before hitting renaissance ( on pangea , you know that every spies will be in your capital once you unlock renaissance, on water map, continent, archipelago , it's less an issue for obvious reason) you can try to enter renaissance via Banking and rush Constabulary in your capital. It disables some advanced action and it reduces the spy effectiveness.

First thing you should do with your spy is to send him as diplomat in a High potential Capital. He should have lots of intrigues there and he should be able to rack up experience pretty quickly.
Once he hits 3, bring him back home.

 

[Sambah]

Thanks for all your advice.

Sending spies as diplomat and ranking them up was really helpful. I managed to kill off a lot of enemy spies. However the amount of enemy actions is still very high.

At one turn, four spies stole gold from my treasury, two of them my vassals. I am playing on emperor with 11 other civs.

P. S.: one thing that helped a lot was when I was friendly with almost all enemy civs and had great military power, asking them not to spy on me seems the work very well. I did however turn into a Warmonger and hated by all.... So back with the spies.