I can't understand the Civ4 combat system

[Moutardentube]

I hadn't looked at the bonuses that way, thanks for hinting me on that. I'm gonna have a look at how the math is done.

RoM allows to cap the stacks and I've put a 6 units limit.

 

[alex15]

evry unit in game got his counter anti-unit

i.e Axe is good for killing swordsman, Chariot is good for killing Axeman , Spearman is good for killing Chariot. Etc

But most important part for new players is siege - both bombaring and corratel demage.

If you are new to civ4 dont attack citys without siege weapons. First bombard, few turns later when bombarding is over and defence reduced to 0% attack with siege weapons first for corratel demage because if you dont defenders will kill your non-siege units easy.

(Im talking about Civ4 BTS ) dont play mods if you are new to civ4

 

[Funky]

RoM allows to cap the stacks and I've put a 6 units limit.

Glad to hear you're making progress!

I know I'm repeating myself, but If I were you I'd really learn to play unmodded BtS first. Nothing against RoM, its a great mod, but learning the basic game will give you a much better understanding of the different concepts and how to deal with arising problems. And knowing which the features are which various mods alter or replace will make the mods more enjoyable. Moreover, you'll most likely play the unmodded game if you attempt to play multiplayer.

Concerning stacks, it's not that hard to deal with them once you understand how it's done. Lure the enemy stack into your land, collateral it, and decimate it when it reaches your city. And about pillaging, it's not really that important, unless you have to destroy a crucial resource or road, need fast gold, or are militarily too weak to capture a city but still want to harm the enemy. Otherwise, when you do capture a city, you'll want it to have well improved tiles. The only tiles I consistently pillage are sea resources, since it's easy and they are quickly re-improved if they fall under your control.

 

[AdamCrock]

Starting from the beggining (weapon - counter weapon is the rule of a thumb as others have pointed) horse archers rush is good as long as Your opponent doesn't have walls and copper. Strategic resources are crucial at the beggining if You see someone that does not have copper You can conquer him quickly (make sure Rome doesn't have iron - even if it means constant war and pillage and constant occupation of iron bearing tile by archer+spear (if You have copper or iron). Attacking is like the "Art of War" by Sun-Tzu -> attack only in superior numbers where enemy has less numbers, bring counter to mounted (spear/pike) units and in the late game bring SAM's to every attack group. If You're leading a campaign in enemy territory bring lots of siege weapons, coastal cities are easier to take than "deep in territory" ones, do not be afrraid to raze no-good cities Raze is good You are surely familiar with positional warfare concept - Even in modern ages Civ 4 combat resambles that, just get into a position and "siege" the city untill the defenders collapse Superior numbers are always necessary. If You do not like warfare play culture and build Apostolic Palace and/or UN and if Your culture is dominant just vote the border cities into Your empire it is a better way just like Sun-Tzu said "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." or something like that

 

[Moutardentube]

I had a lot of war this week-end in Civ 4 and it's as many of you said: the most basic strategy is to send the siege units first to inflict collateral damage, then clean up with soldiers.

It's what the AI did to destroy my stacks a few times, and I finally understood why it made so little sense to me. First, it seems like the AI would rather suicide its siege units than bombarding with them (ranged collateral damage being possible with RevDCM); then, with a unit limit per tile, the scale of the fights, although more realistic (to me) doesn't match the fact that a single tile can be attacked a infinite number of times per turn. In Civ5 this isn't much of a problem because a unit can live through a fight and still occupy a tile; in CTP the battles are stacks vs stacks anyway.

That's why the concept of a frontline, more enjoyable than the stacks of doom (to me again) gets nullified because the enemy can just annihilate a tile even though you have units all around. In ROM AND, splitting your forces can give you a "surround and destroy bonus" but it only works on the offensive side; I think that defense could use some similar bonus when your opponents blindly attacks the middle of your frontline.

Anyway, some other thing bugs me: when you attack a little stack and there's only one unit remaining, what do you do? Sometimes I feel like if I clean it up with my last available units they will get destroyed the turn after because they'll be isolated. Sometimes I'm tempted to ignore it because he can't take on my own units, but I'm getting pillaged if I don't do anything.

 

[Pavel Chichikov]

ROM seems nice on paper but I think many of the mechanics are far too convuluted/numerous without necessarily adding to gameplay, and the AI can't handle them very well. I admire the ambition though, but it feels like one of those permanently beta-stage-Mods.

RFC actually teaches combat-mechanics very well, with waves of barbarian units of a certain type and Civilizations specializing in unit-areas due to resources and tech.

 

[Moutardentube]

Is RFC Rhye's and Fall of Civilization?

 

[Funky]

Anyway, some other thing bugs me: when you attack a little stack and there's only one unit remaining, what do you do? Sometimes I feel like if I clean it up with my last available units they will get destroyed the turn after because they'll be isolated. Sometimes I'm tempted to ignore it because he can't take on my own units, but I'm getting pillaged if I don't do anything.

A common occurrence. It totally depends on what kind of unit the remaining unit is, how many promotions it has, what unit you will have to potentially sacrifice, and the overall numbers of both sides in the war. And possibly also, as you mention, wether the remaining unit can pillage a town or village, other improvements are too swiftly rebuilt to matter.

 

[vincentz]

tbh the biggest problem i have with civ 4 combat is the "Suicide Siege".

Just doesnt make any sense imho. Siege weapons or especially later bombardment cannons/artillery arent supposed to be front line suicide weapon.

I would love to see some combined arms/stack attacks in Civ 6, so not every.single.unit had to be moved/used for attack. It would get rid of both StacksOfDoom and CarpetsOfDeath.

 

[Armor (Veteran)]

I agree the suicide siege mechanic is pretty goofy conceptually. It works for gameplay purposes by keeping stacks of doom in check, but it's not very intuitive for new players.

Regarding pillaging, one tactic I like to use is to attach a Great General to a Medic I Chariot with at least 6xp. That allows it to be promoted to Medic III plus one additional promotion. If you take Leadership, you now have a 3-move unit.

That often allows it to pop out of a stack, pillage, and return on the same turn (at least if the tile you want to pillage is flatland). And it doesn't interfere with medic duty. Medics heal units in the tile they end their turn on; it is only the units being healed that can't move in order to heal (without the March promotion).

If you're an Aggressive leader, promoting up the Combat line for Commando (can use enemy roads) would also allow pillaging and returning to the safety of the stack in one turn as long as a road exists. Though I can't say I've used this one much.