Native Proxy Wars

[Molybdeus]

This is hardly an unorthodox strategy, but I've found that selling guns at a cheap rate to a rival colony's native neighbors quickly boosts the natives' relations with you to the point that they will go to war with that colony on your behalf. The native warriors won't take the rival's capitol city, and you will only get a -2 penalty in relations, so you will still be able to trade with them. But their ability to develop and get Founding Fathers will be greatly diminished as they throw their resources into defense.

Is this preferable to conquering rival territory yourself? In the early game I don't want to waste my units on war (too busy scouting, creating missions, training, working tiles, etc.) and also like retaining a trading partner for the revolution. But there are also advantages to conquering your rivals instead of keeping them around. You get their cities/inhabitants, and completely eliminate a rival instead of stunting them. Which is preferable?

 

[dalgo]

Obviously it is down to personal preference - mine is to attack my rivals. I get extra colonists and often a viable economy to exploit (especially at higher levels where they get significent advantages for building up their colonies) and also eliminate them as a competitor for FF. But most of all - its fun

However I wouldn't want to involve them in a war with the local tribe beforehand because the europeans would win that contest and I would be facing stronger, promoted defenders when I did attack them.

 

[Icaria909]

It depends on how early the proxy war occurs: early, and the war might destroy the euro civ, but later it will just distract them. The distraction is best because it allows you to jump into the war when your enemies troops are away. Capture two large cities, drain them of every colonist and herd your new population back to your colonies. at that point the enemy colonies will lose to the natives, and you could have gained 15 colonists. It's a win win situation.