Offensive Defense Strategy

[btaft]

I tried an interseting strategy a couple of nights ago with the Greeks. Basically, the only military units I built were defensive (i.e. Hopites). The when I would get in a war with another civilization, I would forget about attacking the cities and would attack some key improvements (i.e. roads, mines, workers etc) basically unhinderd. I would then be attacked, but since I had defensive units I had the advantage (particularly if I ended in good terrain). It would not necessarily give me the city but it sure did turn it upside down (sometimes to the point of flipping). It would cripple commerce, production and food along with luxuries. The Romans basically begged for peace

I guess this is an early form of physcological warfare.

Anyone have any experience with this taking it further into the game (I lost because I waited too long to switch from Monarchy and fell well behind the tech curve). It seemed to work pretty well early on though.

 

[morchuflex]

It's a good strategy: you can really ruin another civilization this way.
However, without any good offensive unit, you won't be able to prevent them from doing the same to you, unless of course you fortify the whole border...

 

[btaft]

Good Point! Does the AI attempt to do this at all?

 

[daftgeordie]

You might want to try this........I read in the forums once that if you cut all communication routes to an enemy capital then all his income stops. I've tried that a couple of times when war has been declared(by them) and I either couldn't be bothered to get all my forces together or I was using most of my resources fighting another war. I send a small stack consisting of infantrymen or mech inf, make my way to the enemy capital (if it's well inland this takes some time) and pillage everything until there are no railroads, roads, irrigation, mines....nothing! I've only ever tried it on capitals without harbours or airports just to make sure but I've no way of knowing if it has cut off all his income or not.

 

[morchuflex]

Sometimes.
When the AI has troops on your territory and realizes it has little chance to win a battle (because you're stronger), it will pillage roads, farms and mines instead of making futile attacks (which is a huge improvment over Civ1 BTW).

 

[sabo]

I see the AI pillage me all the time with any units it may have. This is especially true with artillery units, Civ has gotten better since the old days of Civ III version ONE but they still don't attack your units a whole lot with arty, they mostly like to pillage with them.

 

[dgfred]

I see the AI pillage me all the time with any units it may have. This is especially true with artillery units, Civ has gotten better since the old days of Civ III version ONE but they still don't attack your units a whole lot with arty, they mostly like to pillage with them.

I haven't had Arty pillage me , I mostly have had the AI with Arty in
cities as defense . In my current emperor game the AI keeps
sending Med. Inf. into my areas after 'bait' workers , easy pickings! I have Calvary and several Armys in the area and am attacking
two of their major cities nearby, still they keep trying to get those workers!?!

BTW what happened to your 'stuck at 38%' sig? It was .

 

[majk-iii]

that's just another reason armies are great... free pillaging (in conquest) along with bonus movement.
I use cav-armies as pillagers in the modern era where they're too weak to attack, but can pillage up to 4 tiles in one turn... even RR's.

 

[morchuflex]

I have Calvary and several Armys in the area and am attacking two of their major cities nearby, still they keep trying to get those workers!?!

It is a well-known fact that the AI loves to attack workers. It loves it so much that experienced players consider it an exploit to lure enemy forces towards workers.

 

[Smellincoffee]

The AI doesn't just use this when they're in a hopeless battle. I've seen the AI send spears into my territory countless times for the sole purpose of pillaging.