persians without iron

[wma]

Just started a monarch game as persian. Research iron making
right away trying to get immortals. Then realized that the 2 iron
is at the far side of the continent and then the rest is in the other
continent. France owns 3 of them but when I try to trade it, France wants all my gold and gpt. I stayed alive until getting steam power but wonder what to do from there? Should I try to
conquer the continent and take the iron (this will take forever since they are very far away) or just gave up all my gold to France for the iron? I have calvry now, but no immortals or railroad

 

[Angmar]

Iron is one of the few resources that will cause me to go to war over. As Persia if I had realized I did not have iron in the ancient age I would of done everything I could to secure some. Iron is key in the ancient and medievil ages ( for swordsmen and the rail ).

Build and army, secure some iron and then beat you enemies over the head with it

 

[PersianImmortal]

i'd say just play on and get Oil.. u can't beat Oil.. iron is only helpful for railroading.. unless u want early wars with swordsmen/immortals/Knights. With u're Cavalry and Infantry/Musketmen u can try and wrench some out of your neighbors to railroad.. otherwise just ignore it and seek Oil.

 

[Henry_X]

Is any of the ore coastal ? You can try using allies to get their main-force to the front and drop a few turns later troops near the ore.

Ore is usually on hills or mountains. So get some defensive units to hold of a retreating force and try to take a city. Or raze it and build on of your own. Then try to get peace ASAP and watch out for culture-flip.

Keep in mind , you do not need a harbor in the new or captured city to get the Iron. The city just has to be connected by road or connected to a "friendly" ( non-embargo, non-war ) city with a harbor.

In a recent game I built as city in the middle of 3 other civs on another continent ( Just to get the Iron Works there ). It was immidiatly connected through friendly harbors and building first all culture producing improvements it never flipped. ( ok, it was a regent-game ).

 

[NetGear]

Originally posted by PersianImmortal
i'd say just play on and get Oil.. u can't beat Oil.. iron is only helpful for railroading.. unless u want early wars with swordsmen/immortals/Knights. With u're Cavalry and Infantry/Musketmen u can try and wrench some out of your neighbors to railroad.. otherwise just ignore it and seek Oil.

thats ridiculous. Without iron you cant have railroad, and even if your using 3 move unit, your logistics will be seriously stomped.

If you dont have a resource it is best to either trade or aggresively pursue for that specific resource by REXing or invading.

No need for resource req. isnt an issue until you dont have it. If you have a great unit that can help invade to reach that resource. its helpful. Thats why Babs and India UUs should get lil more credit they deserve.

 

[GerrardCapashen]

Give France the money for the iron and build up your military. Move to right outside their borders and declare war as soon as the deal has expired. Then charge your cavalry in and take the city. It you have them, you might want to bring riflemen along to defend against the enemy cavs. It is effectively impossible to win without iron. Secure your own source at all costs.

 

[Scyphax]

I have found that you only need a resource to start a unit in the build queue or to start a railroad but not to complete it.
If the iron is expensive you need to buy it, but before the trade agreement expires start lots of Immortals and don't renew it when it expires.
I have not tried this yet - but you could buy the resource start many units - then sell the resource during the same turn.

This is also useful if you can take a resource but not hold it.
Imagine: seize a far away city with a vital resource.
Now you need road connections to a friendly Civ that you can trade with or rush a harbour or airport in one turn.
Hold the city for a couple of turns and start as many of the units that require that resource as possible. As expected you lose the city - better still sell it. Then at your leasure complete those units.

 

[anarres]

One solution:

Build lots of warriors, giving all gold to the treasury.

Trade for iron, using only gold-per-turn (as much as you can). In the same turn, upgrade your warriors to immortals and queue more immortals in every city.

Again, in the same turn, go to war with France. You will be hated by everyone in the game, but you will have a large Immortal army with which to crush France , and you will have had to pay none of the gold-per-turn component of the deal.

If you care about your rep, find another way.

 

[anarres]

Originally posted by GerrardCapashen
It is effectively impossible to win without iron.

This is not true in any way.

When I play I always go for horsemen, not sworsmen. When there is no easy iron (and it can not be taken or traded), just use longbowmen and pikes instead of knights.

When you get Cavalry use them.

Admittedly, at this point I have never been in a situation where I can't get iron (for railroads), but even so, the game is winnable without iron.

 

[corgiman]

Originally posted by anarres
This is not true in any way.

I agee with Anarres that you don't need iron to win, however you will face a serious production deficit in the long run.

Another solution (and I don't know what the world looks like so this may not be valid) is to establish a MPP (Mutual Protection Pact) with someone who off and on is at war with France. Build up an army of 10 units [horseman/spearmen or archer/horseman/spearmen (or longbowmen if you're that far along)] and attack one of France's border towns and defend it against counter attack. Build walls immediately followed by barracks then temple (starve the city if you have too to keep them happy) then wait.

France will probably counterattack for a while then ask for terms. Demand iron as part of the treaty arrangement. They may not go for it at first, but if you keep letting them die at your cities doorsteps, they will eventually give you iron. Then make peace and build, build build pikes, immortals, knights, etc. and then bullrush France when you've got your army together.

In my experience, diplomacy combined with short aggressive war can be very profitable resource-wise.

Even if you don't have any ally in war, the one city grab may work at minimal cost to you.

Corgiman