The strategy has been described elsewhere on the site. Moonsinger has been kind enough to share it, even though I think it's so straight forward that it's not at all tough to figure it on your own. If it was Warcraft II, this is the 8 ogres with bloodlust strategy.
CIV - Romans
MAP - Duel (Pangea)
ENEMY - Egypt, Arabia, Spain
SETTINGS - marathon speed (No barbs, No cheating)
START
Settler seems at the perfect spot which is all the more reason to move in land(it's obvious this is the east coast and considering it's a duel map, that's a spot for my second city). I move about 4-5 squares west till i hit corn and follow the suggestion to settle next to it.
Start building warrior, start researching bronze working, start exploring with the first warrior.
As I expected the enemy is at the gates. Madrid is 5 squares to the west. Mecca is about 7-8 squares in northwest direction. Since I'm effectively blocking Spain from my starting location, the only challenge is to keep Saladin from settling his second town just north of my position thus robbing me of a chance for a 3 city and also putting in risk my starting location (east).
I choose harassment by fortifying in the forest hills next to Mecca and send the second warrior that way too. A successful early harassment should always attempt to steal a worker. I wait till they start putting roads in the forest. That saves me a warrior and gets me a no-good worker ('cos I dont have anything but mining).
EXPANSION
Once I discover Bronzeworking, I start the expansion phase. Usually I chop another worker but in this case I need to beat Saladin so I start with a settler. The excess 30 shields go for a third warrior.
Halfway to the spot I chose, Saladin exits Mecca with 2 archers and a settler headed the same way. I use warriors (both are 5/5 exp by now and are Woodsman II) to slow him down. I beat him to it and build my second town with the enemy 2 squares away.
Problem is - there's a 2 square gap between the cultural borders and Saladin seems headed towards it with the obvious intention to go east and settle on my perfect starting location (east coast). No way!
I plug the gap with my two woodsmen - thankfully the squares are both forest. Saladin finally turns around ... and i follow him with one woodsman to Mecca. I finally chop the second settler. Now go east and settle it.
With the third town settled, we're done with expansion. Now lets research iron working and find where the iron is. If there isn't one nearby, I'll have to chop another settler but in the meantime I build barracks in all three towns. If there's one thing I know, I can't expect Saladin to "promote" my Praetorian by attacking him in a forest.
CONQUEST
By far the least interesting part, if you like research, culture, and all the other aspects of civ. With one exception though. I research Meditation and since I have a spare forest (I'm still waiting for ironworking), I build Stonehenge. The purpose is twofold - expand cultural borders now and get newly conquered cities in shape more quickly with the free obelisk. Another bonus is that I might get a prophet (if I play long enough) that will offset at least some of the expense of running a Roman war machine.
I'm torn between attacking Mecca or Madrid. Madrid has Buddhism. Open borders with Spain and +2g per trade route decides it. Mecca it is. We were never good friends with Saladin anyway.
I send the first 3 Praetorian escorted by 3 spearmen (I have spotted Horses near Mecca). 3 more are on the way. 6 archers wait in Mecca as well as a chariot. I'm scared... no, really.
I use my woodsmen to scout ahead and find an easier target. Saladin's second city has only 2 archers (+50% though). I kill them with the first 3 Praetorians. I torch the place, I can't afford another town. I'm already at 0% research but not yet negative.
I get back to Mecca with about 8 Praetorians. Mecca falls and this time I keep it. I head for Madrid because Isabella has been on the edge of attack for some time now (best pals with Saladin). I bribed her with my excess Ivory to get a few extra turns of trade and peace.
RINSE AND REPEAT
Send Praetorians. Hover to look at odds - if below 60%, send the rookie units (4/5) with a city raider promotion and a chance to scale the walls and live to tell it. Once the defenders are battered, mop them with the elite. You WANT units that make it to 10/10 because you want at least one to become a medic. You're constantly in enemy territory and you need the extra 10HP boost.
The Egyptians manage to get some Axemen and Swordsmen which tear through Praetorians (if fortified in a city on a hill). I promote my elite units with "Shock" and use my rookies to soften defenses always. Some of them live to become 8/10 in one lucky strike!
29 Praetorians later (I've lost 9 of them), I'm marching in Thebes. The bill: I'm running a 50+ gold per turn deficit. Thank god I pillaged a ton of cities so I have about 10 turns (600 gold) to find the goddam settler that sneaked past my victorious legions.
I find them in the southeast corner (archer and axemen too) settled in the ruins of Barcelona. Once I kill them, I look at the totals:
Archers killed - 39
Axemen killed - 6
Swordsmen killed - 7
Spearmen killed - 4
Chariots killed - 7
Not bad. A pretty good history lesson as well. That's as long as the AI doesn't get Feudalism. Longbowmen put an end to an era.
CIV - Romans
MAP - Duel (Pangea)
ENEMY - Egypt, Arabia, Spain
SETTINGS - marathon speed (No barbs, No cheating)
START
Settler seems at the perfect spot which is all the more reason to move in land(it's obvious this is the east coast and considering it's a duel map, that's a spot for my second city). I move about 4-5 squares west till i hit corn and follow the suggestion to settle next to it.
Start building warrior, start researching bronze working, start exploring with the first warrior.
As I expected the enemy is at the gates. Madrid is 5 squares to the west. Mecca is about 7-8 squares in northwest direction. Since I'm effectively blocking Spain from my starting location, the only challenge is to keep Saladin from settling his second town just north of my position thus robbing me of a chance for a 3 city and also putting in risk my starting location (east).
I choose harassment by fortifying in the forest hills next to Mecca and send the second warrior that way too. A successful early harassment should always attempt to steal a worker. I wait till they start putting roads in the forest. That saves me a warrior and gets me a no-good worker ('cos I dont have anything but mining).
EXPANSION
Once I discover Bronzeworking, I start the expansion phase. Usually I chop another worker but in this case I need to beat Saladin so I start with a settler. The excess 30 shields go for a third warrior.
Halfway to the spot I chose, Saladin exits Mecca with 2 archers and a settler headed the same way. I use warriors (both are 5/5 exp by now and are Woodsman II) to slow him down. I beat him to it and build my second town with the enemy 2 squares away.
Problem is - there's a 2 square gap between the cultural borders and Saladin seems headed towards it with the obvious intention to go east and settle on my perfect starting location (east coast). No way!
I plug the gap with my two woodsmen - thankfully the squares are both forest. Saladin finally turns around ... and i follow him with one woodsman to Mecca. I finally chop the second settler. Now go east and settle it.
With the third town settled, we're done with expansion. Now lets research iron working and find where the iron is. If there isn't one nearby, I'll have to chop another settler but in the meantime I build barracks in all three towns. If there's one thing I know, I can't expect Saladin to "promote" my Praetorian by attacking him in a forest.
CONQUEST
By far the least interesting part, if you like research, culture, and all the other aspects of civ. With one exception though. I research Meditation and since I have a spare forest (I'm still waiting for ironworking), I build Stonehenge. The purpose is twofold - expand cultural borders now and get newly conquered cities in shape more quickly with the free obelisk. Another bonus is that I might get a prophet (if I play long enough) that will offset at least some of the expense of running a Roman war machine.
I'm torn between attacking Mecca or Madrid. Madrid has Buddhism. Open borders with Spain and +2g per trade route decides it. Mecca it is. We were never good friends with Saladin anyway.
I send the first 3 Praetorian escorted by 3 spearmen (I have spotted Horses near Mecca). 3 more are on the way. 6 archers wait in Mecca as well as a chariot. I'm scared... no, really.
I use my woodsmen to scout ahead and find an easier target. Saladin's second city has only 2 archers (+50% though). I kill them with the first 3 Praetorians. I torch the place, I can't afford another town. I'm already at 0% research but not yet negative.
I get back to Mecca with about 8 Praetorians. Mecca falls and this time I keep it. I head for Madrid because Isabella has been on the edge of attack for some time now (best pals with Saladin). I bribed her with my excess Ivory to get a few extra turns of trade and peace.
RINSE AND REPEAT
Send Praetorians. Hover to look at odds - if below 60%, send the rookie units (4/5) with a city raider promotion and a chance to scale the walls and live to tell it. Once the defenders are battered, mop them with the elite. You WANT units that make it to 10/10 because you want at least one to become a medic. You're constantly in enemy territory and you need the extra 10HP boost.
The Egyptians manage to get some Axemen and Swordsmen which tear through Praetorians (if fortified in a city on a hill). I promote my elite units with "Shock" and use my rookies to soften defenses always. Some of them live to become 8/10 in one lucky strike!
29 Praetorians later (I've lost 9 of them), I'm marching in Thebes. The bill: I'm running a 50+ gold per turn deficit. Thank god I pillaged a ton of cities so I have about 10 turns (600 gold) to find the goddam settler that sneaked past my victorious legions.
I find them in the southeast corner (archer and axemen too) settled in the ruins of Barcelona. Once I kill them, I look at the totals:
Archers killed - 39
Axemen killed - 6
Swordsmen killed - 7
Spearmen killed - 4
Chariots killed - 7
Not bad. A pretty good history lesson as well. That's as long as the AI doesn't get Feudalism. Longbowmen put an end to an era.
