Settlers getting eaten

[OscarWildebeest]

I've had a problem in a few games where I've been trying to grab land in the first few dozen turns and, after founding my capital, my next settler has been eaten by barb animals.

I know it's a good idea to have settlers accompanied by, say, a warrior - but in the time I spend building the warrior to get the settler the AI is expanding into the territory I want!

If I start with a warrior, I could always send him along with the settler, but then my capital is undefended.

What's a good general strategy for this? I realise there may be several correct answers (or none, depending on your point of view).

 

[lilnev]

Don't worry about leaving your capital undefended. Barbarians won't cross your cultural boundaries until several hundred years after they first appear (unless you set Raging Barbarians, in which case they'll attack immediately; but if animals are still around then barbarians definitely haven't shown up yet).

My build order is often worker-warrior-settler. This gives the capital time to grow to size 2 to work the newly-improved tiles, and provides an escort even if my initial warrior/scout died while exploring.

peace,
lilnev

 

[cabert]

I often fogbust the path to the city, rather than accompagnying the settler.
It's failsafe but it requires at least 2 units in most of the cases. The good part is your settler can use it's 2 moves.

 

[JimT]

I often fogbust the path to the city, rather than accompagnying the settler.
It's failsafe but it requires at least 2 units in most of the cases. The good part is your settler can use it's 2 moves.

I'll seccond this but I only use one warrior. I will put him on a hill a couple of tiles outside my borders. As the settler fogbusts as well I will move him towards my warrior, then move my warrior tile further (if my settler is safe). I've not lost a settler yet but I wouldn't do it on flat, unforested ground (due to wolves etc.).

 

[cabert]

I'll seccond this but I only use one warrior. I will put him on a hill a couple of tiles outside my borders. As the settler fogbusts as well I will move him towards my warrior, then move my warrior tile further (if my settler is safe). I've not lost a settler yet but I wouldn't do it on flat, unforested ground (due to wolves etc.).

That's why I need 2 units
A worker is a unit too, if need be.

 

[Ankh-f-n-Khonsu]

I know it's a good idea to have settlers accompanied by, say, a warrior - but in the time I spend building the warrior to get the settler the AI is expanding into the territory I want!

What takes longer, building a settler and a warrior, or building two settlers as you've ultimately been having to do?

Don't send settlers unaccompanied, or at least use one of the fogbusting techniques mentioned above; I really think it's that simple. If another civ takes some land that you want, steal it from them.

 

[thecivdude]

i'll send a warrior out to explore/fogbust... when i find the area to settle, i plop down the warrior with lookout (not fortify) and run the settler to him. if it's somewhat far away, i'll bring the warrior back a few tiles to meet the settler on his way... another crucial thing is to guide your settler, step by step. DO NOT auto path your settler to a spot because he'll just run right up to a barbarian and say hi, and get himself "eaten". wolves are the only sucky part, they move 2. and no, you don't need defense in your capitol at first. hope this helps...

 

[Ankh-f-n-Khonsu]

and no, you don't need defense in your capitol at first.

I assume this is level-dependent? I know this is true of Prince and below; is it also true at the higher levels?

 

[OscarWildebeest]

Thanks for the good advice. I'd always been using warriors or scouts to find a good spot for the next city, but then I'd tended to let them move on, rather than act as a sentry for the approaching settler. I'll definitely try the sentry tactic on my next game (provided I remember it!).

 

[thecivdude]

Thanks for the good advice. I'd always been using warriors or scouts to find a good spot for the next city, but then I'd tended to let them move on, rather than act as a sentry for the approaching settler. I'll definitely try the sentry tactic on my next game (provided I remember it!).

yeah, i rely heavily on religious expansion. helps you see more, and i rely on the first 3 or 4 warriors to fogbust the pertinant surroundings. again, not with auto-search... they tend to wander.

also, i use my warriors to seek out a neighbor... and can usually take this neighbor out with 4 or 5 warriors before they get archery. just guide your fogbusters to the neighbor you want to take out for a stacked attack. it's effective sometimes, depends. worked beautifully in my last game.

once you have your second city this way, you'll need to have defense in your capital and you can employ the sentry approach as mentioned before...

 

[OscarWildebeest]

That's dependent on finding your opponents' capital quickly, isn't it? I guess having Aggressive would help give your warriors an advantage over the opposition.

 

[thecivdude]

That's dependent on finding your opponents' capital quickly, isn't it? I guess having Aggressive would help give your warriors an advantage over the opposition.

yeah, you're right. sorry, i play the largest "continents" map with all 18 civilizations so i can usually find someone nearby fairly quick.

 

[Boom!]

I started out in sight of Germany and killed him before his first border pop.
I had a peninsula the size of half a continent all to myself.

 

[Evanesce]

and no, you don't need defense in your capitol at first.

I assume this is level-dependent? I know this is true of Prince and below; is it also true at the higher levels?

I generally leave my capital undefended for a while on Emperor (I'll have 2-3 cities before bothering to leave a unit in the capital); I've never had difficulties with barbarians attacking my capital early on.

 

[Chuggi]

I usually build a warrior first and then a settler, so while my other warrior is off exploring my second one accompanies the settler. I usually move the second warrior off in the right direction before my settler has been built so the settler can catch up to him.

I like the title btw, it's what made me open this thread

 

[LuckyAC]

The AI start with archers, so unless you have quechuas, rushing isn't going to work (maybe steal a worker is all).

 

[Mutineer]

Wolves and panters have 2 movements and ignore forest/jungle movement penalty.

 

[cabert]

Wolves and panters have 2 movements and ignore forest/jungle movement penalty.

yep, that's why your fogbusting units should be on hills (seeing further) while your settler shouldn't (so he cannot be seen from far away)

 

[OscarWildebeest]

yep, that's why your fogbusting units should be on hills (seeing further) while your settler shouldn't (so he cannot be seen from far away)

Now, there's a good tip.

 

[OscarWildebeest]

Tried the strategy today, with some success - although I think I was lucky, with only lions to contend with. Further good fortune involved finding copper one tile NE of my capital, allowing me to wipe out two neighbours and reduce the other to one city. Think I may have allowed another neighbour to grow too big, alas. Oh, and no one likes me...