Sneak-tacular Tactic

[swordspider]

Ok, so this tactic is borderline cheating in my opinion from a 'social' standpoint... BUT it is completely legal in terms of 'civ rules', so I will share it since it is extremely effective.

Not rocket science here, basically if you are in a MP game and you are about to lose a city AND there are AI players, when you're 1 turn from losing the city, offer it to the AI for trade. They will almost always accept for something and usually offer you gold + a resource for a city you are about to lose anyway. In addition, when the city changes hands to the AI, it bumps the attacking player's units back out of the culture area (unless they are at war already with that AI), and you effectively force the player to declare war on the AI to continue their attack.

Alternatively, even if the AI is at war with you or won't offer you anything for the city, if it is a definite loss, it is still worth 'gifting' to the AI for the second half of the above reasons (war + potential knock-back).

Sure, the city is lost, BUT, you now likely have extra gold and happiness, AND you forced the other player to go into war with the AI.

Granted, if you are about to lose a city, you may be on your last leg anyway, but I used this tactic in a seemingly 'lost' game, and was able to retreat my swords, knock out steel, upgrade them, and totally turn the tides of the war.

Again, not the nicest tactic, but it is 'officially' a fair one.

 

[Tabarnak]

I guess you can do this in friendly times with an AI? Build a city close to them and sell it. Declare war. Take back city.

 

[swordspider]

I guess you can do this in friendly times with an AI? Build a city close to them and sell it. Declare war. Take back city.

You're walk even more in the gray area than I do!

I think if you wanted to keep that city though in the long-term, it doesn't make sense unless you got some serious cash for it. Once you declare war you will lose whatever resources you got from the trade so those are immediately out, and your city will lose population and buildings in the attack, and lastly your settler cost production, so the overall outcome will have you behind in that scenario.

If you got like 500 cash for it though and upgraded your invasion party, then yeah, I can see it making sense. Will be fun to explore that one...

 

[Tabarnak]

I mean settle city, sell it, and make war 1 turn after all this. I never tried this but i wonder if they give enough to be worth it.

 

[swordspider]

I mean settle city, sell it, and make war 1 turn after all this. I never tried this but i wonder if they give enough to be worth it.

Ha, you actually have something here Tab-

Tried it last night, the AI offered me gold but not any resources. The gold was not that much BUT I did what you said and 'sold' it to them, then attacked and got the city back. In this game it was early and the AI was way too far away to get any units to me, so there was no counter-attack to deal with. Since I was more powerful, after 10 turns they made peace for more gold and open borders. I came out 279 gold ahead using this tactic (in Classical age). May not be worth it to have a game-long enemy, but if you are going warmongering anyway, I think it is a valid tactic.

 

[the oob]

I used to ban anyone at war from gifting cities in my Civ IV PTBS games (see signature) and in the recent Civ V LAN games I've played.

 

[cman2010]

not a bad idea.

 

[swordspider]

not a bad idea.

SOB I should quit posting this. I just had a guy do my tactic to me last night! Man it sucks to be on the receiving end!

For reference though, in this specific instance the AI he gifted the city to was pretty far away, so besides starting the war to continue my attack, it had little effect on me at first *except* that the city which was almost dead returned to FULL health!!! So all of the attacking I did was for nothing and I had to start from scratch on the attack. THAT was a big setback as all of my units were weakened in the first battle! I lost 8 turns healing before I could continue the attack. I checked his gold, he got like 200 for the city too. I still crushed him in the end, BUT if it was a closer battle or the AI was right on top of me, this could have been seriously game changing!!!!!

 

[Creepy Old Man]

If you settle a city right on the border of another player, then give (or sell) the city to an AI, then conquer the city from the AI ... you get the basic 6 hexes of culture around the city. Kinda a super-cheesy culture bomb, if you want.

 

[Smote]

If you settle a city right on the border of another player, then give (or sell) the city to an AI, then conquer the city from the AI ... you get the basic 6 hexes of culture around the city. Kinda a super-cheesy culture bomb, if you want.

Oh wow. I'll have to try that "Those are my academies now!"