Hi. I'm new to Civilization and just started playing Civ VI. I've been starting my game by rapidly expanding to 6 or so cities and then producing and building on all six but I start losing cities when someone declares war. I'm thinking maybe a smaller number to start may be a better way to go but I don't really know. Is their a good strategy to follow at start up?
Start of game strategy question
- Thread starter Seasalt7
- Start date
If you are losing cities soon after their founding, you aren't investing in protective military early enough. No need to cut back on city founding, but you also need to pump out the archers, swordsmen and such to protect your nascent empire. If that means you need to delay a settler or two while you train supporting military, that's not the worse thing in the world. Better a delay in settling city 6 than to settle that city rapidly while finding yourself losing cities 4 and 5 to an aggressive neighbor.
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@Browd has said it well
It does depend on the level you play at.
As long as you are not playing immortal or above then there should be plenty of room to settle later and the pressure is not quite so high to get the cities out but your strategy is 100% sound apart from you need some archers to defend it. People tend to get 2-3 slingers early then upgrade them to archers as it seems more efficient to do so.
It is also good to remember that the stronger your army, the less chance someone will declare war on you. Build your army up with 50% discount cards and its not so bad. Archers are a very powerful defense but the best defense is city walls. The AI has significant trouble tackling them.
It does depend on the level you play at.
As long as you are not playing immortal or above then there should be plenty of room to settle later and the pressure is not quite so high to get the cities out but your strategy is 100% sound apart from you need some archers to defend it. People tend to get 2-3 slingers early then upgrade them to archers as it seems more efficient to do so.
It is also good to remember that the stronger your army, the less chance someone will declare war on you. Build your army up with 50% discount cards and its not so bad. Archers are a very powerful defense but the best defense is city walls. The AI has significant trouble tackling them.
enar
Chieftain
I always send a settler out with a military escort (slingers/archers by preference), to be sure that the newly founded city isn't an easy target for my neighbours. This usually means that the majority of my military units are ranged rather than melee, which works well enough for my needs until much later in the game (I try to upgrade whenever possible). The few times I've had to send out an unescorted settler, I've lost it to either barbs (before city founding) or opportunistic neighbours (damn you, Gilgamesh!)
howard.seldon
Chieftain
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- Aug 3, 2015
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- 5
Aside from maybe one or two cities on the border, I prefer to have archers instead of city walls. Archers can go take out barbarian encampments, and you can use them to help take over your neighbors in the early game. Also, city walls might not keep you from getting your improvements pillaged.
If you have a close neighbor, it's probably a good idea to attack early anyway, so that army can defend you until you're ready to take some cities. I usually build that army after my second or third city.
If you have a close neighbor, it's probably a good idea to attack early anyway, so that army can defend you until you're ready to take some cities. I usually build that army after my second or third city.
ShinigamiKenji
King
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- Nov 8, 2016
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As others said, you need more units. But why use them only defensively? As people have been attacking you, attack them! 3-4 Archers and a couple Warriors will do the trick for the first 40-50 turns.
Someone on these forums have suggested a good defensive unit on good terrain next to your city and a ranged unit in the city will stop your city falling to a siege. Building at least ancient walls in all vulnerable cities is also a good idea with a couple of units to rush to their defence will probably be enough to keep them. It is important to keep your military tech up with your neighbours tho, this is because UU are usually +5 to the ones they replace so if you are an era behind the enemy could have a big advantage over your older military.
AI tactics tend to be to put a melee unit either side of your city first to start a siege, otherwise they tend to just mill about.
Watch out for Gandhi, he is peace loving but he gets varu instead of horsemen (40 strength) and often attacks with 3-5 of them. Also be aware Teddy gets a +5 on his home continent, these 2 are especially dangerous.
As a rule I try to build at least 2 ranged units early on for defence.
AI tactics tend to be to put a melee unit either side of your city first to start a siege, otherwise they tend to just mill about.
Watch out for Gandhi, he is peace loving but he gets varu instead of horsemen (40 strength) and often attacks with 3-5 of them. Also be aware Teddy gets a +5 on his home continent, these 2 are especially dangerous.
As a rule I try to build at least 2 ranged units early on for defence.
ShinigamiKenji
King
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2016
- Messages
- 921
I've found Sumeria's donkeys to be more dangerous than Teddy's buffed units in the early game. Though I still have to find the Aztecs near me in the beginning.
Horsemen are better than war donkeys before that having an extra melee unit is usually enough to keep them at bay, Gandhi's elephants are more formidable.
Teddy gets a +5 to everything (on his continent) and on deity he has +4 already so that's a +9 on everything.
