Stealing workers from City-States

[redwings1340]

Doing it once is awesome. Doing it twice will earn you a minor permanent diplo penalty with one city state. Doing it 3 times will get you hated on by city states forever.

 

[neoaspilet11]

Better strategy is to let the barbarians steal the workers from city states and then conquer the barbarians. you gain worker + gold + experience

 

[Cromagnus]

With rare exception, I've completely switched from CS worker stealing to Civ worker stealing. Unless it's Monty or Shaka they'll almost always eventually make peace and completely forgive you with no warmonger penalty. Frequently they offer friendship.

 

[Kingjester1]

With rare exception, I've completely switched from CS worker stealing to Civ worker stealing. Unless it's Monty or Shaka they'll almost always eventually make peace and completely forgive you with no warmonger penalty. Frequently they offer friendship.

This is the way to do it. City states aren't your primary threat in the game, the other civs are. Stealing their workers sets them back the most.

 

[Tich]

This is the way to do it. City states aren't your primary threat in the game, the other civs are. Stealing their workers sets them back the most.

Until someone can show the rest of us how to reliably steal 4 Workers from 1 AI I wouldn't go making claims along the lines of "this is the way to do it." I'll take my 4 Workers over your 1-2 any day of the week.

 

[Nick Carpathia]

Quick question, I haven't had a chance to check, but does Demanding Tribute force a peace treaty between you and a city state? Is it possible to Demand Tribute and then DOW-steal a worker anyway?

 

[Steeltank]

yes you can. Demanding tribute will only lower you rep with City State it's not a declaration of war. Demand tribute, declare war, steal worker, make peace.

You need to steal all you workers, never build a single one.

 

[Tich]

You need to steal all you workers, never build a single one.

... how exactly do you steal ~8 Workers before they pump out a few CBs?

 

[Martin Alvito]

Until someone can show the rest of us how to reliably steal 4 Workers from 1 AI I wouldn't go making claims along the lines of "this is the way to do it." I'll take my 4 Workers over your 1-2 any day of the week.

When you get the Workers matters. Knocking over an AI for a pair of Workers around turn 10 is considerably more powerful than getting free Workers around turns 20, 30, 40 and 50.

In general you're better off knocking over a neighbor if they're close on Deity; if the AIs are all a considerable hike away, the city-state option starts to look more attractive.

 

[Tich]

When you get the Workers matters. Knocking over an AI for a pair of Workers around turn 10 is considerably more powerful than getting free Workers around turns 20, 30, 40 and 50.

If you can consistently get 2 Workers around turn 10 from a nearby AI then you're a wizard.

In general you're better off knocking over a neighbor if they're close on Deity; if the AIs are all a considerable hike away, the city-state option starts to look more attractive.

If you say so. Every time I reach an AI in the first 10 turns they have 3 Warriors in the area and their cities are still in their 1 ring so I really don't see how everyone is seemingly always making these amazing double worker steals. Their Workers are either covered or surrounded by units that early on in the game in my experience. The only time that I can pull off a double steal is later when they buy their way to a tile which you can hide 2 tiles away from in a forest/hill. Could you post some pics of double Worker steals in the first 10 turns? I have absolutely no idea how you guys are doing it.

I know that I can get 4 Workers from a CS without breaking a sweat. I know that I'll want ~8 Workers in my games. If you can show me something safe and consistent, sure. If not, meh, I'll take my safe, guaranteed option.

 

[civ54lyfe]

situations like AI worker stealing is where America's UA shines (if nowhere else). upgraded Scouts are great for this. the AI doesn't always prioritize sitting a military unit on a Worker, e.g. reacting to barbs on the opposite side of the city. now doing this twice? yeah not very often. ultimately there is still the added benefit of doing what you can to weaken an early forward AI vs going for the much easier CS Worker.

if an AI has severely forwarded on me, guaranteed i'm looking to harass him anyway possible. but yeah it's simply not possible some games where the AI is using his bonus units to sit on Workers.

 

[Cromagnus]

When you get the Workers matters. Knocking over an AI for a pair of Workers around turn 10 is considerably more powerful than getting free Workers around turns 20, 30, 40 and 50.

In general you're better off knocking over a neighbor if they're close on Deity; if the AIs are all a considerable hike away, the city-state option starts to look more attractive.

You could probably worker farm an unlimited number with the Shoshone by choosing upgrades with your first ruin. That CB + a regular pathfinder can pretty much decimate your neighbor's forces, and it's possible that the trick of standing 2 tiles away would work. However, my guess is that the AI is programmed to spawn troops before workers unlike CS, so it may take longer.

Also, if the AI ever sues for peace and you refuse, you risk a warmonger tag I think.

But yes, I'd rather have 1 worker at turn 10 than 1 at turn 25 and another at turn 35. (Which is more likely what would happen)

Plus, DoWing a CS *definitely* hurts your standing with other civs much more than DoWing an AI. I've never seen the warmonger tag from worker-stealing from an AI. But I always see it when I steal from CS.

I've never stolen a third worker from either a CS OR a Civ. I usually give up and sue for peace long before that. But, I strongly believe 1 worker on turn 10 is better than 4 workers eventually starting on turn 20-25. I've gotten workers as early as turn 6, and that's 3 farms up and running before turn 30. Or a lot of chopping, maybe even getting the GL. Or a lux to sell for 6g/turn starting on turn ~20, when you're typically making 2-3g/turn otherwise. Either way that early boost is worth soooo much.

 

[comatosedragon]

Yeah, I have to agree with those who have shifted from CS steals to AI steals. And I have to say, I almost never see AI workers protected. Sometimes, some AIs have have workers 4+ tiles away from their territory. No idea why they are wandering around like that, but I will almost always take advantage of it, especially before turn 40.

[Emperor / Standard / Standard]

 

[Syntax Error]

CS Steals are my favored option if the opportunity presents itself. Just don't make peace immediately afterwards. After 10 or so turns, you can come back for more. This allows you to bypass he perma war CS diplo hit.

 

[CultureManiac]

I like to designate one nearby CS as my XP farm. I will steal a worker and then use it to help my units gain experience when they are not fighting barbs or other AI. Between attacking the CS and its units, and defending from their attacks each turn, you can build up high XP units very quickly by rotating them into range and then out again to recover. If you pick just one CS there is no diplo hit.