Overwhelmed by a massive civ that you want to conquer but their cities are strong and your losses will be great if you go to war and try to capture their cities?
Try this strategy: Build up and Send in a large group of (Elite & Veteran) defensive and offensive units all at once. The offensive units need to have 2 moves, such as cavalry, in order to cover more territory faster. Fortify the defensive units on mountains and hills near enemy cities and use the offensive units to pillage roads, mines, and irrigation. Move the offensive units back with the defensive units for better protection as needed. Focus on pillaging EVERYTHING as fast as possible to destroy and isolate the cities you want from all others. After pillaging ALL terrain improvements around a city, the enemy will not attack more than once or twice, then they will hold up inside the city as defense only. Spread out and Continue to pillage the enemy cities in a wide area as fast as you can to sufficiently cause this same defensive position in the entire area or civ. After pillaging in this manner, the enemy cities will only have lesser units defending their cities and you can then attack and take them easily with your Elite Units. You can conquer a few cities, sue for peace for Great Gold per turn and then sell some of the lesser cities back to the enemy for Technologies and Great Gold (lump sum and per turn). This will devastate their civ and allow you to build up with their Gold for 20 turns after selling each city. OR simply continue until you destroy the enemy civ. The Point is to pillage ALL and WAIT until the enemy cities are ruined and on the defensive before trying to capture them! Very effective in limiting losses! BTW, the enemy civ will stay where the action is trying to defend their cities, so take it to them and continue to pillage! Yes, you will have to rebuild all in the cities you keep after capturing this way (roads, irrigation and mines) but you will have fewer losses and will be able to better afford it from the sale of the destroyed cities you do not want. You will either capture the entire enemy civ or ruin what's left of them for the remaining game. You will be able to capture all later when you are finished having them pay your expenses and give you technologies. This works well, for example, when a civ has all of the land in an entire continent and you cannot establish a city there. Mass pillaging totally ruins and weakens a civ and they will not attack when in a weakened, defensive position. Pillage ALL fast and you will only have to withstand 1 or 2 attacks on your units there. After pillaging, fortify units outside their cities and wait until your are finished with the over all destruction, then attack and capture these cities. Pillage ALL then conquer with ease rather than trying to attack a strong enemy and have severe losses and possible failure.
:slay:
Try this strategy: Build up and Send in a large group of (Elite & Veteran) defensive and offensive units all at once. The offensive units need to have 2 moves, such as cavalry, in order to cover more territory faster. Fortify the defensive units on mountains and hills near enemy cities and use the offensive units to pillage roads, mines, and irrigation. Move the offensive units back with the defensive units for better protection as needed. Focus on pillaging EVERYTHING as fast as possible to destroy and isolate the cities you want from all others. After pillaging ALL terrain improvements around a city, the enemy will not attack more than once or twice, then they will hold up inside the city as defense only. Spread out and Continue to pillage the enemy cities in a wide area as fast as you can to sufficiently cause this same defensive position in the entire area or civ. After pillaging in this manner, the enemy cities will only have lesser units defending their cities and you can then attack and take them easily with your Elite Units. You can conquer a few cities, sue for peace for Great Gold per turn and then sell some of the lesser cities back to the enemy for Technologies and Great Gold (lump sum and per turn). This will devastate their civ and allow you to build up with their Gold for 20 turns after selling each city. OR simply continue until you destroy the enemy civ. The Point is to pillage ALL and WAIT until the enemy cities are ruined and on the defensive before trying to capture them! Very effective in limiting losses! BTW, the enemy civ will stay where the action is trying to defend their cities, so take it to them and continue to pillage! Yes, you will have to rebuild all in the cities you keep after capturing this way (roads, irrigation and mines) but you will have fewer losses and will be able to better afford it from the sale of the destroyed cities you do not want. You will either capture the entire enemy civ or ruin what's left of them for the remaining game. You will be able to capture all later when you are finished having them pay your expenses and give you technologies. This works well, for example, when a civ has all of the land in an entire continent and you cannot establish a city there. Mass pillaging totally ruins and weakens a civ and they will not attack when in a weakened, defensive position. Pillage ALL fast and you will only have to withstand 1 or 2 attacks on your units there. After pillaging, fortify units outside their cities and wait until your are finished with the over all destruction, then attack and capture these cities. Pillage ALL then conquer with ease rather than trying to attack a strong enemy and have severe losses and possible failure.
:slay:
Yes eyrei, Good Tactics! I have found it extremely helpful to take out all terrain developements first against a massive civ and let it have its affects before attacking...regardless of the attacking methods used after. Ruins the enemy civ and softens them to the extent of going totally defensive ...allows me fewer losses and easy captures! After pillaging all, the enemy cannot support their cities or units and have no real ability to fight a war. Great to make some real money and gain technologies by selling back one or two of the undesirable or expendable cities.
Then I wear them down keeping thier capitol isolated. That is usually the last city I take. 
