the best ways to attack cities?

[civcenturion]

usually when I attack strong cities, I end up losing a lot of troops. this is because i send in slow, but powerful units such as legions and catapults- and the enemy activate a unit like a warrior or archer which massacre mine, so I'm left with nothing.

well my new way is to put one or two expendable units such as warriors or phalanx next to the city and then put a few good, quich attacking units 1 square away- out of range of the city. the enmey use up their turn killing my warriors and then I send in my knights or whatever to capture the city. easy!

still, I would like a method that did not involve losing units on purpose. any suggestions?

 

[Remorseless]

Attacking cities in pre-gunpowder days is always tough, but the same basic principles apply: take advantage of defensive terrain such as forests, hills and mountains around the AI city, try to use road networds to move up a unit such as phalanx or pikemen with some movement left in order to fortify themselves just outside the city. Warriors and phalanxes really aren't good enough to attack enemy cities, even in the early years. You can also use cavalry units, particularly knights, to entrench outside the city, then move in the heavy stuff.
Later, when your armies progress in tech, it will be easier.
A good way to circumvent all this is to send in a diplomat and cause a revolt. It costs gold, but it doesn't cost units, and you don't have to pound all the existing city improvements into dust before conquering.
There are many other threads on this and related subjects that will explain this much better.

 

[Ace]

Why not just use your knights in the first place and save the warriors. Just stop the knights one hex away from the target city and hit it on the next turn. If the AI comes out to attack you, you have him on open ground. If he stays in his city, attack as usual. But its much better to bring up a dip and buy the city.

 

[ElephantU]

#1 choice: Buy the city (wont work for Capital, but taking the Capital first makes the rest of the cities cheaper). Buying beats busting (if the price is not outrageous) because you dont lose citizens or city improvements besides happiness ones.

#2 choice: Very early on, fortify a strong defender next to the city on Hills or Mtns and let the enemy come out to get you; when the flag drops, walk in...

#3 choice: Serious City-busting: start with Dips - slip one in to see what the city has, use several more to try to take out the Barracks and Walls if they have them, precharge a Settler/Eng to insta-build a fort (and Road if you have more precharged Set/Eng!), pile in at least two of your best defensive unit and your attacking force (Elephants, Catapults: MUST be Vets!), next turn pound away until the flag drops, then slip in your most wounded unit for capture and "insta-heal".

 

[The Machine]

i tend not to bother with war early on, i establish a huge industrial base so that i can get ahead in the tech race, so i get to tanks and howitzers(which ignore city walls) well before anyone else.

 

[Old n Slow]

In addition to ElephantU's suggestions, also consider the sea. My vet ironclads have been doing very well against the non-vet city muskets in ports in the GOTM this month. (Caution, the boats before ironclads are made out of sticks -- they're only good for the random barbarian leader.)

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Never use solo attacks. Attack a city with a pack of units instead of only one or two. Also, have a steady suppy of reinforcements to replenish losses.

Pre-gunpowder: When you're taking non-walled cities, use mounted units to attack by road and take the city. If you're taking a walled city, I recommend using crusaders against legions or phalanx. If the city has pikesman, back off. Another option is to stack catapults with foot soldiers and have mounte soldiers move ahead to take down resistance.

Gunderpowder: After gunpowder, you can use dragoons against civs without gunpowder and smash through city walls. If the enemy does have GP, resort to pre-gunpowder Option 2.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Gunpowder(continued): The key is to use the advantage of dragoons ASAP, after someone else discovers gunpowder, end the war with them. After gunpowder, other choices appear however.
1. Ironclad-Naval power at first is weak, with caravels and slightly better figates. Ironclads were meant as mobile siege engines. Use them to empty out defenders in coastal cities. Best use them before gunpowder or metallurgy is discovered.
2. Engineer-The engineer is the improved settler. Because it is mobile and works at x2 speed, you can construct fortresses faster. Put an attack group together with a dip and an engineer and go to the hex next to the city. Make a fort, put everyone in it and attack next turn.
3. Railroads-Rail alets you to move a lot of spce before stopping. Get to an enemies rail system and you can move anywhere, you can attack with slow moving cannon and artillery without losing movement pts. Attacking in packs is also less important since you can almost be everywhere at once.

Modern times-Use a combo of howitzer, armor, infantry, air, naval and spies to take cities. Spies to first move units through enemy ZOC and get info on city defensesand scout ahead, also for bribing. Armor for attacking units that you can't go around. (To punch a hole in a wall of forts, or a unit blocking the rail.) Infantry to garrison captured cities. Navy to protect supply lines from stray ocean raiders and coastal attack. Howitzer and air for city attack. All units help to stop partisan bands from forming.

The higher up the tech tree you go, the easier it gets.

 

[sethos]

I seldom attack cities - I buy them. Instead of troops, I build caravans and diplos. First I deliver some caravans to the city (in order to get the needed money) - then I bribe it.
The infrastructure will not be destroyed partially, and you get some trade routes (good for your research!).
I had games where I bribed more than 100 AI cities.

 

[la fayette]

Much has been said. I would like to add 'WALLS':
Allways have in mind the basic rule: walls = strength of the defending unit x3.

1) Unwalled cities:
Build vet elephants! (or crusaders later on).
They will do the job with light losses most of the time (exception = pikemen on terrain with defence bonus)

2) Walled cities:
No 4legged unit before the dragoon is able to attack vet phalanx behind walls without huge losses. Don't do that!
You have (at least) 4 better methods:
2-1: Coastal city = build ironclads
2-2: Mountain nearby = fortify a phalanx, THEN bring your catapult
2-3: Non capital (preferably in disorder and far from the capital): bribe
2-4: Otherwise: send a bunch of diplomats and destroy the walls

 

[Smash]

I'll just add the use of pre-worked settlers can be very effective.Flash a fort next to a city and load it up.Next turn.....

Pre-worked settlers-put a settler to work doing something like building a mine.Let him go for a turn or 2,then click on him before he completes the task.You now have a preworked settler that can build a fort instantly.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Settlers move only 1, this is even better with engineers because of the speed they move and work.

 

[ben_weller1991]

Originally posted by remorseless
A good way to circumvent all this is to send in a diplomat and cause a revolt. It costs gold, but it doesn't cost units, and you don't have to pound all the existing city improvements into dust before conquering.

This doen't work with capitals. However, when attacking a capital i use the diplomat to sabotage any military units in creation to support my armies.