The Definitive Civ Revolutions Strategy Guide - How to beat Deity AIs every time.
Follows these rules to win:
1. Don't just build where your settler starts! Save @ 4000BC, have a look around, then load. The difference between a good and a great city is often the presence of a couple of special squares, especially fish or whales. Marble and game are also favorites for me. Generally, I try and get a least 2 and hopefully 3 or 4 specialty square within reach of my capital.
Secondly, you may find either an exploration cash square or a 'happy village' very close to where you start. In the best-case scenario you may have 50+ gold already by 3900-3800 BC.
Believe it or not, it's a great strategy to build directly next to barbarian villages. Not only is there a useful 'specialty' square underneath, but you also start with a militia that you can use to explore. It also means you can immediately hit the barbarian villages when your first warrior pops.
2. Always rush. If you start with cash (Aztec, Americans) then spend it on warriors. If the AI starts very close, you may be able to walk into an undefended capital between 3400 and 3000 BC. Perhaps you may even consider moving your initial settler closer to an AI to 'arrange' this to happen. Also, you want 60% or more of the Barbarian villages (another reason why Aztecs rule).
3. City placement is essential. Don't just dump your cities anywhere. Put them somewhere with lots of food and trade, and just a few hammers. Plenty of Ocean is good, as a harbor + East India will make sea very productive. Remember that it's much easier to produce 500 gold than 100 hammers.
4. Focus your investment on a few cities. It's much more useful to have 1 or 2 very powerful cities than 10 weak cities. That's not to say that you shouldn't have ten, just only put your money into 1 or 2.
Think of it like this. If you have one city producing 100 beakers then you build one university will give you 100 beakers. If you have three cities producing 30 beakers, you need three universities to get 90 beakers.
5. Maximize population growth however you can. Work to stack a granary with an aqueduct with a great humanitarian. 99% of the time the player winning the game is the player with the highest population in their capital. Focus on trade buildings second, then production third.
6. It's much easier to take enemy settlers than it is to take enemy cities. Around 2000BC - 500BC the AI will come trundling out of their capital with a settler guarded by often only a single archer (and later an army). Having two horsemen (or a horseman army and a warrior) on a hill nearby is a great way to score a free settler.
7. Search hard for artifacts. Finding artifacts early in the game is the difference between winning and losing. You want to get at least 3 of 5, and especially Atlantis. After 3-5 warriors, go for boats.
8. Using spies is often more effective than using armies. In particular, make sure you steal the AIs great people. Don't let them keep any. Get writing first so you get a free one and steal the first one to crop up on the map. My person favorite is stealing a culture great person from an AI - then using him/her to convert the city you just kidnapped them from.
9. Don't wait too long to become a democracy. +50% gold/beakers is a huge bonus. If you need to fight the AI then just 'change governments' for a turn. Also, if an AI is weaker than you try and stay at war with them. That means they will attack you with a continuous stream of weak units rather than lots all at once later. It also means that AI will build units rather than building, which give you an advantage.
10. Focus on economic/trade based techs. +2 production in every city, or a great person, or 1+ population in every city is way more useful than a 'free canon' miles from where you're fighting.
11. Don't waste your time building armies where you don't need them. I can't count the games I've won where it's 1800 AD and I still only have a single warrior in my capital. However make sure you have at least one unit in each of your cities. The AI will attack the closest easiest target.
12. DEFENDING: If you want to defend, just stack bonuses on one single powerful defensive army. A single veteran archer (9D) army on a hill (12D) behind walls (15D) will beat an infinite number of legion/horsemen or even knight armies.
13. Taking enemy cities by culture is easier than building armies. Plus you get whatever army(y ies) were in there.
14. ATTACKING: The most effective attach strategy is to attack early (3000-1000BC). If you're going to attack late it's all about stacking attack bonuses. Be ahead in tech. Only build one barracks, then combine the two ordinary units with the veteran to create a veteran army. Always attack from a hill if available. Use spies to unfortify the main defender and destroy walls first. Naval support is often the difference between winning and losing. Fleets give naval support at their full attack value.
15. Control the seas. The sea is your friend - as trade is more useful than hammers. Consequently, all the best city locations will be found on islands (two whales and two dyes? Yes please). Don't be afraid to build on tiny islands but make sure you have at least one production square.
It's also hard to attack cities on islands, and the AI will often ignore an island city for the whole game. You can also defend island cities with ships rather than armies, which are cheaper. Oh look, an enemy ship with two armies on it? Glug, glug, glug, glug.
16. Focus on the science race. Because you still get the bonuses from culture/gold, even if you're not first. If you're second to get irrigation or mass media then you're fuc just don't be second.
17. Your first (or best) 2-3 cities should make science, then in every subsequent city makes gold. Also make sure your capital is a science city. Use the gold from your additional cities to buy buildings in your science cities. Try to stack library + university + great scientist + colossus together then get maximum effect. If you have more than 3 great scientists then use them to get the techs.
18. A lot of techs are worth skipping, a lot are extremely powerful. I get techs in this order 1. Gives access to resource I have 2. Gives beaker/gold/production bonus 3. Gives military unit. A lot of military units are worth skipping. (Cannons, Riflemen, legions don't ever build legions, build horsemen).
19. Don't build too many cities and make sure your cities don't overlap. Otherwise you're spreading yourself to thin. Typically I will build 2-6 settlers in any given game - it's best to buy settlers in your smallest cities while being a Republic. Build cities as early as possible. I like to become a Republic (then back to democracy) for a single turn and build settlers all in one go. You can win the game with 3 really well placed cities. 7-10 is ideal. More than 15 is total overkill.
20. Use units rather than cities as blockers - they're just as effective and way cheaper. Dont waste early settlers on 'choke point' cities. In fact, don't build them at all - build cities in locations that maximise food/trade.
21. Build your roads from your capital outwards. It's more effective. And use caravans to explore, then cash them in later! Got all that?
Powerful Civilizations.
It's my view that the most powerful civilization are:
1. Aztecs (for warrior out at 4000BC, unit heal and 50% gold).
2. Americans (great abilities, best special units, starting with explorer of humanitarian is a huge bonus).
Also notable civs are Indians (early access to resources), the Zulus (fast warriors for rush) and the Spanish, who can be powerful it they start near whales and can grab Atlantis early. After that take your pick.
Wonders I always work hard for are:
6. Leonardo's Workshop. Ohh, look, your Blitz lighting warrior army from 2000BC just became a Blitz, Lighting tank army. Time for a Domination victory.
5. The colossus - can give a huge gold/science boost early.
4. The Magna Carta - nice for getting great people and pushing back cities.
3. The Internet (it's worth saving a great builder for this one) - wow massive gold.
2. The East India Company - Gives giant gold/beakers boost in every city.
1. The Hanging Gardens. Yes, I love this one. It's hard to stop the AI getting it early but if you can build it in a city with between 10 and 18 population - it's beautiful.
My record so far is a domination victory in 500AD. Can anyone beat that?
Follows these rules to win:
1. Don't just build where your settler starts! Save @ 4000BC, have a look around, then load. The difference between a good and a great city is often the presence of a couple of special squares, especially fish or whales. Marble and game are also favorites for me. Generally, I try and get a least 2 and hopefully 3 or 4 specialty square within reach of my capital.
Secondly, you may find either an exploration cash square or a 'happy village' very close to where you start. In the best-case scenario you may have 50+ gold already by 3900-3800 BC.
Believe it or not, it's a great strategy to build directly next to barbarian villages. Not only is there a useful 'specialty' square underneath, but you also start with a militia that you can use to explore. It also means you can immediately hit the barbarian villages when your first warrior pops.
2. Always rush. If you start with cash (Aztec, Americans) then spend it on warriors. If the AI starts very close, you may be able to walk into an undefended capital between 3400 and 3000 BC. Perhaps you may even consider moving your initial settler closer to an AI to 'arrange' this to happen. Also, you want 60% or more of the Barbarian villages (another reason why Aztecs rule).
3. City placement is essential. Don't just dump your cities anywhere. Put them somewhere with lots of food and trade, and just a few hammers. Plenty of Ocean is good, as a harbor + East India will make sea very productive. Remember that it's much easier to produce 500 gold than 100 hammers.
4. Focus your investment on a few cities. It's much more useful to have 1 or 2 very powerful cities than 10 weak cities. That's not to say that you shouldn't have ten, just only put your money into 1 or 2.
Think of it like this. If you have one city producing 100 beakers then you build one university will give you 100 beakers. If you have three cities producing 30 beakers, you need three universities to get 90 beakers.
5. Maximize population growth however you can. Work to stack a granary with an aqueduct with a great humanitarian. 99% of the time the player winning the game is the player with the highest population in their capital. Focus on trade buildings second, then production third.
6. It's much easier to take enemy settlers than it is to take enemy cities. Around 2000BC - 500BC the AI will come trundling out of their capital with a settler guarded by often only a single archer (and later an army). Having two horsemen (or a horseman army and a warrior) on a hill nearby is a great way to score a free settler.
7. Search hard for artifacts. Finding artifacts early in the game is the difference between winning and losing. You want to get at least 3 of 5, and especially Atlantis. After 3-5 warriors, go for boats.
8. Using spies is often more effective than using armies. In particular, make sure you steal the AIs great people. Don't let them keep any. Get writing first so you get a free one and steal the first one to crop up on the map. My person favorite is stealing a culture great person from an AI - then using him/her to convert the city you just kidnapped them from.
9. Don't wait too long to become a democracy. +50% gold/beakers is a huge bonus. If you need to fight the AI then just 'change governments' for a turn. Also, if an AI is weaker than you try and stay at war with them. That means they will attack you with a continuous stream of weak units rather than lots all at once later. It also means that AI will build units rather than building, which give you an advantage.
10. Focus on economic/trade based techs. +2 production in every city, or a great person, or 1+ population in every city is way more useful than a 'free canon' miles from where you're fighting.
11. Don't waste your time building armies where you don't need them. I can't count the games I've won where it's 1800 AD and I still only have a single warrior in my capital. However make sure you have at least one unit in each of your cities. The AI will attack the closest easiest target.
12. DEFENDING: If you want to defend, just stack bonuses on one single powerful defensive army. A single veteran archer (9D) army on a hill (12D) behind walls (15D) will beat an infinite number of legion/horsemen or even knight armies.
13. Taking enemy cities by culture is easier than building armies. Plus you get whatever army(y ies) were in there.
14. ATTACKING: The most effective attach strategy is to attack early (3000-1000BC). If you're going to attack late it's all about stacking attack bonuses. Be ahead in tech. Only build one barracks, then combine the two ordinary units with the veteran to create a veteran army. Always attack from a hill if available. Use spies to unfortify the main defender and destroy walls first. Naval support is often the difference between winning and losing. Fleets give naval support at their full attack value.
15. Control the seas. The sea is your friend - as trade is more useful than hammers. Consequently, all the best city locations will be found on islands (two whales and two dyes? Yes please). Don't be afraid to build on tiny islands but make sure you have at least one production square.
It's also hard to attack cities on islands, and the AI will often ignore an island city for the whole game. You can also defend island cities with ships rather than armies, which are cheaper. Oh look, an enemy ship with two armies on it? Glug, glug, glug, glug.
16. Focus on the science race. Because you still get the bonuses from culture/gold, even if you're not first. If you're second to get irrigation or mass media then you're fuc just don't be second.
17. Your first (or best) 2-3 cities should make science, then in every subsequent city makes gold. Also make sure your capital is a science city. Use the gold from your additional cities to buy buildings in your science cities. Try to stack library + university + great scientist + colossus together then get maximum effect. If you have more than 3 great scientists then use them to get the techs.
18. A lot of techs are worth skipping, a lot are extremely powerful. I get techs in this order 1. Gives access to resource I have 2. Gives beaker/gold/production bonus 3. Gives military unit. A lot of military units are worth skipping. (Cannons, Riflemen, legions don't ever build legions, build horsemen).
19. Don't build too many cities and make sure your cities don't overlap. Otherwise you're spreading yourself to thin. Typically I will build 2-6 settlers in any given game - it's best to buy settlers in your smallest cities while being a Republic. Build cities as early as possible. I like to become a Republic (then back to democracy) for a single turn and build settlers all in one go. You can win the game with 3 really well placed cities. 7-10 is ideal. More than 15 is total overkill.
20. Use units rather than cities as blockers - they're just as effective and way cheaper. Dont waste early settlers on 'choke point' cities. In fact, don't build them at all - build cities in locations that maximise food/trade.
21. Build your roads from your capital outwards. It's more effective. And use caravans to explore, then cash them in later! Got all that?
Powerful Civilizations.
It's my view that the most powerful civilization are:
1. Aztecs (for warrior out at 4000BC, unit heal and 50% gold).
2. Americans (great abilities, best special units, starting with explorer of humanitarian is a huge bonus).
Also notable civs are Indians (early access to resources), the Zulus (fast warriors for rush) and the Spanish, who can be powerful it they start near whales and can grab Atlantis early. After that take your pick.
Wonders I always work hard for are:
6. Leonardo's Workshop. Ohh, look, your Blitz lighting warrior army from 2000BC just became a Blitz, Lighting tank army. Time for a Domination victory.
5. The colossus - can give a huge gold/science boost early.
4. The Magna Carta - nice for getting great people and pushing back cities.
3. The Internet (it's worth saving a great builder for this one) - wow massive gold.
2. The East India Company - Gives giant gold/beakers boost in every city.
1. The Hanging Gardens. Yes, I love this one. It's hard to stop the AI getting it early but if you can build it in a city with between 10 and 18 population - it's beautiful.
My record so far is a domination victory in 500AD. Can anyone beat that?