Oh damn. This would have been a great strategy for my current game... about 150 turns ago. I'm Churchill, sharing a continent with the Romans (to my south) and the Incans (to my north). English Archers are the perfect unit to do this, and my second city was a great military factory.
The "stasis rush"
- Thread starter AfterShafter
- Start date
AfterShafter
Deity
Really? I have no hard evidence, but it definitely seemed more Vanilla... First off, he talks about his time in the beta early on. Next, when talking about Tokes, he says he hates running into aggressive civs... Isn't protective the "I hate that guy" trait, which Tokes didn't have in Vanilla and was given in Warlords? Also, if I can recall back to Vanilla, wasn't Russia another color - like Peter is in there?
Anyways, yeah, I think that's an oldie, and I'm guessing Sid & Co. was paying attention to guys like him. I'd better watch myself for next patch, or they'll teach those settlers to walk out the back door :S
Sweet tactic... Maybe I can move up to Monarch with that! 
To those who think it's cheap or abusive... What do you call 6 AIs with double your production, research, happy caps, and growth? This is just a way to fight cheapness with cheapness.
To those who think it's cheap or abusive... What do you call 6 AIs with double your production, research, happy caps, and growth? This is just a way to fight cheapness with cheapness.
Julian Delphiki
Anton's key
Sweet tactic... Maybe I can move up to Monarch with that!
To those who think it's cheap or abusive... What do you call 6 AIs with double your production, research, happy caps, and growth? This is just a way to fight cheapness with cheapness.
Higher difficulty level?
Worker stealing and choke are things that can really kill off AI's since they're pretty much unable to help themselves out, so that is kinda exploitative. Not that i care how people play their games, though..
It IS the oldest trick in the book. It's been called "camping" and "choking" before. This is the first time I've seen it described as a rush tactic.
Dave used it in his CE take one on of obsolete's thread. Nothing new here. For that matter, obsolete's approach wasn't all that new, either, I suppose.
Dave used it in his CE take one on of obsolete's thread. Nothing new here. For that matter, obsolete's approach wasn't all that new, either, I suppose.
AfterShafter
Deity
Well, it is good to know it's nothing new, and I take no credit for originating it... But some new people are seeing it at least.
And hey, I've been here for over two years and have never heard anyone doing this, and started doing it a year ago myself independently :S
And hey, I've been here for over two years and have never heard anyone doing this, and started doing it a year ago myself independently :S
I agree with the cheap thing, I know rushes do perhaps exploit the AI's unwillingness to do a similar manouver, though they do sometimes, but this tactic is playing against the code to a very great degree. Also I guess its all good fun, and yes I will try it to see, but unless you can win at that level without it have you actually improved your game???
AfterShafter
Deity
True, and it is a way to "sneak-by" the earliest point in the game with enough room to expand into. Though, the challenge of a builder is to try and do diplomatically, economically, and otherwise, what most people playing this game do by "Ah, I'll just build 20 axemen/30 macemen/40r riflemen and kill 'em." Unfortunately, as you move up, the game favours just killing the guy by using tactics that most CPUs won't come near.
This is a builder's rush. Praet rushing, war chariot rushing, and especially the popular quecha rushing... Do they leave any more level a playing field for the CPU? I'd argue no, and the fact that when I hop onto Ramses sometimes I'll get two CPU's with my chariots, whichever ones is a greater exploit of the code, my war chariot rush leaves me in a position where I've improved even less.
MqsTout
Warlord
I've done this many times. I usually manage to kill them before they get longbowmen -- once I get some attacking units, I'm good. They don't count any roads (they often have roads they could easily have gotten their settler through on) for safety, either.
Balderstrom
Emperor
Wow the AI is ********. Hope this is fixed - or at least alleviated so that it doesn't sit around with its thumb in the nethers when there are things it COULD try.
The Rook
King
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 788
Personally I have found this strategy to be very hit and miss on Immortal level at normal speed. If your warrior heads the wrong way at the start, the AI neighbor will settle several cities by the time he finds them. Perhaps this strategy is more effective at Epic/Marathon speed? Or perhaps my technique leaves something to be desired?
Anyway, "if" I can establish a blockade on time, I have found the approach to be effective, particularly against the less aggressive AIs. Obviously early resourceless UUs make nice blockaders (I tried Holkans).
I'm doubtful it would work when playing normal speed Deity, with the extra early AI settler.
Anyway, "if" I can establish a blockade on time, I have found the approach to be effective, particularly against the less aggressive AIs. Obviously early resourceless UUs make nice blockaders (I tried Holkans).
I'm doubtful it would work when playing normal speed Deity, with the extra early AI settler.
josephstalin
Kremlin Highlander
This is an unique idea. However if you have access to iron or copper, why just not rush and kill the civ completely?
The Rook
King
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 788
The dynamics of the "stasis rush" versus conventional rush are completely different. A conventional rush requires superior forces, you need a large army of Axes or equivalent to stand any chance at higher levels, and even then it can be very risky. More often than not the AI will have three or four cities by the time your army is ready, "if" you are lucky enough to have a strategic resource (or resourceless UU).
The stasis rush depends on catching the AI before it can send out settlers. Find the capital, declare, camp your Warrior on a forested hill. The AI won't expand whilst your Warrior is stood outside, you just need to send a couple of defensive troops to consolidate your hold. Your chances of rushing the AI are nil because the AI will only build Archers from the moment you declare. Fortunately, most AIs are too passive to sacrifice a stack of Archers to rid themselves of your small garrison. So you can dedicate most of your resources to peaceful expansion in the knowledge that the stupid AI will go into a passive Archer building frenzy.
champ82
Immortal Ruler
When I start playing on Monarch, I'll keep this in mind, especially if I have a neighbor who doesn't like to trade techs. Thanks Aftershaver.
Yes, you've improved your game by improving/using a new tactic. The AI's behavior is part of the rules of the game, and because you're not breaking any of these rules, it's just playing to win. Whether or not it's "cheap" would be irrelevant even if "cheapness" wasn't 100% subjective. It's not my fault my opponent isn't as smart as I am
.AfterShaver, I like it. Its exactly what I do (only Prince/Monarch) all the time with warriors and archers.
There is one more thing I want to add: If you already have a force too small to attack but too large to just sit around - move your guys 1 tile to ALLOW the AI to escort a settler out. If you do this right you can easily
A) capture a city that has 0% culture def
OR
B) capture another worker (settler) somewhat easily
There is one more thing I want to add: If you already have a force too small to attack but too large to just sit around - move your guys 1 tile to ALLOW the AI to escort a settler out. If you do this right you can easily
A) capture a city that has 0% culture def
OR
B) capture another worker (settler) somewhat easily
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