Tip for beating barbarian camps

[DaveMcW]

If you find a barbarian camp with a 50% fortification bonus, wait a turn before attacking. The bonus will decrease to 25% next turn.

 

[Jenarie]

I noticed this over the weekend. Is it new since last patch? It seems like a bug.

I've also found that even if I can't win it's usually a good idea to attack the camp (at 25%) because unless they can kill you in one move they won't come out so you can attack once and then stand there healing and attack again in a few turns to finish them off. This also seems a bit buggy to me - I only play king level though so maybe they are more aggressive at higher levels.

 

[budweiser]

Dont kill camps unless a CS asks you to or you really need the dough.

 

[autumnmist]

Dont kill camps unless a CS asks you to or you really need the dough.

How do you level up/promote your units then (aside from going to war with another civ)? Seriously, I'm new to Civ but I feel like I've spent the first 100 turns of my games hunting down barbarians so I can level up my units.

 

[wurstburst]

I don't always kill barb camps. If it's close to my cities, I kill it. If there is rough terrain 1 hex away, and the camp is on open terrain, I usually will kill it, if I want the experience. If there's only open terrain around and/or the camp is on rough terrain, I'll usually leave it alone. A lot of the time though, if I am exploring, I'd rather keep exploring than take the time to kill a barb camp and heal up.

Never noticed the reduction in fortification. Will watch out for that in the future.

 

[Scarpa]

How do you level up/promote your units then (aside from going to war with another civ)? Seriously, I'm new to Civ but I feel like I've spent the first 100 turns of my games hunting down barbarians so I can level up my units.

If you don't kill the camp it keeps spawning barbarian units, right? Maybe that's what he was getting at.

 

[timtofly]

Yes, Kill the barbarians, but not the camps, you will never run out of barbarians then and you will know where the camps are. You should only remove the camps if you are strapped for cash, not strapped for experience.

 

[Tabarnak]

Hey i never noticed that. A barb camp in a forest and/or an hill is always risky with only 1 warrior or spear. This make a bit easier to do.

If another scout/warrior is close i guess you can park your other unit next to the camp and keep the fortification bonus low, and wait the other unit to finish it off.

 

[MuteWolf]

Does anyone know why this is?

 

[neptune2000]

Does anyone know why this is?

I've never noticed this. It's almost certainly a bug. Perhaps when they see you they "activate" and lose their 50% fortification bonus, then refortify?

 

[Verezzo]

If you find a barbarian camp with a 50% fortification bonus, wait a turn before attacking. The bonus will decrease to 25% next turn.

Very interesting - this should help my honour-less scouts beat camps when I play a game today. Thanks Dave !!!

 

[halyavin]

That is because they are in alert state. When you come close, they awake and have to refortify for 25% bonus instead of 50%. At least this is how I explain this to myself.

 

[elthrasher]

That is because they are in alert state. When you come close, they awake and have to refortify for 25% bonus instead of 50%. At least this is how I explain this to myself.

Yeah, that seems right to me. I think you can get the same problem by setting your own units to alert state, which is sort of unfortunate. Can't be sure of that because you don't see the combat odds as the defender. Maybe somebody could get this on the bug list. Doesn't seem like it would have been an intended feature.

 

[budweiser]

Being at 50% AND on alert status may be whats wrong in the first place. Thats seems a bit like having your cake and eating it too beacuse if you are on alert, you are looking out for things, but if you are fortified, you are totally dug in, focussed on defense.

 

[elthrasher]

Being at 50% AND on alert status may be whats wrong in the first place. Thats seems a bit like having your cake and eating it too beacuse if you are on alert, you are looking out for things, but if you are fortified, you are totally dug in, focussed on defense.

How can I be focused on defense without watching out for attackers? Does "fortified" mean "assume crash positions" to you?

 

[budweiser]

How can I be focused on defense without watching out for attackers? Does "fortified" mean "assume crash positions" to you?

To me, if my units are on alert, then they are ready for orders which could include move, attack, defend. So, they would not necessarily be in their defensive positions aka trenches up on the line.

 

[elthrasher]

To me, if my units are on alert, then they are ready for orders which could include move, attack, defend. So, they would not necessarily be in their defensive positions aka trenches up on the line.

But this view isn't really supported by the game. I can have a unit fully fortified one turn and move it the next turn with no penalty. Alert status is really just a time-saver to stop the player from having to eyeball all territory before ending the turn.

 

[MykC]

How do you level up/promote your units then (aside from going to war with another civ)? Seriously, I'm new to Civ but I feel like I've spent the first 100 turns of my games hunting down barbarians so I can level up my units.

Go to war with a city state is best and just sit your guys out front. As soon as you get medic you can leave a guy and the medic out front without having to move them around every couple of turns.