War easy?!

[TimNewbie]

Hi all,

In all the CIV's, I have so much trouble reaching a Domination Victory. To me, the SPaceRace is the most easy one to achieve. Yesterday I won the Space Race, started a new game in Domination. And again, trouble in finding the balance in Science, War Troops and money. And now in CIV 5, trouble of keeping my up. I am never able to reach at least 75% domination. I like the game a lot, but never achieved a Domination Victory.... What I am doing wrong? When going for SpaceRace, I had all the weapons I could imagine, due to the fact that my research/Science was going through the roof. But when really needing them, I cannot achieve the levels to get them
Man....war easy?! Guess I am not a very good Warlord.... Does anybody have any tips?

 

[DaveMcW]

finding the balance in Science, War Troops and money.

No science, all troops, no money.

 

[Martin Alvito]

An exaggeration. Optimum play involves getting a tech advantage and then sticking it to the AI using that advantage.

When to go for broke will vary based upon the precise rules of the game in any given patch.

 

[TimNewbie]

Thanx guys,

But I neef to build science to build better troop. Money to uphold them. Bit also neef to build troops. Also need culture to choose the right CIVs to reduce the troop maintenance, right? Culture victory is easy. Science victory also. But the best games are the domination, it makes it more exciting. Am I too cautious maybe?

 

[truefrequencie]

I tend to build/buy about a ten or so units early on and engage in an early war to get some decent cities for culture and gold. Continue prioritizing science buildings, add a few more cities, and then build another set of current era troops (mix between siege and melee) and with the older promoted units just steamroll any city/units. With social policies, you can go liberty, then piety (theocracy), and order (planned economy) to stay happy. And make sure you have extra happiness before going to war. Once you conquer 3/4 civilizations, its all down hill from there. I play on emperor btw.

 

[Seven05]

Does anybody have any tips?

Start fighting early, don't stop until you win

A few things to keep in mind...

1. Science comes from population mainly so you can skip libraries and other buildings in favor of building more units. So long as you remain focused on researching techs that improve your military and effectively ignore all others you'll be fine even without high science output.

2. Gold is king. Gold will pay unit upkeep, gold can buy tiles, gold can upgrade experienced but outdated units and gold can buy new units. This doesn't mean you need economy techs (I would at least get trapping through), you can get plenty of gold from pillaging, conquering cities and creative diplomacy.

3. Siege weapons are godly once you have some promotions on them. Logistics and range will turn a pair of catapults into a meat grinder, once they're upgraded to artillery two of them can all but wipe out entire armies.

4. You should ALLWAYS be at war with somebody. If you can't afford the hapiness hit, don't conquer any cities but stay at war, the xp from combat is invaluable and you can keep your neighbors crippled. A highly promoted unit is worth far more than another freshly built one.

5. Don't wait until you have built up your empire before starting your rampage. Once you realize how easy it is to capture wonders instead of building them for yourself you'll never go back.

 

[Buccaneer]

I would also add the you do have to pay attention to the happiness hit. If you are going to puppet a number of cities in rapid succession or accept a peace that gives you a number of cities, make sure you plan ahead and have the happiness for them.

 

[biohazard72]

An exaggeration. Optimum play involves getting a tech advantage and then sticking it to the AI using that advantage.

When to go for broke will vary based upon the precise rules of the game in any given patch.

You summed up Civ5 optimum play now and forever in two sentences. I am very impressed.

Seriously, tech advantage is huge. Having an advantage in only one unit class is often enough to win a war (early Longswords, Riflemen, Artillery, Air Units seem to be the most drastic and gamechanging, and humans will always be able to beeline these better).

If you're fighting on even grounds (even unit tech, without combat bonuses or promotions) you're doing it wrong.

 

[wcbarney]

Start fighting early, don't stop until you win

A few things to keep in mind...

1. Science comes from population mainly so you can skip libraries and other buildings in favor of building more units. So long as you remain focused on researching techs that improve your military and effectively ignore all others you'll be fine even without high science output.

2. Gold is king. Gold will pay unit upkeep, gold can buy tiles, gold can upgrade experienced but outdated units and gold can buy new units. This doesn't mean you need economy techs (I would at least get trapping through), you can get plenty of gold from pillaging, conquering cities and creative diplomacy.

3. Siege weapons are godly once you have some promotions on them. Logistics and range will turn a pair of catapults into a meat grinder, once they're upgraded to artillery two of them can all but wipe out entire armies.

4. You should ALLWAYS be at war with somebody. If you can't afford the hapiness hit, don't conquer any cities but stay at war, the xp from combat is invaluable and you can keep your neighbors crippled. A highly promoted unit is worth far more than another freshly built one.

5. Don't wait until you have built up your empire before starting your rampage. Once you realize how easy it is to capture wonders instead of building them for yourself you'll never go back.

Amen to all your advice (except I never skip science buildings since they are invaluable science multipliers).

One of my most prized units is a Mechanized Infantry that started off as an archer back in the stone age. He has 161/210 XP, and varied promotions (since he has been an archer, crossbowman, rifleman, infantry, and now an ME), but is mainly valued because he has the March (self-repair) promotion, which is quite hard to obtain in a grunt (your basic ground unit). I also have several rocket artillery units with the March promotion, and even one with the Double-Attack promotion.

I used to build 5-6 lancers after researching Metallurgy and before researching Combustion. I know -- I know, lancers are basically useless. But I build them in a city with a Military Academy, so they have 50 XP upon graduation. Since I chose the "Save Promotions" option on set-up, I just put my new lancers on alert for the time being. Later I upgrade them to anti-tank guns (and still don't promote them), and finally -- after the Rocketry tech -- I upgrade them to helicopter gunships with 50 XP. Now I give them the Mobility 1 & Mobility 2 promotions, and after 2 or 3 skirmishes they reach 60 XP and get the auto-repair promotion. Now they are quite lethal, and a fleet of 4 or 5 can easily and completely take out an 80-defense city all by themselves. Their lancer attribute of "can move after attacking," and their anti-tank attribute of "100% bonus against tanks" carry forward. Here's the down-side: Pre-patch helicopter gunships could capture cities (even though the Civilipedia said they couldn't). Now (post-patch) they really can't, so I now have to have an ME or tank or paratrooper standing by to take the city. Also, even though they are supposed to be able to move after attacking, sometimes they can and sometimes they can't. This can be a real problem, because there are not many units more vulnerable than a wounded helicopter in harm's way.

My favorite weapon of all time is the B-17 (which is born with the Siege 1 and Evasion promotions. I nourish these babies along with a few XPs at a time: At 10 XP they get the Siege 2 promotion, and at 30 XP they get the self-repair promotion. At 60 XP they get the Double Attack promotion. At 280 XP they have finally have achieved the Siege 3 (triple bonus against cities) and Bombardment 3 (triple bonus against ground units), and then I upgrade them to Stealths. A fleet of 5 or more double-strike stealths plus some helicopters and a few fast-moving ground units (I prefer paratroops) can completely wipe out a continent-wide civ in about 15 turns, depending on how many field units have to be destroyed. The AIs seem to love to build AA guns and Mobile Sams, so these have to be systematically destroyed -- which the double-go stealth can do in one turn (for each enemy unit). Also, by the time you've DW'd the last couple of civs, they are waiting for you with not only lots of AA, but also their own bombers and lots of fighters. So I have to build a few jet fighters also; they don't get much training or XP, but as long as you have enough of them to ward off the incoming air strikes they are worth their cost.

And, finally, it is indeed nice to capture Notre Dame, the Forbidden Palace and the Eiffel Tower!

-- Cliff in Virginia

 

[Smote]

Helicopters can no longer capture cities?? Nooo! My favorite unit is ruined!

 

[wcbarney]

Helicopters can no longer capture cities?? Nooo! My favorite unit is ruined!

Yeah, mine too! Even the pre-patch Civilopedia said that helicopters couldn't capture cities, but they could! But now they can't, so you have to make do with MEs, tanks, modern armor, and (my favorite) paratroops.

-- Cliff in Virginia

 

[Rafe Shankar]

Hi all,

In all the CIV's, I have so much trouble reaching a Domination Victory. To me, the SPaceRace is the most easy one to achieve. Yesterday I won the Space Race, started a new game in Domination. And again, trouble in finding the balance in Science, War Troops and money. And now in CIV 5, trouble of keeping my up. I am never able to reach at least 75% domination. I like the game a lot, but never achieved a Domination Victory.... What I am doing wrong? When going for SpaceRace, I had all the weapons I could imagine, due to the fact that my research/Science was going through the roof. But when really needing them, I cannot achieve the levels to get them
Man....war easy?! Guess I am not a very good Warlord.... Does anybody have any tips?

i play the game in deity using this technique which usually takes the first civilization in around 80 turns... china is best for quick war... get 3 cities all with good production and horses... build maybe 5 horses and make a beeline to the bridges over riversm then move to get the chu-ko-nu... along with getting the paper maker asap... also with the 35% bonus of the chinese general and the chu-ko-nu ability to hit twice a turn... id say the chinese are the best civilization with domination in mind...

 

[Civsassin]

Another strategy is to get a core number of cities that permits you to remain . That number will be based on luxury resource availability, SP, etc. Once you get there, you don't have to keep any conquered cities except capitals. Raze as you go. A good civ for this is Songhai. Askia gets triple gold for taking barb encampments and cities. You will make enough gold in the process that your economy won't be an issue, and happiness shouldn't be a problem. The bigger the city, the longer it takes to raze, so you'll have time to replenish your troops' health while the city razes. Additionally, as you raze cities, you create space between you and your enemies, leaving your core cities relatively safe.

Raze baby raze.