What stratagies can I use to win on King difficulty
- Thread starter Dracken
- Start date
TallNSturdy
Chieftain
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2012
- Messages
- 88
When I first started playing King I was having a lot of trouble too. I found learning more about how to get and maintain a few city states helped. That and learning how to manage my city growth at the start made a big difference.
For city states sell the extra lux. resources you get, and by extra I mean any you have after you have 4 happiness. Early golden ages don't help all that much and delaying it until you have at least a few cities can make a difference. Each one sells for 240 to a friendly civ so you can get an ally with a city state for 20 of your own gold (and keep them from getting it instead). I go for a cultural city state so I can get through a few social policies early.
For growth I am aiming for 3 cities to start and keep the first at 3 until I have 2 other cities at 2 then let them all grow as I see fit and happiness becomes available.
Those 2 things helped to propel me into Emperor and now I have every victory type but cultural. At emperor I had to learn how to tech faster, I've shaved ~75 turns off my games so far.
For city states sell the extra lux. resources you get, and by extra I mean any you have after you have 4 happiness. Early golden ages don't help all that much and delaying it until you have at least a few cities can make a difference. Each one sells for 240 to a friendly civ so you can get an ally with a city state for 20 of your own gold (and keep them from getting it instead). I go for a cultural city state so I can get through a few social policies early.
For growth I am aiming for 3 cities to start and keep the first at 3 until I have 2 other cities at 2 then let them all grow as I see fit and happiness becomes available.
Those 2 things helped to propel me into Emperor and now I have every victory type but cultural. At emperor I had to learn how to tech faster, I've shaved ~75 turns off my games so far.
Syailendra
Prince
Best civ for medium diff is russia (imo). You can learn a lot of trading with the ai. In medium diff, in this case king and emperor, the ai, are not usually have much money to have a lux sale that often, but russians trade commodities are strat res, which they got double, by this, even if the ai only have 14 gold in his pocket, i usually trade with him for 14 and 1gpt, it helps early economy A LOT.
Emperor there are many pretty easy strats. By then its easier to go civ specific
France: Use culture boost to settle early second city. build 3nd (or maybe even 4th) city. Go tradition, peaceful. typical NC start win in any way you want.
Iroquois: Use liberty to build second city. Hard build third and perhaps 4th city (sound familiar) NC start in your capital (youll have to buy the libs your non-capital cities). Use the second third and 4th citites to mass the Iroquois UU (build monument first). Kill you neighbor(s). If you conquered your continent, use liberities free GP to rush HS rush PT. Puppet cities and huge land mass give lots of gold. Buy lots of RA or CS. Win Science or Diplomacy.
Bablyon: I tend to go NC start. and that after i might buy a settler or 2. Max of 4 cities (noticing a pattern). You prolly dont have to rush archery and build a massive amount of archers on emperor, but you might want to get in that practice. (same with France). Build Universities mass GS. USe tech advantage to win to a) conquer continent and win through conquest science victory, or conquest diplomacy victory (same as Iroquois) b)conquer the world with rifles into mech infrantry. c) bulb science victory (same as France).
All these strats are diverse, flexible, fun, and will really help you develop starts for higher levels.
The seemingly civ unique strats. YOu begin to realize its pretty much use liberty. Build 3-4 cities as fast as possible. USe production advantage to mass archers, chariot archers, or swords to take out your neighbor. Upgrade and repeat until you control your continent. Then from there you can easily win in any way. Use high pop for science, gold for added science or CS (diplomacy victory), the higher science and production to conquer the world, or the higher culture from puppet states to win culturally.
Well hope this helps a lot. If you want anymore civ specific strats just ask or even better look them up cause theres certainly a lot of better players out there who can tell you a lot more.
France: Use culture boost to settle early second city. build 3nd (or maybe even 4th) city. Go tradition, peaceful. typical NC start win in any way you want.
Iroquois: Use liberty to build second city. Hard build third and perhaps 4th city (sound familiar) NC start in your capital (youll have to buy the libs your non-capital cities). Use the second third and 4th citites to mass the Iroquois UU (build monument first). Kill you neighbor(s). If you conquered your continent, use liberities free GP to rush HS rush PT. Puppet cities and huge land mass give lots of gold. Buy lots of RA or CS. Win Science or Diplomacy.
Bablyon: I tend to go NC start. and that after i might buy a settler or 2. Max of 4 cities (noticing a pattern). You prolly dont have to rush archery and build a massive amount of archers on emperor, but you might want to get in that practice. (same with France). Build Universities mass GS. USe tech advantage to win to a) conquer continent and win through conquest science victory, or conquest diplomacy victory (same as Iroquois) b)conquer the world with rifles into mech infrantry. c) bulb science victory (same as France).
All these strats are diverse, flexible, fun, and will really help you develop starts for higher levels.
The seemingly civ unique strats. YOu begin to realize its pretty much use liberty. Build 3-4 cities as fast as possible. USe production advantage to mass archers, chariot archers, or swords to take out your neighbor. Upgrade and repeat until you control your continent. Then from there you can easily win in any way. Use high pop for science, gold for added science or CS (diplomacy victory), the higher science and production to conquer the world, or the higher culture from puppet states to win culturally.
Well hope this helps a lot. If you want anymore civ specific strats just ask or even better look them up cause theres certainly a lot of better players out there who can tell you a lot more.
noncognosco
Warlord
Try Isabella on a Terra map. Be the first to Astronomy and you can colonize half of the new world before anyone else even reaches it (much like in real life)
Just finished Astronomy, but as it worked out I have most of the world mapped out. I usually like to play on "Continents Plus". I five 5 cities and 23 happiness, 18 of which comes from discovering worlds wonders. Discovering the first to discover wonders for 500gp is awesome!
I happened to be on a continent almost alone (Large Map). I took the Honor as a social policy and I am getting +6 culture killing barbarians. 6 x 50+ barbarians = 300 culture.
Is the Terra Map basically earth?
noncognosco
Warlord
Terra map has two continents but all of the civs start out on one. The other continent is empty until Astronomy. It basically works in two stages because even if you have a tall empire in the old world you can go crazy planting new world colonies.
I think Nezzy would have a big advantage on that map.
Muskie
Warlord
I don't have a specific start I always do, but I can win on King, level 6 right? When I'm trying out new Civs or tactics I prefer a lower level.
I tried the national college start, but I prefer to be more flexible and adaptable. I play on random maps and take whatever start I get. Generally I look at what luxury is nearby and research that tech first or quickly. I also like to build a monument first but I will sometimes build a warrior or scout depending on my estimate of the size of the continent/island I'm on.
If you're Babylon you want to research archery promptly. Same if you are the Inca. With you're better bowman you can hold off barbs and warrior rushes. I generally prefer Liberty, pretty much all of Liberty then if you're happiness is OK, Patronage. If you need happiness or you're trying for the cultural victory take Piety. Lately if disciplined you can choose Freedom or if you prefer Rationalism. The free settler and/or worker is huge as is making them cheaper. I tend to go worker first, but if you find a great city site and your happiness is 5ish you can settle a second city quickly, just make sure you can defend two cities.
I'm not much of a warmonger, but if you are on a smallish island with one other Civ you have to prepare for war. I try to put my second city in a strong defensive position. I am a big trader and leverage city states. They can help a bit in a war but are better for food and culture in peace time.
Generally you can't expand too much beyond 3 or 4 cities until you're ready to fight a war. Besides archery, mining, writing, and philosophy are key early techs. If you get a tiny island start you need to bee-line for Optics ASAP. Rarely do I have enough Iron to build lots of swordsman and I prefer to use my limited iron on trebuchets. I don't like trying to conquer cities without them, but it of course can be done. Crossbows + Trebuchets + one or two assault unit is how I take cities. Great Generals are also key, doubly so or is it +25% so if you're China. Prior to having those techs I fight defensively and rely on walls and favorable terrain.
Babylon is a good civ for my style, but so is Arabia, and China. I also like Polynesia, Rome, Greece, and Siam.
Basically you can prioritize techs, but don't assume you'll get to build any particular wonder, you often have to settle for a wonder, and use great engineers to snap build them. Liberty and other means of getting free great people or a social policy are very valuable. You can get a free great general from Honor which is something I use in a pinch. Lately I haven't been using Tradition much at all, but folks on this board advocate holding off and use the policy that gets you free cultural buildings late in the game to get free museums. Tactics like that are all well and find on discussion boards, but getting to the medieval ages or Renaissance with a chance to win is more of a priority. For that you need a measured expansion policy, defensible positions, and likely a few key military tech.
Depending on who your neighbors are it is possible to be a good neighbor and go most of the game if not the entire game on Level 6 with no wars.
I tried the national college start, but I prefer to be more flexible and adaptable. I play on random maps and take whatever start I get. Generally I look at what luxury is nearby and research that tech first or quickly. I also like to build a monument first but I will sometimes build a warrior or scout depending on my estimate of the size of the continent/island I'm on.
If you're Babylon you want to research archery promptly. Same if you are the Inca. With you're better bowman you can hold off barbs and warrior rushes. I generally prefer Liberty, pretty much all of Liberty then if you're happiness is OK, Patronage. If you need happiness or you're trying for the cultural victory take Piety. Lately if disciplined you can choose Freedom or if you prefer Rationalism. The free settler and/or worker is huge as is making them cheaper. I tend to go worker first, but if you find a great city site and your happiness is 5ish you can settle a second city quickly, just make sure you can defend two cities.
I'm not much of a warmonger, but if you are on a smallish island with one other Civ you have to prepare for war. I try to put my second city in a strong defensive position. I am a big trader and leverage city states. They can help a bit in a war but are better for food and culture in peace time.
Generally you can't expand too much beyond 3 or 4 cities until you're ready to fight a war. Besides archery, mining, writing, and philosophy are key early techs. If you get a tiny island start you need to bee-line for Optics ASAP. Rarely do I have enough Iron to build lots of swordsman and I prefer to use my limited iron on trebuchets. I don't like trying to conquer cities without them, but it of course can be done. Crossbows + Trebuchets + one or two assault unit is how I take cities. Great Generals are also key, doubly so or is it +25% so if you're China. Prior to having those techs I fight defensively and rely on walls and favorable terrain.
Babylon is a good civ for my style, but so is Arabia, and China. I also like Polynesia, Rome, Greece, and Siam.
Basically you can prioritize techs, but don't assume you'll get to build any particular wonder, you often have to settle for a wonder, and use great engineers to snap build them. Liberty and other means of getting free great people or a social policy are very valuable. You can get a free great general from Honor which is something I use in a pinch. Lately I haven't been using Tradition much at all, but folks on this board advocate holding off and use the policy that gets you free cultural buildings late in the game to get free museums. Tactics like that are all well and find on discussion boards, but getting to the medieval ages or Renaissance with a chance to win is more of a priority. For that you need a measured expansion policy, defensible positions, and likely a few key military tech.
Depending on who your neighbors are it is possible to be a good neighbor and go most of the game if not the entire game on Level 6 with no wars.
noncognosco
Warlord
I usually play on Emperor, down to King if I am using a new civ or if I want to try something new. I have tended to rush to the GL at the start but recently I have been changing it up. Now I usually research archery first and then go for the tech that unlocks the nearest luxuries. Build order scout-monument-archer. A well-placed city (on a hill, ideally with rivers surrounding on at least a few sides) can easily be defended with one archer against up to six warriors in an early rush. Take the tradition opener first, then do all of liberty.
If you get an early great scientist, turn it into an academy. You can get 6 beakers x 200 turns or 1200 beakers as compared to the 100 beakers than an early tech costs. If you get a great engineer don't use it right away unless you have a wonder available that you really want. Otherwise save it until you get one of the good ones. If you time it right you can often use the GE from the liberty finisher to get the Hagia Sofia, then use another GE from the Hagia Sofia to get the Porcelain Tower, then use the GS from the tower to either get an academy or a free tech.
If you have a lot of iron, you can probably wipe out your nearest neighbor when you get iron working. If you are short of iron try to get to rifling as quickly as possible. To avoid the warmonger penalty, wait until someone declares on you. Kill their units on defense and then immediately invade. Try to keep your units alive as much as possible: the key to the military game is upgrades. A highly upgraded longsword can easily kill a rifle. If you have 5-6 melee units with march and medic they can basically attack constantly and never need to stop and heal.
I don't care how much happiness you have, if there is a CS state out there with a unique happiness resource sell one of yours to the AI and use the money to buy favor with the CS. You basically break even plus you get the food, culture or units from the CS (although I rarely ally with militaristic CS).
Of course much of this will be wrong once G&K comes out.
If you get an early great scientist, turn it into an academy. You can get 6 beakers x 200 turns or 1200 beakers as compared to the 100 beakers than an early tech costs. If you get a great engineer don't use it right away unless you have a wonder available that you really want. Otherwise save it until you get one of the good ones. If you time it right you can often use the GE from the liberty finisher to get the Hagia Sofia, then use another GE from the Hagia Sofia to get the Porcelain Tower, then use the GS from the tower to either get an academy or a free tech.
If you have a lot of iron, you can probably wipe out your nearest neighbor when you get iron working. If you are short of iron try to get to rifling as quickly as possible. To avoid the warmonger penalty, wait until someone declares on you. Kill their units on defense and then immediately invade. Try to keep your units alive as much as possible: the key to the military game is upgrades. A highly upgraded longsword can easily kill a rifle. If you have 5-6 melee units with march and medic they can basically attack constantly and never need to stop and heal.
I don't care how much happiness you have, if there is a CS state out there with a unique happiness resource sell one of yours to the AI and use the money to buy favor with the CS. You basically break even plus you get the food, culture or units from the CS (although I rarely ally with militaristic CS).
Of course much of this will be wrong once G&K comes out.
I haven't really studied up on different strategies until now. When Prince was too easy and King too hard, I decided to study up...now that Kings and Gods is coming out. 
I like to play Augustus Caesar, Pachacuti,Napoleon, Isabella,Wu Zetain.
Does anyone organize any online games where you can just play like 2-3 hours a night?
I like to play Augustus Caesar, Pachacuti,Napoleon, Isabella,Wu Zetain.
Does anyone organize any online games where you can just play like 2-3 hours a night?
Not optimal unless you play Babylon and get that gs very early from writing. This gs can be saved for any other techs from the tech tree. This can be far more than 6x200 beakers. He can also simply be used to beeline a military tech like Steel or Machinery. Even if these techs don't worth 1200 beakers, you still save a couple of turns doing this.
Of course, an early bulb should be used almost exclusively for war.
noncognosco
Warlord
All depends what civ you are playing with I guess. If you are playing a peaceful game or fighting mostly defensively I don't think there is any reason to rush military techs. Also don't forget that the beakers increase with whatever the tech is that gives you public schools (Scientific Theory?) and then double with the social policy in Freedom so even the 1200 beakers is really an underestimate.
joshua43214
King
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2012
- Messages
- 985
Getting the double bonus for a settled GS from Freedom requires a major focus on culture or policy saving. It comes so late in the game that it probably will never be a game changer for a science win, At that point you will be in better shape having an army of GS's ready to bulb out to nanotech.
On the other hand settling a GS near a mountain city and getting observatories and public schools will make them produce a ton of science. A useful thing when gold is too tight for RA's or there are no trustworthy RA partners. In general though you will get more from a GS saved for late game, then settling him. I almost never bulb a tech earlier than education, and even that is very seldom. I save them up for the mid industrial and bulb out what I need from there
On the other hand settling a GS near a mountain city and getting observatories and public schools will make them produce a ton of science. A useful thing when gold is too tight for RA's or there are no trustworthy RA partners. In general though you will get more from a GS saved for late game, then settling him. I almost never bulb a tech earlier than education, and even that is very seldom. I save them up for the mid industrial and bulb out what I need from there
The Pilgrim
Deity
It depends on desired VC. For domination (or anything else when you're forced to defend against significantly superior power) bulb military techs. For peaceful VC's - save them up to bulb late game techs. For science/diplo - Electricity (increases RA's output by providing higher median cost) and modern/future techs that open Apollo/parts/UN.
Polynesia actually has the biggest edge on a Terra map. (Provided he starts near the coast).
He can send warriors & settlers to colonize the new world a long time before anyone else.
Nezzy's natural advantages are good in a lot of map types.
Similar threads
