Winning as Aztecs

[CharlieM]

I'm playing on the next-to-hardest setting (can never remember what it's called ...Emperor?) and having trouble winning as the Aztecs.

My strategy is usually to try to take out the weakest close-by civilization early in the game.... very early if possible.

But it seems like, by the time I put together a decent army, the AI cities are defended by hordes of archers.

I rush units. I tech for bronze and iron.

Help.

 

[NaZdReG]

I think the aztecs have a window for an early assault, but then are more of a defensive civ in the mid to late game.

manage your econ and boom like crazy with your expanded territory. the fact is, if they can't kill your defenders in 1 attack, it doesn't matter how big they're stack is. 2 armies of fortified defenders and an army of catapults to attack they're stack while staying protected can sit behind a city wall and pound on them.

 

[actuaryman]

Thought I might reply to this one as the Aztecs are the only civilization I've really played with so far - just won my 3rd game with them on Deity (this game is not good for sleep...)

My strategy with them is:

1st turn - Settle your city. Rush build a warrior with 20 of your starting 25 gold. Manually change workers so you have 4 hammers and another warrior due in 3 turns. Send the 1st warrior exploring for barbarians.

4th turn - 2nd warrior is built. Send this one in the same broad direction as the first warrior, also looking for barbarians.

6th turn - 3rd warrior is built. Send this one to catch up with the other two. Switch workers in your city to 4 research. Research alphabet, bronze working and try to get to irrigation in time for the extra population first research bonus.

Hopefully your first worker has got veteran status from barbarian villages (always attack from forest or hills if possible) and the barbarians have told you where a civilization is. Merge your 3 warriors into an army (this will be quick if you sent them all in the same direction) and go attack their capital as soon as possible (again from a forest or hill). Hopefully you'll wipe them out and you'll have another city for your empire. This will probably have 3 population - I'd build 4 research and 2 food.

As soon as you have 100 gold from barbarians, you'll get a settler. This city should also be research focussed with maybe some food for growth. The turn that you pass 100 gold and get the settler, rush a galley with the gold and send that exploring for relics.

If you get an infiltration bonus at any point with your warrior army then send it after another civilization as soon as possible (last game I wiped out 2 civilizations with 2 cities each with my first warrior army, with the 100 gold settler I had 6 cities near the start all pumping out research - I got pretty much all the first research bonuses). If you don't have infiltration then you can try taking another civilization but you might have to get lucky.

If the above's gone well then you'll have a research lead and a few cities (note, wait until you get the half-price roads era bonus before building roads for them). Also, build temples as soon as you get the +3 science bonus. From then on it's your choice what victory to aim for - I think the start is often the most important bit so I hope I've helped there.

Any thoughts/comments appreciated (this is my first post).

Thanks

 

[actuaryman]

In fact, re-reading your original post, it looks like you pretty much already do everything I've said above. It might be luck so far but I've not come across hoards of archers in the early game so far (at least none which my warrior army didn't kill). I think rushing a warrior in the first turn is vital - it saves you 3 turns and reduces the chance of meeting archers in the first city. Also, I used to send my warriors off in different directions at first but that meant it took too long to get them together to build an army so now I try and keep them close to each other.

 

[CharlieM]

Two things you mentioned that I don't do:

1) keep the early Warriors together, instead of sending them in opposite directions;

2) try to get to Irrigation at the right time.

Good tips!

I did win on Emperor as Aztecs yesterday. An Economic Victory in about 2000 A.D. Yay! I took out the Zulus capital early in the game, and they never recovered. Got a couple of culture city flips, and I was rolling.

 

[vapaach]

Two things you mentioned that I don't do:

1) keep the early Warriors together, instead of sending them in opposite directions;

2) try to get to Irrigation at the right time.

Good tips!

I did win on Emperor as Aztecs yesterday. An Economic Victory in about 2000 A.D. Yay! I took out the Zulus capital early in the game, and they never recovered. Got a couple of culture city flips, and I was rolling.

And for deity if you win one civ you will probably have more space to spread your cities, which will totally help you to win.

 

[CharlieM]

I can't imagine winning on Deity (haven't even tried that level yet) without taking out a nearby Civ early.

In fact, I can't imagine winning on Emperor without crushing or at least severely weakening a nearby Civ early.

Maybe 'cause I'm not that careful about my city management. I wish there was a button .... "Optimize Science Output Across Entire Civilization, While Keeping Cash, Population Growth and Culture Coming" !!

 

[KAZUY4]

More easy. Rush Horse Riding and attack with an army, after every victory you unit will reheal, then strike again. If you have Blitz you been blessed

 

[Chinese American]

More easy. Rush Horse Riding and attack with an army, after every victory you unit will reheal, then strike again. If you have Blitz you been blessed

This is much more reliable and lasts until they get rifleman, especially if you augment with catapults. After they get rifleman, you should have knights and cannons by then.

Land is key to winning. This means two things.

1) Expand your borders.
2) Stop your enemy from expanding.

Since Aztecs are one of the best early military civ, you should have no trouble stopping enemies from moving far from their capital. Plant one or two Warrior or Horseman close to their capital and kill anything that moves. Then settle right outside their capital or take over their smaller city, which should also be close to their capital anyway. Make that city a unit factory. Continue to put pressure on their capital until they can defend no more. Then move on to other civs, but with stronger units, until you have conquered the first continent.

Generally AI capitals are in good locations and by the time you capture them, their population matches your capital or better, especially if it once belonged to a scientific or cultural civ. Temple is almost always the first building you build in a capital (or any new city, really), now that it boosts science in addition to being necessary for cultural victory. Of course, culture also means Great People. Late game the 50% gold is the best trait for the last victory path if you decide not to pursue the other victories. Moreover, it can also fuel the other victory conditions by just spending it on units and buildings you need. There is no need to worry about the remaining civs attacking you, since Aztecs also excel in defense: cheap roads plus auto-healing is very hard to penetrate. In short, you get some great cities and any victory path is possible from here.