Least probable defeat ?

[rah]

And the faster you do it, the less chance that other civs will dogpile you.

[Blaupanzer]

Third parties can dogpile you or your opponent if the battle goes on too long. If your opponent gets jumped while you are sweeping his cities the other AI delight in stealing cities. Those cities are only available because you crushed the main army in the form of stacks or at the capitol. I hate having otherwise builder AIs sneak in and grab a city or two from me as the target empire dies. Another way to "bog down" is to have the target vassal to someone other than you with three to five cities still in control. Now you are either at war with a third party or are suddenly at peace with the job partially done.

[rah]

AH vassals, the other flawed part of the game. I keep it off so that silliness doesn't happen anymore. Let them bribe them to join the war like it should be.

I sometime follow-up another civ and let them beat the defenses down (and if there are more defenders then attackers) let them attack a turn, then clean up and take the city myself. The other night I did that for every city of one civ. It was hilarious. The civ was destroyed and he didn't get a single city out of it. And to add insult to injury, he lost so many units, I mopped him up in a dozen or so turns too.

[Blaupanzer]

Now that is cold. Well done!

[rah]

Of course this is much more entertaining in MP since they're not going to sit still for it, and may play chicken with you to see who will attack the city first. Add the fact that there's a timer involved for extra fun. You can't not attack it many turns because it just strengthens the civ you're attacking. Talk about mexican standoffs. If I weaken my stack attacking civ b, civ c may immediately take the city for themselves or finish off my weakened stack. Another reason why MP can be quite entertaining.