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Okay, I'm on my fourth Noble game. I select the Greeks.
So, learning my mistakes from the last game, I build a barracks and a couple of archers in each city. I also churn out swordsmen, axemen, and pikemen to create an offensive stack.
This time, I start off on a large continent... my only neighbor is France.
I create four cities... But in this time, France has created seven. I'm not sure how they manage the upkeep of that many cities. I clearly have not built enough cottages... Build the Pyramids (Boy, what a great wonder that is... Once you build the Pyramids it's like a free ticket to at least two other wonders due to the sheer number of Great Engineers you get. Not to mention the civic bonuses).
Get Drama for the Free Great Artist, which I culture bomb against the encroaching French border.
As my border creeps up to France, I still haven't gotten any religions, but my military is fairly large. Eventually, the French get annoyed at me for not handing over techs, so they declare war. I send 8 swordsmen, 2 axemen, a phalanx and a chariot to take on a French city (with 2 archers and 2 axemen defending).
Surprise, surprise. On the next turn, one of my cities is surrounded by three chariots (it almost felt like cheating... the things came out of nowhere). 2 more chariots and 2 axemen come to attack my assault force. My phalanx manages to chew up the chariots easily. The axemen do some serious damage to my swordsmen, the chariots take my axemen, and my assault is splintered... I lead a foolish assault against the French city with my remaining three swordsmen... I kind of knew that was going to fail. I just didn't realize how poorly. Wheras, I don't have units in reserve, the French continue to send wave after wave of chariots.
I try to chase the chariots down, but they can move and pillage each turn. The French cut off my iron. They cut my road network into thirds. They wipe out my copper. They burn down my towns.
Ouch. They haven't taken any of my cities, but I'm completely out of the game at this point. Resign to my Dan Quayle fate.
Mistakes:
1) It's necessary to keep some fast movement troops around. Otherwise, the opponent will have free reign to pillage *everything*.
2) Expanded too slowly. Part of this was due to a fear of maintenance. Part was due to a poor development of income. I'm not sure cottages would have saved me. Maybe cottages+marketplaces... ??? Founding a religion and creating a shrine?
3) Poor relations with my only neighbor... The game was difficult due to the fact that France had me blocked off on my continent.
So, learning my mistakes from the last game, I build a barracks and a couple of archers in each city. I also churn out swordsmen, axemen, and pikemen to create an offensive stack.
This time, I start off on a large continent... my only neighbor is France.
I create four cities... But in this time, France has created seven. I'm not sure how they manage the upkeep of that many cities. I clearly have not built enough cottages... Build the Pyramids (Boy, what a great wonder that is... Once you build the Pyramids it's like a free ticket to at least two other wonders due to the sheer number of Great Engineers you get. Not to mention the civic bonuses).
Get Drama for the Free Great Artist, which I culture bomb against the encroaching French border.
As my border creeps up to France, I still haven't gotten any religions, but my military is fairly large. Eventually, the French get annoyed at me for not handing over techs, so they declare war. I send 8 swordsmen, 2 axemen, a phalanx and a chariot to take on a French city (with 2 archers and 2 axemen defending).
Surprise, surprise. On the next turn, one of my cities is surrounded by three chariots (it almost felt like cheating... the things came out of nowhere). 2 more chariots and 2 axemen come to attack my assault force. My phalanx manages to chew up the chariots easily. The axemen do some serious damage to my swordsmen, the chariots take my axemen, and my assault is splintered... I lead a foolish assault against the French city with my remaining three swordsmen... I kind of knew that was going to fail. I just didn't realize how poorly. Wheras, I don't have units in reserve, the French continue to send wave after wave of chariots.
I try to chase the chariots down, but they can move and pillage each turn. The French cut off my iron. They cut my road network into thirds. They wipe out my copper. They burn down my towns.
Ouch. They haven't taken any of my cities, but I'm completely out of the game at this point. Resign to my Dan Quayle fate.
Mistakes:
1) It's necessary to keep some fast movement troops around. Otherwise, the opponent will have free reign to pillage *everything*.
2) Expanded too slowly. Part of this was due to a fear of maintenance. Part was due to a poor development of income. I'm not sure cottages would have saved me. Maybe cottages+marketplaces... ??? Founding a religion and creating a shrine?
3) Poor relations with my only neighbor... The game was difficult due to the fact that France had me blocked off on my continent.
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