To Pillage or not to Pillage

[psumbody]

How many Players rely heavily on pillaging to weaken the AI? I normally do not pillage when I am at war. My reasoning is I want to capture an enemy city with little or no damage to the tile improvements. I would hate to send an army of workers to rebuild the improvements I just pillaged.

[Last Conformist]

I usually only do it early on - already by the Middle Ages, you have to pillage alot to make much difference.

The exception, of course, being SRs and luxes. It's usually worth cutting them off if you can.

In the Late Industrial/Modern, I tend to bombard Radar Towers away, too. Not really pillaging, tho.

[Nikolai]

I usually don't pillage. In fact, I can't remember when I did it last itme(must have been right after I got the game at least). It's really not worth it.

[vmxa1]

I am not a big fan of pillage. I would use in a very very early semi rush. I would use it in a few case to prevent the AI from getting reinforcements to the scene and maybe to help prevent a flip.

None of these things come into play all that much. I have used it a few times to hasten starvation in a siege of city.

[Krill]

If you are an expansionist civ, position the scout (or preferably 2-3) next to a civs capital, and end your turn on the tiles. Next turn declare war, pillage, and retreat. If the AI has a few bonus food tiles, it can slow down their growth no end.

The other tactic is build an archer fist of all, and try to capture the nearest AIs first settler. If you can pull of both of these tricks, you can finish off that civ later on without any serious disrubtion to your REX

[vmxa1]

There is great danger to those tactic above emperor level as the AI could bring a lot of pressure to bear.

Even at Monarch and Emperor levels, it could hurt you more than it helps. It is a tool that has its places and uses, but will not fit all jobs.

[Krill]

true, but it does help (especially in PBEM). I have been able to do that to the Mongols in AU 503, pillaging the cows, and in numerous other starts (all on emperor). If done in the correct circumstances (your point is well taken and correct), it can give you either breathing space or alot of land to REX into or more time to set up pumps (unit and settler).


But you are right, and I have not tried it beyond Demi (and I don't aim to), but it is still a viable tactic like settler bopping in the late REX phase

[Aeson]

I think pillaging becomes more viable the higher the level, as long as you have a movement advantage on your target.

There isn't any need to pillage on an 'easy' (whatever your skill level would dictate) level, because the AI are really just building up improvements for you to take. When claiming those improvements becomes difficult, then pillaging can make a big difference.

[Kuciwalker]

I do it when I have bombers - I like to turn the entire AI territory into craters, if I don't feel like invading.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Aeson
I think pillaging becomes more viable the higher the level, as long as you have a movement advantage on your target.

There isn't any need to pillage on an 'easy' (whatever your skill level would dictate) level, because the AI are really just building up improvements for you to take. When claiming those improvements becomes difficult, then pillaging can make a big difference.

I don't disagree. That does not change the fact that the repurcusion can be harsh as you move up.

At "easy" levels, they are powerless to make you suffer. If you are accustom to playing at a given level, then you know what to expect and how to deal with it.

I was only dropping an alert for people may come by and think I will try it when I move a level or two. They could find those extra troops could put a strain on them.

The extra movement is great for staying out of the way, but will not help much if they declare war and send units to your empire and you are not in a position to handle it.

I know you personaly will not get caught like that, but others may.

[Smellincoffee]

I only use it to cut of access to resources (strategic and luxuries) or deny the enemy quick reinforcements. Enemy knights are a pain when you have to watch out for them to come from six directions.

[Aeson]

The extra movement is great for staying out of the way, but will not help much if they declare war and send units to your empire and you are not in a position to handle it.

Definitely need to keep their starting units out of the picture. That means hitting an AI when you've scoped out their SOD, and verified it isn't near you (ie. hunting Barbs). Then as long as you can keep a unit in or next to their territory, they send the SOD at that unit instead of your home.

Sid is the only difficulty I wouldn't recommend pillaging at the start. You can 'beat' a Sid AI in a pillage war, but they get to Writing so fast, and are so much stronger from the get go, that it usually ends up multiple alliances against you and/or very expensive peace treaty. Once you get an Army on Sid, pillaging becomes possible.

[vmxa1]

Yup, all I am saying is after emperor, you have to know what you are doing to use pillage/settler bops.

I have used armies on Sid to pillage as a means of softening their defense of cities, after I had already busted the SoD.

My thinking was that, with no roads/improvements, they will have a harder time supporting troops and pop. Also making new units and sending them out to attack any cities I have founded during the invasion.

I did not care much about roads and improvements at that stage as I wanted to lay down new cities, tightly spaced for support purposes and avoiding flips.

I will soon have lots of new slaves to reroad and probably ave a few sent over by the time I have my drive underway.

I guess my warning was meant to say that those Regent/Warlord players that find settler bops a good plan, need to be carefully when they move up.

Wars are not so easly ended, when they have more than you have. You will probably have to do some damage or pay off.

[spy14]

Pillaging to me is pointless unless you are cutting off a resource or removing radar. I like to capture things intact, and usually will produce a couple of extra attack units and a couple less bombard-capable units when assaulting Cities.

[vmxa1]

Pillaging is like many of the tools in the game, you don't need it all the time, but it does have many applications.

Assaulting cites (as opposed to towns) is one thing on levels that you will have the better units and anotgher when you will have the same or maybe inferior units.

This is why the level is important. You will probably always have equal or superior troops at Monarch and maybe even Emp, but it starts to change after that.

You may be equal, you may be superior or you may not. If you are not and going after cities with possibly scores of defenders you want all the help you can get.