I can't fight!!!

[Genghis Al]

Hello, I just registered, i have been reading for sometime though, and I learned so much I needed to get into it.



Here is the question, I always tend to... LOSE ALL WARS in this game, I always win via AC and I never built caravans until know. Why am I so bad at fighting? I keep usaually 1 phalanx. and I build walls in the ones close to the other civ's. I try to attack them and lose, they attack me and take a city. HELP ME

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A russian never forgets

[Smash]

You must not be attacking with strong enough units.Make sure your attackers are veterans.

Against the ai:

Use pre worked settlers to "flash" forts beside enemy cities then load that fort up on the same turn.

pre worked settler-start a settler mining(easiest in case you forget him for a turn) next turn "click" him to stop.Now move him to the desired location and press F.Poof! instant fort!Next load up the fort with 2 defenders and 4 0r 5(or more) attackers.Fortify them .Next turn attack.

Use ceasefires to build roads right to the cities and to move your pre worked settlers into position.Great Wall is handy here.

Probably the easiest way to get started is after monarchy get Feudal and build the War Academy.Go for chivalry and start building vet knights.Hit them early with your knights,use catapults and preworked settlers for "stubborn" walled cities.Steer towards Leadership for Dragoons.

You can also go for Mono and Crusaders instead of Knights but a longer route to Dragoons.


Build The Lighthouse and get Steam before Magnet.Now you have a window in which to build vet-ironclads.They ignore city walls and will smash defenders up to and including riflemen.Great for coastal cities.Hit a city with 4 or 5 vet irons,sail your caravel up and unload your horse.The city is yours.

Don't send unit after unit.Assemble your army and move in an organized fashion.Use the terrain to your advantage.Have some defenders and diplomats in your army.


.....or wait for Robotics and have your way.

Use trade routes and possibly Fundy to build up your treasury and go city shopping with boatloads of Diplomats or Spys

[Alexander's Horse]

I find nuclear weapons a great comfort when strategy fails me.


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Founder, fraternal comrade and citizen of the People's Republic of Off Topic (PROT)

My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

If you can remain calm, you just don't have all the facts.

[Krushala]

As has been pointed out, always attack with veteran units. I have no success attacking cities without veterans. In my opinion there are few units that should be attacking cities (especially with city walls). In the early game use knights or crusaders (high attack, good movement). Archers and catapults are worthless (unless you do manage to get a fortress one square from his city- hard to do for me). In the mid game use cavalry. And of course howitzers in the late game (they can take any unit inside a city because they ignore city walls). I only use 2 units to take cities, Knights and howitzers (just move in better defensive units after you take the city). The other units are good only for destroying units out in the open.

Forgot aircraft. Use bombers in conjunction with tanks/howitzers. Don't use fighters they have poor attack on cities (fly in fighters when you take the city). Stealth fighter is good for weaker units. Use battleships for shore bombardment which can take most any unit unless a coastal fortress is up.
[This message has been edited by Krushala (edited December 16, 1999).]

[Campo]

Everyone says "build vet units". The only way I know to do that is by getting the War Academy. Then there's the problem of Leo upgrading existing units. Is there a technique I'm missing?

[Sten Sture]

Great summary Smash!

Ghengis Al - I emphasize using defensive terrain effectively, and then launching a counter attack. If an enemy city is built next to a mountain, or even a hill, you can put a defensive unit like a phalanx or a pikeman and a slow offensive unit like a catapult on the mountain and attack with the cat and defend with the phalanx or pike. This gives you a chance to successfully defend if you don't have the liberty of committing a settler to fort building at the moment. Even if you can't completely take the city, you will force your adversary to try to dislodge you, which will waste their resources.

If you feel like you are losing too many battles, then maybe you are overreaching, or not dictating the ground to fight over. Don't attack with defensive or wounded units! Attacking a settler with a phalanx is a quick way to lose that phalanx. And try not to defend with offensive units.


Campo - build a barracks first in the city and all units produced there will be vets.
[This message has been edited by Sten Sture (edited December 16, 1999).]

[Steve Clark]

Veterans or not, I don't fight offensively unless my units are stronger than their units or to have significant cash to bribe everything coming your way. Defensively, phalanx and then pikemen behind city walls will hold out for a very long time. I have never lost a bloodlust game yet and the key is to make it a dedicated goal from turn 1 to have a better armed forces (and more spies) than your opponents. The secret to total warfare? Fundamentalism.
[This message has been edited by Steve Clark (edited December 16, 1999).]

[Genghis Al]

Hey thanks for all the advice, I never put much effort into making vets. It is becouse war comes so inexpected I build untis rather then barracks. I never build barracks the cost upkeep and go absolete. I guess I will have to change if I want to survive.

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A russian never forgets

[jpk]

If your attacking units do not ignore walls, use diplomats or spies to knock out the walls. You will lose some diplomats and spies. They cost 30 shields but any decent offensive unit costs at least 40 shields. Unless you have an overwhelming qualitative advantage in your units attack a single city with a large number of units.

Krushala does not like stealth fighters. I do. Prior to the AI getting mechanized infantry, several veteran stealth fighters in combination with paratroopers can conquer any city within their reach. If you are sure that you can take the city, a stealth fighter can keep on attacking a city until it has but one turn left. After you capture the city, land the stealth fighter in the newly captured city.

If you build lots of caravans (see the end of this message for additional advice), you will be rich enough to bribe cities. Take the AI's capitol, repeating this step as often as necessary, and then start bribing.

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If you can not think of a good reason to build something other than a caravan, build a caravan!

[Krushala]

Yes I forgot barracks. I'm a late fighter and don't go for war academy. I try for mobile as early as possible and put barracks in about hald my cities. Airports and port facilities in the other half.

Actually I love the stealth fighters. As long as the enemy is still using rifleman. They can quickly clean out cities with lowly units. And I use them on partisans if they are on plains/grassland.

[Campo]

Originally posted by Sten Sture on 12-16-1999 11:52 AM
Campo - build a barracks first in the city and all units produced there will be vet

Right, I knew that at one time but had forgotten. I haven't been building barracks because of obsolescence and also because I always get Leo's, so my units lose vet status when upgraded. There's no way around that, right?

[SlowwHand]

Amazing stuff to be found. A "Civer" who forgets that barracks produce veteran units.
And the topic starter is surprised that his one unit is insufficient defense in city.
What a world,what a world.


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"What's good fer me ain't necessarily good fer the weak-minded."

[geofelt]

To win at fighting, you need to be able to evaluate the defensive strength of your opponent as compared to your attack strength. Barracks produce veterans which are 50% stronger(rounded down). Walls triple defensive strength, and terrain is added strength. Assume that defenders are fortified which adds 50%. A phalanx fortified behind walls defends at 7. Attacking with a catapult(6) will likely lose. Attacking with a vet catapult(9) will likely win. Do not attack until you have enough units to wipe out all the defenders and take the city. If you don't, the city will get reinforced faster than you can recover, and you will have to start all over again. When you get howitzers, you will beat any defender, possibly excepting units on a mountain.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

Now, I'm not 100% sure about this but, it seems that when attacking (with any unit) the terrain the attacker is on makes a difference. I know the terrain the defender is on makes a difference but when I attack from mountains or hills I always do a little better (more so when using air units).

[My Wife Hates CIV]

For later in the game spies are the best. Just go in and posion the water supply. They never fail. Walk in and destroy the AI without a single shot. Take the city when size 1 and no more ai. whats great about this is there is no city for the ai to take back. supported units vanish without shields.

this works well against an ai with better techs and units.