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Waging War
That which you enter lightly should only be that which you may exit lightly. All other situations must be utterly prudent.
THE CONCEPT OF WAR IN CIV
Civ takes the position of units being like chess pieces: destroy or be destroyed. Replacable unlike the knights and rooks of chess, yes, yet it is a chess game, both with the computer and with the human opponents on the other end.
Reason for war:
You must an object, and a rational for the objective, particularly in MP. Never wage war, however, assuming to achieve one goal. If you achieve the goal (most likely capturing a city), always consider A) How am I going to be counter attacked and more importantly B) Before this civ has time to build up an army to defend itself next time, where can I strike for more gain? Collarly to B is my opinion that in MP a strike should either concentrate on an important, but non-centrally located city, or on two different cities at once.
To reason a war, you have to have some advantage over the enemy. If its Spies, then use them to subvert cities and move in with your defenses. If its Great Wall, use it to fight a war with minimal defenses in captured cities, allowing you to stretch your forces further. If its Sun Tzu, use it to make a veteran army that you will use prudently. If its Monotheism, use Crusaders to attack the militaristicly inferior nations.
If you have no advantage (mere size or wealth do not count), do not fight. Subvert, or build you empire into theirs, simultaneously heavily defending the cities you build one square from their major cities on their major sources of wealth.
When to Fight and to Incite:
Incite to capture your first city, if possible. This gives you a base and the only unit expended is a diplo (if you use a spy, she lives). Do not exhaust your treasury to incite every city- remember you need to buy units to speed up production. Attack the weak cities and incite those cities built on mountains or hills with walls, for even a warrior can fend off a tank in that case.
The concept of war in civ:
Civ is not a war simulation game. It is not particularly good at any aspect of strat games except its balance. Like Star Wars, there's something for everyone. War is one way to win, and the only red blooded way to do it. If you love football (either the Communist or American version), don't puss out and build the spaceship.
To wage war in civ is 90% the structure of your civ and 10% execution. Strategy is in the prep, not the battle. Same in life- most battles are won before they are fought. This is how to win the war:
CIVILIZATION STRUCTURE
Cities: More the better. Why? If I have nine cities that produce a sum of 100 shields (a good amount for the period of the civ game I default to, that is 1-1000 AD) and that produce 100 coins, 100 beakers, etc., I can produce at most nine units per turn, and we know that a couple cities are building improvements, such forth and so on. But having thirty cities that sum to produce in 600 AD about 120 shields and equal numbers of beakers and coins, I can realisticly produce nine units a turn and not be over extended. I use my core cities to finance my empire and wonder production, and use my Empire to build my armies. Nine cities, even big cities, producing nine units every third turn is harder on a civ than 30 cities producing nine units every other turn. Build build build, and so what is some ****head captures the city you named after your girlfriend (or boyfriend)? Rename and recapture.
Do not overextend and build a colessium in a city until it reaches size 14 or 16; the point is this:
Your civs is three things: Your population, your roads, and your units. Under population is how many cities you have as well as how big the cities are. As before said, thirty size one, two, three and four cities are worth more than nine size six, seven, and eight cities.
Roads: Trade caravans and freight are under roads, but roads also give you trade in of themselves. You need roads to interconnect your empire. You need caravans for the science bonus, the coin bonus, and the permanent trade arrows between cities. Keep producing a caravan every tenth turn or so per city. Keep building roads around cities but first between cities. Don't waste time building fortress in your empire unless next to an enemy or if your in the modern age when railroads make fortresses necessary.
Units: How many settlers are working and how many of them are NONE units? Get as many NONE units, particularly settlers, as you can in any way that you can, including the variety of cheats devised. More importantly, what kind of units do you have? Defensive, offensive, bombardment. If you have defensive army (having the Feudalism tech coupled with mathmatics), I suggest buying the fringe cities of an empire and eating away their ability to mass produce. Build Sun Tzu. I further suggest unit the defensive units to guard expanding you empire buy building cities, lots of them. If you have an offensive army (monotheism or chivarly techs), build Great Wall and swiftly attack, attack, attack those that either also have an offensive army, or those having inferior techs. Don't battle the Feudalistic empire with Crusaders, because they'll eat you lunch.
Location: Island or continent. Islands are a pain to attack because you have to land and then move EVERYTHING to the island by ship (air lifts later in the game). When you attack an island, particularly the long, narrow ones, go for two places: the biggest city and the middle. If these co-exist, go for the middle and north end of the island. People always build North and think North. Buy a city or two as a base, land your troops.
If your an island, watch out. Making war from an island is tough. Resources are tight and you can't put that many cities on an island (this summation requires one to know the difference between an Island and a Continent. Sometimes its a tough question in Civ). I suggest heading for defensive technologies early on ang get the upper hand two ways: Become technologically superior and trade alot. Don't forget to colonize a continent so that you have a stable base of action. If you're core cities are an island, make those cities your economic core and establish core cities on the continent that are production oriented.
Continent: Thank Sid that you aren't some poor bastard out on an island. If your offensively orientated in your techs, make those poor guys your first target, because they are weak, even if technologically equal, they are weak by being so tightly built. Bribery will be expensive, but if you control a few core production squares, you can bring them down, even as much as they fight.
Attacking a continental empire is a two edged sword: You have great distance to traverse to get to the prey, but they have great distance to defend as well. Don't get stuck fighting battles in open turf (not one on one scrimishes- I mean ten units playing some gambit of cat and mouse); open turf battles accomplish nothing. You cannot weaken your enemy's superstructure, only cosmetically damage their efforts by destroying units which in effect only makes the loosing civ have 'wasted' its production. Then again, you suffered when you fought the enemy, so their production was well used. If you are having an easy time taking cities, keep moving. Don't wait but as long as to heal somewhat, and keep driving. Work the shock troops to oblivion (tyrannical bastard!) and replace. Use defensive units or wonders to cement your behind, and look out for diplomats and spies to cut you off from behind. Furthermore, cut off as much railway as you can without comprimising your troops' offensive strategy.
ATTACK FORMATIONS:
This is actual combat now. Firstly, if approaching a city, pounce on them if you can. Don't lumbersomely move on them with ten legions, for if their smart they'll counter. If they can't, it is still bad to slowly and predictably attack because you're wasting time that they may use to counter strike later in the game. Attack with calvalry, preferably Knights and Crusaders.
When moving to a target but out of city range, move forward in a stacked V (inverted chevron), with the two arms of the chevron forward as possible. Do this and a unit (or city you didn't know existed) may find its way into the center of the V, and be easily destroyed.
Another formation for medival war is the bar formation. Two waves of units stacked moving across terrain to the target allows the first wave to absorb a lead attack while the second line has time to retreat or encircle the attacker. Never stretch the units more than five squares wide, preferably two to four. Past five the units are so far apart that one end cannot in any way support the other end. Therefore, make this 'line' two groups that can work independantly.
Supporting the calvary: Calvary are weak on defense, and require a lead force of diplomats and spies to reek havoc and infantry to protect calvary units from being attacked. Furthermore, move onto a city from the forests or hills (unless the city is so well connected that ten or more units can be moved to the city in one turn for defense. IN this case use some units to pillage a circle around the city, and consider those units expendable. ALL units in civ are expendable, and only those cities not having massive production of money or shield, or those cities having WORKING WONDERS are not themselves expendable).
Move onto a city from the due East, West, North, or South, where the city's sight radius is merely one square. Move from the river if that option is open, however. Capture prime production or transportation units before attacking a city. If you can make the enemy attack you and destroy themselves, do this for a turn or two, but don't wait ten turns for them to find a way around you without you knowing it and then having their defenses up for the eventually attack.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PREREQUIST TO ANY SUCCESSFUL WAR:
Explore the enemy, and have an embassy. Without those, you are fighting blind and deaf.
(more later, about backstabbing, alliances, and modern war [or the lack there of])
Chow.
------------------
"Every time I hear the name "Sergent Sheets" I picture a blanket
with portraits of Patton, Einsenhower, MacArthur, and other WWII leaders."
The Brain
"One is never too old to die young." Sgt. Sheets
"The only thing greater than the United State of America is you."
FREE YYYH and Stewart Spink
We shall never forget!!
THE CONCEPT OF WAR IN CIV
Civ takes the position of units being like chess pieces: destroy or be destroyed. Replacable unlike the knights and rooks of chess, yes, yet it is a chess game, both with the computer and with the human opponents on the other end.
Reason for war:
You must an object, and a rational for the objective, particularly in MP. Never wage war, however, assuming to achieve one goal. If you achieve the goal (most likely capturing a city), always consider A) How am I going to be counter attacked and more importantly B) Before this civ has time to build up an army to defend itself next time, where can I strike for more gain? Collarly to B is my opinion that in MP a strike should either concentrate on an important, but non-centrally located city, or on two different cities at once.
To reason a war, you have to have some advantage over the enemy. If its Spies, then use them to subvert cities and move in with your defenses. If its Great Wall, use it to fight a war with minimal defenses in captured cities, allowing you to stretch your forces further. If its Sun Tzu, use it to make a veteran army that you will use prudently. If its Monotheism, use Crusaders to attack the militaristicly inferior nations.
If you have no advantage (mere size or wealth do not count), do not fight. Subvert, or build you empire into theirs, simultaneously heavily defending the cities you build one square from their major cities on their major sources of wealth.
When to Fight and to Incite:
Incite to capture your first city, if possible. This gives you a base and the only unit expended is a diplo (if you use a spy, she lives). Do not exhaust your treasury to incite every city- remember you need to buy units to speed up production. Attack the weak cities and incite those cities built on mountains or hills with walls, for even a warrior can fend off a tank in that case.
The concept of war in civ:
Civ is not a war simulation game. It is not particularly good at any aspect of strat games except its balance. Like Star Wars, there's something for everyone. War is one way to win, and the only red blooded way to do it. If you love football (either the Communist or American version), don't puss out and build the spaceship.
To wage war in civ is 90% the structure of your civ and 10% execution. Strategy is in the prep, not the battle. Same in life- most battles are won before they are fought. This is how to win the war:
CIVILIZATION STRUCTURE
Cities: More the better. Why? If I have nine cities that produce a sum of 100 shields (a good amount for the period of the civ game I default to, that is 1-1000 AD) and that produce 100 coins, 100 beakers, etc., I can produce at most nine units per turn, and we know that a couple cities are building improvements, such forth and so on. But having thirty cities that sum to produce in 600 AD about 120 shields and equal numbers of beakers and coins, I can realisticly produce nine units a turn and not be over extended. I use my core cities to finance my empire and wonder production, and use my Empire to build my armies. Nine cities, even big cities, producing nine units every third turn is harder on a civ than 30 cities producing nine units every other turn. Build build build, and so what is some ****head captures the city you named after your girlfriend (or boyfriend)? Rename and recapture.
Do not overextend and build a colessium in a city until it reaches size 14 or 16; the point is this:
Your civs is three things: Your population, your roads, and your units. Under population is how many cities you have as well as how big the cities are. As before said, thirty size one, two, three and four cities are worth more than nine size six, seven, and eight cities.
Roads: Trade caravans and freight are under roads, but roads also give you trade in of themselves. You need roads to interconnect your empire. You need caravans for the science bonus, the coin bonus, and the permanent trade arrows between cities. Keep producing a caravan every tenth turn or so per city. Keep building roads around cities but first between cities. Don't waste time building fortress in your empire unless next to an enemy or if your in the modern age when railroads make fortresses necessary.
Units: How many settlers are working and how many of them are NONE units? Get as many NONE units, particularly settlers, as you can in any way that you can, including the variety of cheats devised. More importantly, what kind of units do you have? Defensive, offensive, bombardment. If you have defensive army (having the Feudalism tech coupled with mathmatics), I suggest buying the fringe cities of an empire and eating away their ability to mass produce. Build Sun Tzu. I further suggest unit the defensive units to guard expanding you empire buy building cities, lots of them. If you have an offensive army (monotheism or chivarly techs), build Great Wall and swiftly attack, attack, attack those that either also have an offensive army, or those having inferior techs. Don't battle the Feudalistic empire with Crusaders, because they'll eat you lunch.
Location: Island or continent. Islands are a pain to attack because you have to land and then move EVERYTHING to the island by ship (air lifts later in the game). When you attack an island, particularly the long, narrow ones, go for two places: the biggest city and the middle. If these co-exist, go for the middle and north end of the island. People always build North and think North. Buy a city or two as a base, land your troops.
If your an island, watch out. Making war from an island is tough. Resources are tight and you can't put that many cities on an island (this summation requires one to know the difference between an Island and a Continent. Sometimes its a tough question in Civ). I suggest heading for defensive technologies early on ang get the upper hand two ways: Become technologically superior and trade alot. Don't forget to colonize a continent so that you have a stable base of action. If you're core cities are an island, make those cities your economic core and establish core cities on the continent that are production oriented.
Continent: Thank Sid that you aren't some poor bastard out on an island. If your offensively orientated in your techs, make those poor guys your first target, because they are weak, even if technologically equal, they are weak by being so tightly built. Bribery will be expensive, but if you control a few core production squares, you can bring them down, even as much as they fight.
Attacking a continental empire is a two edged sword: You have great distance to traverse to get to the prey, but they have great distance to defend as well. Don't get stuck fighting battles in open turf (not one on one scrimishes- I mean ten units playing some gambit of cat and mouse); open turf battles accomplish nothing. You cannot weaken your enemy's superstructure, only cosmetically damage their efforts by destroying units which in effect only makes the loosing civ have 'wasted' its production. Then again, you suffered when you fought the enemy, so their production was well used. If you are having an easy time taking cities, keep moving. Don't wait but as long as to heal somewhat, and keep driving. Work the shock troops to oblivion (tyrannical bastard!) and replace. Use defensive units or wonders to cement your behind, and look out for diplomats and spies to cut you off from behind. Furthermore, cut off as much railway as you can without comprimising your troops' offensive strategy.
ATTACK FORMATIONS:
This is actual combat now. Firstly, if approaching a city, pounce on them if you can. Don't lumbersomely move on them with ten legions, for if their smart they'll counter. If they can't, it is still bad to slowly and predictably attack because you're wasting time that they may use to counter strike later in the game. Attack with calvalry, preferably Knights and Crusaders.
When moving to a target but out of city range, move forward in a stacked V (inverted chevron), with the two arms of the chevron forward as possible. Do this and a unit (or city you didn't know existed) may find its way into the center of the V, and be easily destroyed.
Another formation for medival war is the bar formation. Two waves of units stacked moving across terrain to the target allows the first wave to absorb a lead attack while the second line has time to retreat or encircle the attacker. Never stretch the units more than five squares wide, preferably two to four. Past five the units are so far apart that one end cannot in any way support the other end. Therefore, make this 'line' two groups that can work independantly.
Supporting the calvary: Calvary are weak on defense, and require a lead force of diplomats and spies to reek havoc and infantry to protect calvary units from being attacked. Furthermore, move onto a city from the forests or hills (unless the city is so well connected that ten or more units can be moved to the city in one turn for defense. IN this case use some units to pillage a circle around the city, and consider those units expendable. ALL units in civ are expendable, and only those cities not having massive production of money or shield, or those cities having WORKING WONDERS are not themselves expendable).
Move onto a city from the due East, West, North, or South, where the city's sight radius is merely one square. Move from the river if that option is open, however. Capture prime production or transportation units before attacking a city. If you can make the enemy attack you and destroy themselves, do this for a turn or two, but don't wait ten turns for them to find a way around you without you knowing it and then having their defenses up for the eventually attack.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PREREQUIST TO ANY SUCCESSFUL WAR:
Explore the enemy, and have an embassy. Without those, you are fighting blind and deaf.
(more later, about backstabbing, alliances, and modern war [or the lack there of])
Chow.
------------------
"Every time I hear the name "Sergent Sheets" I picture a blanket
with portraits of Patton, Einsenhower, MacArthur, and other WWII leaders."
The Brain
"One is never too old to die young." Sgt. Sheets
"The only thing greater than the United State of America is you."
FREE YYYH and Stewart Spink
We shall never forget!!
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