Playing as the Germans

[SpencerH]

I'm in the middle of civfanatics GOTM 8 which is monarch as the Germans. This is the first time I've played as them and I would say that I'm not dominating the game as well as normally do. I'm a builder so maybe the Germans are not my 'cup of tea', or is it just bad luck.

[Arrian]

I'm playing a mini tourney (see Strategy forum), which is Germans on Emperor. And suffice it to say that things are not proceeding well. Without religious or industrious, building is tough. Ancient war on Emperor was difficult due to the speed of tech advancement. I'm supposedly in 3rd place (out of 7), but I'm hurtin'

I think Sir Ralph has the best strategy for the Germans: he sets up about 4 cities and starts pumping out archers. He then "prunes" nearby civs, basically by taking out their capitols. It certainly worked for him in our mini tourney.

-Arrian

[Inverse Icarus]

the germans are great for an early war gambit. scientific / militiristic isn't that well adjusted for an early game unless you all out assault people. barracks are a godsend

[Harovan]

SpencerH: I'm also playing the GOTM8, although I may not submit it, since I play in other tournaments and this game has low priority for me. I played an early archer gambit against all 3 AI civs, wandering around and weakening them. I almost completely control my home continent. The English have 4 cities left, the French 6 and the Russians 11. I easily could wipe out each of them, but I have enough 1-shield cities.

[SpencerH]

I dont know what is different about this game. The AI is trading techs like its deity v1.07 were at mid to late industrial by 1550. I havent got a single wonder, not even Hoover Dam (that I 'always' get). I should've gone on the offensive but I was trying to win without a war but the French just sneak attacked me.

Is this common for the Germans ie you have to play as a warmonger or is it this game?

[Austin]

German strategy:

As a militaristic and scientific Civ, you start the game with the ability to build archers, half price barracks, and spearmen.

This all but screams "EARLY ARCHER RUSH". Build three or four cities. Build at least two of them in areas with a lot of forest, build barracks, and churn out strike forces consisting of 5 or 6 archers and two spearmen.

Send a strike force to each neighbouring civ, beat the living crap out of them, take their capitol, and raze/take at least one other city. Sue for peace, and take all the civs tech and whatever else you have.

Note: Beat on them one at a time. Build a strike force, attack, rebuild strike force, attack next one etc.

Use your leaders to grab wonders.

Once you have iron working, build a couple more cities until the total of your original 4 + captured cities from archer rush + new cities is around 8 to 10.

Build barracks in appropriate cities, and churn out a huge mess of veteran swordsmen.

Revisit the civs that you beat on with the archer rush, beat on them again, take their techs.

Once you get into the time period where a lot of the UU units like samurai are running about, you don't really have any special advantages, so now is the time to turtle and concentrate on internal development and limited warmaking, expanding where possible.

Beeline for motorized transport.

Once your panzers come on line, mobilize. Build a big stack of panzers, then pick a victim and beat the living crap out of it. Cackle maniacally about lebensraum and jewish freemasonry and keep attacking till you've killed them all, or they kill you.

The Germans are my favorite civ to play.

Austin

[Jon Shafer]

And so, the lesson for the day is:
If you play the Germans, hit first, hit quick, and hit hard.

A builder will be unpleasantly surprised the first time he plays the Germans. This is especially true on higher difficulties, when building just isn't possible.

[Theseus]

Note to self:

Hit hard. Hit Hard. HIT HARD!!!!

In the mini-tourney, I don't think I went at it enough... didn;t take capitols in the first attacks, for instance.

I think Germany needs to be played at extremes... either totally peaceful, and leverage science, or totally psycho.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Trip
And so, the lesson for the day is:
If you play the Germans, hit first, hit quick, and hit hard.

A builder will be unpleasantly surprised the first time he plays the Germans. This is especially true on higher difficulties, when building just isn't possible.

That's it in a nutshell. I usually play as the egyptians or japanese (although I've played as most others). I dont normally play as expansionist or germans though and this game has come as a bit of a shock. I may still win, but it'll be tougher than normal.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Theseus
Note to self:

Hit hard. Hit Hard. HIT HARD!!!!

In the mini-tourney, I don't think I went at it enough... didn;t take capitols in the first attacks, for instance.

I think Germany needs to be played at extremes... either totally peaceful, and leverage science, or totally psycho.

What mini-tourney. I saw the thread but not the game.

[Arrian]

Spencer,

The 4000bc save is in this thread: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...2&pagenumber=2

Theseus... I foolishly tried to use my chariot upgrade gambit and it just doesn't work at that level - at least not as Germany. You've gotta hit earlier, which means archers. I actually don't relish the thought of trying to play it out... I'm losing rather badly.

-Arrian

[SpencerH]

Thanks Arrian. It'll give me another shot with the germans where others have played the same game.

[Theseus]

Arrian:

I'm betting the ranch on Cavs. Unfortunately, against Infantry...

More on that in the the other thread, probably tonight.

So, I guess we're out of the comfort zone, huh?

[Harovan]

Austin: Excellent summary , and very close to my approach. I seldom play "my" Germans, though.

[Silvern Tiger]

If your next neighbour is Germany, just don't let them build panzers