Pop Rushing: The Art and Science

[bsklepzig]

I've seen a lot of discussion of pop-rushing and the benefit of being in despotism or communism, but I haven't seen a detailed description of the technique. Some use it sparingly, conscious of happiness issues down the road. Others use it relentlessly, often (it seems) disbanding cities and resettling to eliminate the memory of the horrors of the whip while keeping the city site.

Would pop-rush afficianados care to offer their wisdom? What are your rules of thumb? How does pop-rush fit into larger strategies for the game? (I'm guessing most pop-rush fans aren't going for the culture win ...) How does level factor in? (i.e. pop-rush is a style choice at warlord, a requirement at diety, etc.)

(... and for newbies, pop-rushing is using the "rush-build" button on the city screen when under despotism or communism. Some of your city's population is sacrificed to finish the unit or improvement. City populations remember the use of the whip to build and it can contribute to unhappiness levels, civil disorder, etc.)

Anyway, interested in your input.

Ben

[Aeson]

I tend to only use conquered cities, or temporary ones set up specifically for pop rushing. I will pop rush a settler to disband a conquered city first, to greatly lessen the chance of reversion. As long as the city doesn't have any excess food, the settler will be produced, even at size 1. The settler maintains it's nationality, but the other Civ's culture buildup in that city/settler is lost. The nationality will be pop rushed away within 2 or 3 rushes anyways. Also it allows for better placement in many cases.

In a Deity game it is almost required to do at least some pop rushing, though it can be won without it. Pop rushing is more efficient than any other production method for corrupt cities, and so makes any game easier. Religious Civs make good use of an early pop rush for a Temple, as do Scientific Civs with Libraries. It can help jump start the culture/research machine, with a very short period of extra unhappiness.

The following is a list of city sites that I look for when setting up temporary pop rush city. The Settler Rush cities take some time to set up right (and aren't very common), but can drastically increase the expansion rate once they get going.

Bonus Food Tiles: (Despotism)

Irrigated Wheat Flood Plain - 5
Wheat Flood Plain Wheat - 4
Irrigated Cattle Grassland - 4
Irrigated Wheat Grassland - 4
Cattle Grassland - 3
Wheat Grassland - 3
Irrigated Cattle Plain - 3
Irrigated Wheat Plain - 3
Irrigated Flood Plain - 3

City sites for pop rushing: (assuming Emperor/Deity happiness)

1 Five, Granery, 1 city garrison
- produces 40 shields every other turn, pop rush at size 2

2 Fours, Granery, 2 city garrison
- produces 40 shields every other turn, pop rush at size 3

2 Fives, no Granery, 2 city garrison
- produces 40 shields every 3rd turn, pop rush at size 3

2 Threes, Granery, 2 city garrison
- produces 40 shields every 3rd turn, pop rush at size 3

1 Two, Granery, 1 city garrison
- produces 40 shields every 5th turn, pop rush at size 2

2 Fives, 2 Two+, Granery, Temple, 2 city garrison, 2+ Luxuries
- produces a settler every 5th turn, pop rush at size 5

1 Five, 2 Two+, Granery, Temple, 2 city garrison
- produces a settler every 6th turn, pop rush at size 4

2 Fours, 2 Two+, Granery, Temple, 2 city garrison, 2+ Luxuries
- produces a settler every 6th turn, pop rush at size 5

[solo]

Pop-rushing is a very powerful tool, so strong that a good challenge would be to win a deity game without doing it. I suspect its use will be diminished or possibly eliminated in the next patch.

[Purple]

When exactly do the unhappiness penalties for pop rushing kick in? How are they determined? And is there any way to lessen the penalties (e.g., by adding a worker or settler to a city that has experienced pop rushing)?

[godinex]

The best way is the starting position, but only works in a not Huge map.

[pchang]

Unhappiness penalties kick in immediately. I don't know exactly how it works, but while in despotism, as long as you keep the population to 3 or less, garrison troops are sufficient to keep people happy. Any luxuries you can have also alleviates this. Thus, there really is no penalty felt by an active pop rusher. At least, until the pop rusher decides to switch governments to republic/democracy and start building out his infrastructure. Then, only luxuries will keep people content and cities which experienced massive pop rushing will not be effective or grow because beyond the 4th or 5th person, all extra pop must be entertainers until the pop rushing penalties start to wear off.

The biggest loophole is the ability to pop rush a city to nothingness by producing a settler at pop 2 when you have no excess food. When the city disappears, so does all memory of pop rushing. Use the settler to found a new city, and you start with a clean slate.