using military "wall" to stop AI CIV expansion

[Harovan]

I don't build a wall, but use to block the wandering settlers either with captured workers or (if I still have none) with 3-4 horsemen (from my "national guard") per party. That's enough to block the settlers. Meanwhile, I rush with my own settlers to the suspected AI destination. If they see, that it's occupied, they usually give up and go away.

[planetfall]

Have been using wall concept, but sometimes use single line instead of double line. For short sections it does not matter but single seems to be better for longer lines. See gif for example of 2 lines.

However, some cautions:

1. Probably won't have time to create wall at higher levels.

2. If use wall, protect sea leapfrogs:
a. blocking with galleys doesn't work because AI can sail in open sea,
b. privaters are good for messing up AI expansion

3. Until build wall can always challenge AI for crossing line

4. Expect some to get thru. Limit value of city by putting one of yours nearby and build culture.

5. If AI builds a city in a strange place, it is probably because there will be strategic resource in that spot later.

6. After wall and sea borders protected a line of privateers about 8 tiles apart is usually sufficient to keep AI from leaving their world and sailing to plant in yours.
You will need barracks nearby as privateers are heavily hit by return fire.

7. I usually use cheapest units for wall, warriors.

8. Alternative to solid wall is, line of warriors every two tiles, with horsemen
playing safety and plugging the gaps until the wall is secure. This strategy is helpful when don't want to buy all those soldiers and need other development first.

9. Since the AI counts the number of military more than the strength of military, the wall usually stops AI wars with a most civs.

Let us know what else you discover.

[solo]

I also use this a lot and recommend it highly, though I use the cheapest units, and try to include workers actually doing jobs, to get something extra while maintaining the blockade.

The AI do not give up easily, in their attempts to get a round a wall, so I always leave an opening somewhere, that they can rush for, and block it just as they arrive. The longer you keep their settlers pre-occuppied this way, the longer you deprive them of extra cities, an added benefit. Plug holes long enough and you will be rewarded by seeing these settlers throw up their arms in frustration!

One other point is that I have never had an AI sneak attack me while any of their vulnerable settlers were on my turf.

[Aeson]

One way to avoid the costs involved in using something like this in a Democracy or Republic is to use captured workers instead. It usually is pretty easy to get 100's of them, and they don't cost any maintanence. Of course they only would work for this in peacetime.

[sozinsky]

I recently started using this strategy to stop AI CIV expansion, and wanted to get some others opinions on it. (I'm sure lots of people have tried it).

In my current game, I'm sharing a reasonably large continent with four other civs. Early on I decided that I was sick of AI CIV settlers trying to settle my land, so, after grabbing a big chunk of the continent ( about 1/2 ), I built a bunch of military units (spearman, mostly) and physically lined them up in a big wall from north to south.

I'm at peace with all the other CIVS, so, as a result, I occasionally see some settlers bumping up against my wall, but none ever manage to get through.

Any thoughts about this strategy? Because I'm still a despot, and because it takes a fair amount of units to create the wall ( my wall is 2 units thick ), I can imagine my population becoming unhappy if I ever move on to a different govt....

Thanks!
sozinsky