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In my past few games I have used a different strategy which has vastly increased my success in games. I would like to describe what I have done.
It may be old news, and it is not super brilliant, but it has so improved my game I want to describe it. At the very least, it describes a way to very easily win which might be helpful to new players.
I usually play standard map with 8 civs and default settings. I turn off domination and cultural victories as I would win them too early. This strategy crushes monarch and so far works fine for emperor.
I have two main focuses:
1. Culture
2. Military
Later in the game I pick up a third, smaller focus:
3. Gold
I play Japan for the culture and military bonuses (the Samurai are unimportant, I could just as well be Aztecs).
Early game is the standard land grab, building settlers as fast as possible. I get as many cities as I can until the land is all claimed. I end up with around 10 cities maybe.
I set research to 0% from turn 1. Almost all techs will be forced out of AIs. Luxury rate is always at 0%. Luxury resources and religous buildings provide happiness. Being at 100% tax rate the entire game gives lots of gold.
I build temples early to get a strong lead in culture. As is widely known, this is easy to do early in the game, when the AI ignores culture. A big lead in culture is vital; I make sure never to lose this early lead. (Sometimes this gives me culture flip cities; this is just an added bonus.)
I am friendly to all AIs I meet. I have lots of gold and a couple of techs to give as gifts. I buy their maps but never sell mine. I am very happy to sell any resources and luxuries I can for yet more gold.
After temples, I build barracks in all cities and start stockpiling horsemen (warrior code, horseback riding, and bronze working are the only techs I usually buy from an AI; they are easily affordable).
I get a stack of veteran horsemen, about 15 or so. I also get a few veteran spearmen, about 2 or so. During the game, my cities continue to churn out horsemen (and a few spears) to replace losses and grow the army.
When 15 or so are ready, I stack them next the target civ, victim #1.
I talk to all other civs and gift them 2 or 3 gold per turn to keep them neutral. I do this before every war, increasing the amount of gold given as everyone gets more rich. It is very important, and very easy, to win the diplomatic game. I always make sure that I am only at war with 1 civ (the target) at a time. Generally the AIs are very good about waiting until it is their turn to be conquered.
I then talk to the target civ. First I buy his world map to get the most updated version. Then I threaten him and try to clear out his treasury before the war starts. Regardless of whether he gives in, I declare war in the diplomacy screen.
My stack of horsemen is always able to attack target city #1 on the turn the war begins, because they have 2 movement. I select the biggest, most important city I can to get in a good first blow. Often, this is the capital.
(Also, if there are any resources near the border in other spots, I usually have one spearmen there to move in and deny that resource; thats more for fun though.)
My stack of horsemen takes the city. They will always take the city because their are 15 or so veteran attackers, and no city garrison can withstand that. Further, because they are fast units and will retreat, I have near zero casualties.
After the city falls, I move in the entire stack to quell resisters. With 15 or so units, usually resistance is ended in a single turn. Since my culture is vast, and the war will be quick, culture flips are never an issue. In a game I get at most 1 or 2 culture flips. It really is nothing I worry about at all.
Horsemen are poor defenders. However, the AI is not an aggressive attacker, and 15 or so holds the city, guaranteed. Later, the horsemen move on to conquer, and a spearmen moves up to garrison the city. Usually 1 is all that is needed.
So the stack of horsemen move on after quelling resistors. Usually, they conquer about 1 city per turn, sometimes more. The AI is quickly devoured. No one can sustain losing a major city every turn, when they only have 10 or so cities.
The war is very quick, maybe 10 turns, and ends with me completely conquering the enemy civ. Like culture flipping, military resistance by the AI is simply not an issue. The war is too fast and my army too strong. The limiting factor of conquest is not enemy resistance, but how fast my horsemen can move and get to enemy cities.
Before I finish off the civ, I get the army standing next to his last mainland city. Then I offer peace for all his techs and minor cities. Sometimes this must be done twice, for two reasons. First of all, some AIs are stubborn and won't give everything at first. Second of all, if they are a couple steps in the tech tree ahead of me, I can't get all his techs in one shot.
In any event, the techs aren't very important (they could be easily bought). It is very important to get all his far away or off-contient cities, that would be inconveniant to get to and conquer. Once he has given those, I finish him off. It is important for him to actually die, so that the threat of culture flip (small though it is) is permanently removed.
Further, it is much better to finish him off while your army is in position and ready to do it. It is very wasteful to have your army marching around, not fighting.
So wars are extremely quick, totally one sided, and greatly increase the empire. I am always at war, but each individual war is short. War is constant but quick.
After this, the army is on the new border, and in a position for target #2. I just do the exact same thing to him. When one civ is conquered, I heal units, get them into position, and then quickly declare war on the next civ. I conquer them one at a time, one after the other, in quick succession.
Generally I can get 2 or 3 civs before having to switch to samurai. I still keep and use my horsemen though; later, all will be upgraded to cavalry.
Eventually the continent is all conquered. This makes a short break in the constant war, as transports are built. This can take some time, depending on how big the continent was. If its a large one, I will have about 100 samurai, so will need about 25 galleons. Once the obstacle of the sea has been hurdled, then things go on as before, just on different continents.
Also, when I get the tech, cities will take a short break from building units to make cathedrals, for more culture, and marketplaces for more gold and happiness. I will also build courthouses (only when they will help) and harbors. Later on I will build aquaducts and banks, but that is later.
All cities make a temple and cathedral for certain. Since I have so many cities, the culture adds up greatly. Lots of gold easily finances rush building in corrupt cities.
These are generally the only buildings I ever need. I never make any science buildings. I usually don't make any wonders either; they are much easier to conquer. Also, I make very few of my own workers. 100s of captured ones work fine.
Once I have 100 or so attackers, my cities all go to wealth. The 100% tax all game long, markets, banks, trade deals, and wealth add up to enormous gold. I can rush buy nearly whatever I want. Thus later on gold becomes almost a third focus, along with culture and war.
There are three phases concerning enemy civs, early, middle, and late. Early civs are extremely easy targets. Their handful of spearmen are no match for a stack of horsemen.
Middle civs can be fairly challenging. They may actually have forces that are not totally insignificant. Pikes and muskets are somewhat better defenders. These guys are the toughest match in the game.
Finally, late civs return to being very easy targets. With 100 cavalry or so, with 3 movement, large continent size empires are conquered in less than 10 turns. Enemy forces are killed casually as they reach my front; enemy cities are conquered casually as my front reaches them. Again, the limiting factor to conquest is not the enemy forces, but simply how fast my units can move.
I of course make optimal placement of capital and forbidden palace. Often, I use my first leader to do this, not create an army. Being militaristic helps make this not a problem. I make sure to have both capitals set up before I let a samurai start my golden age. This golden age is usually well timed for when I am fighting the tougher middle civs.
I am in monarch most of the game, though republic is also feasible, perhaps because each war is short.
This strategy quickly makes me the number 1 civ. In most games, all other civs are conquered around maybe 1500 AD or so.
The strong military makes conquest easy, and the high culture through religion removes the problem of culture flipping. Being rich is just a bonus.
This is simple, and nothing ground breaking, but it is very powerful. It makes winning (on monarch at least) near automatic. I may quit using it soon, as it is somewhat repetitive, but I doubt there are many more efficient ways to win.
Thanks for reading.
It may be old news, and it is not super brilliant, but it has so improved my game I want to describe it. At the very least, it describes a way to very easily win which might be helpful to new players.
I usually play standard map with 8 civs and default settings. I turn off domination and cultural victories as I would win them too early. This strategy crushes monarch and so far works fine for emperor.
I have two main focuses:
1. Culture
2. Military
Later in the game I pick up a third, smaller focus:
3. Gold
I play Japan for the culture and military bonuses (the Samurai are unimportant, I could just as well be Aztecs).
Early game is the standard land grab, building settlers as fast as possible. I get as many cities as I can until the land is all claimed. I end up with around 10 cities maybe.
I set research to 0% from turn 1. Almost all techs will be forced out of AIs. Luxury rate is always at 0%. Luxury resources and religous buildings provide happiness. Being at 100% tax rate the entire game gives lots of gold.
I build temples early to get a strong lead in culture. As is widely known, this is easy to do early in the game, when the AI ignores culture. A big lead in culture is vital; I make sure never to lose this early lead. (Sometimes this gives me culture flip cities; this is just an added bonus.)
I am friendly to all AIs I meet. I have lots of gold and a couple of techs to give as gifts. I buy their maps but never sell mine. I am very happy to sell any resources and luxuries I can for yet more gold.
After temples, I build barracks in all cities and start stockpiling horsemen (warrior code, horseback riding, and bronze working are the only techs I usually buy from an AI; they are easily affordable).
I get a stack of veteran horsemen, about 15 or so. I also get a few veteran spearmen, about 2 or so. During the game, my cities continue to churn out horsemen (and a few spears) to replace losses and grow the army.
When 15 or so are ready, I stack them next the target civ, victim #1.
I talk to all other civs and gift them 2 or 3 gold per turn to keep them neutral. I do this before every war, increasing the amount of gold given as everyone gets more rich. It is very important, and very easy, to win the diplomatic game. I always make sure that I am only at war with 1 civ (the target) at a time. Generally the AIs are very good about waiting until it is their turn to be conquered.
I then talk to the target civ. First I buy his world map to get the most updated version. Then I threaten him and try to clear out his treasury before the war starts. Regardless of whether he gives in, I declare war in the diplomacy screen.
My stack of horsemen is always able to attack target city #1 on the turn the war begins, because they have 2 movement. I select the biggest, most important city I can to get in a good first blow. Often, this is the capital.
(Also, if there are any resources near the border in other spots, I usually have one spearmen there to move in and deny that resource; thats more for fun though.)
My stack of horsemen takes the city. They will always take the city because their are 15 or so veteran attackers, and no city garrison can withstand that. Further, because they are fast units and will retreat, I have near zero casualties.
After the city falls, I move in the entire stack to quell resisters. With 15 or so units, usually resistance is ended in a single turn. Since my culture is vast, and the war will be quick, culture flips are never an issue. In a game I get at most 1 or 2 culture flips. It really is nothing I worry about at all.
Horsemen are poor defenders. However, the AI is not an aggressive attacker, and 15 or so holds the city, guaranteed. Later, the horsemen move on to conquer, and a spearmen moves up to garrison the city. Usually 1 is all that is needed.
So the stack of horsemen move on after quelling resistors. Usually, they conquer about 1 city per turn, sometimes more. The AI is quickly devoured. No one can sustain losing a major city every turn, when they only have 10 or so cities.
The war is very quick, maybe 10 turns, and ends with me completely conquering the enemy civ. Like culture flipping, military resistance by the AI is simply not an issue. The war is too fast and my army too strong. The limiting factor of conquest is not enemy resistance, but how fast my horsemen can move and get to enemy cities.
Before I finish off the civ, I get the army standing next to his last mainland city. Then I offer peace for all his techs and minor cities. Sometimes this must be done twice, for two reasons. First of all, some AIs are stubborn and won't give everything at first. Second of all, if they are a couple steps in the tech tree ahead of me, I can't get all his techs in one shot.
In any event, the techs aren't very important (they could be easily bought). It is very important to get all his far away or off-contient cities, that would be inconveniant to get to and conquer. Once he has given those, I finish him off. It is important for him to actually die, so that the threat of culture flip (small though it is) is permanently removed.
Further, it is much better to finish him off while your army is in position and ready to do it. It is very wasteful to have your army marching around, not fighting.
So wars are extremely quick, totally one sided, and greatly increase the empire. I am always at war, but each individual war is short. War is constant but quick.
After this, the army is on the new border, and in a position for target #2. I just do the exact same thing to him. When one civ is conquered, I heal units, get them into position, and then quickly declare war on the next civ. I conquer them one at a time, one after the other, in quick succession.
Generally I can get 2 or 3 civs before having to switch to samurai. I still keep and use my horsemen though; later, all will be upgraded to cavalry.
Eventually the continent is all conquered. This makes a short break in the constant war, as transports are built. This can take some time, depending on how big the continent was. If its a large one, I will have about 100 samurai, so will need about 25 galleons. Once the obstacle of the sea has been hurdled, then things go on as before, just on different continents.
Also, when I get the tech, cities will take a short break from building units to make cathedrals, for more culture, and marketplaces for more gold and happiness. I will also build courthouses (only when they will help) and harbors. Later on I will build aquaducts and banks, but that is later.
All cities make a temple and cathedral for certain. Since I have so many cities, the culture adds up greatly. Lots of gold easily finances rush building in corrupt cities.
These are generally the only buildings I ever need. I never make any science buildings. I usually don't make any wonders either; they are much easier to conquer. Also, I make very few of my own workers. 100s of captured ones work fine.
Once I have 100 or so attackers, my cities all go to wealth. The 100% tax all game long, markets, banks, trade deals, and wealth add up to enormous gold. I can rush buy nearly whatever I want. Thus later on gold becomes almost a third focus, along with culture and war.
There are three phases concerning enemy civs, early, middle, and late. Early civs are extremely easy targets. Their handful of spearmen are no match for a stack of horsemen.
Middle civs can be fairly challenging. They may actually have forces that are not totally insignificant. Pikes and muskets are somewhat better defenders. These guys are the toughest match in the game.
Finally, late civs return to being very easy targets. With 100 cavalry or so, with 3 movement, large continent size empires are conquered in less than 10 turns. Enemy forces are killed casually as they reach my front; enemy cities are conquered casually as my front reaches them. Again, the limiting factor to conquest is not the enemy forces, but simply how fast my units can move.
I of course make optimal placement of capital and forbidden palace. Often, I use my first leader to do this, not create an army. Being militaristic helps make this not a problem. I make sure to have both capitals set up before I let a samurai start my golden age. This golden age is usually well timed for when I am fighting the tougher middle civs.
I am in monarch most of the game, though republic is also feasible, perhaps because each war is short.
This strategy quickly makes me the number 1 civ. In most games, all other civs are conquered around maybe 1500 AD or so.
The strong military makes conquest easy, and the high culture through religion removes the problem of culture flipping. Being rich is just a bonus.
This is simple, and nothing ground breaking, but it is very powerful. It makes winning (on monarch at least) near automatic. I may quit using it soon, as it is somewhat repetitive, but I doubt there are many more efficient ways to win.
Thanks for reading.
. Hence my games usually involve war-avoidance strats.
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