I've seen alot of talk on these forums about attacking during earlier parts of the game, but I usually can't manage to take out everyone I'd like to that early in the game. Alot of the time when I play on Monarch, there will be a super power AI and eventualy it will come after me.
I've found that the computer's complete lack of skill in using massed artillery makes the ideal time to strike a superior civ the time inbetween Replacable Parts and Mobile Warfare.
When I've played a war during this period, the enemy sends all its mobile forces out ahead....and usually its out in the open and intercepted before they even get to a city. Besides at this point, cavalry is pretty much useless in my book, except to be sacrficed when I have the enemy infantry stack surrounded and low on HP.
But the crazy thing is when the infantry stack comes. It just marches in, by passing highly defended cities, charging into your interior to some weakly defended city. The trick is to put an infantry or 2 on defensive terrian near by the infantry stack so its always on low defense ground. Then once you've massed enough of your own infantry, completely surround the enemy infantry and fortfiy (usually you have rails so you can fortify the same turn). Of course I've been pumpling them with artillery the whole time as they head to the weakly defended city. Once surrounded, the enemy has to either charge your infantry at about 3 to 1 odds or worse....or sit there while you continue to pound them with artillery.
Enemy armies act really strangely when completely surrounded. They'll often fight, and take huge losses doing it. But the point is the longest period of time between mobile unit advances, and the point where the AI's lack of artillery skills is the most vital. Once the enemy is low on HP, it doesn't matter what you attack the infantry with usually. ^_^ The only bad thing I can think of is if the enemy gets battlefeild medience, but...usually artillery does more damage than they can heal, and the enemy army will charge your infantry anyway......losing massively.
I've found that the computer's complete lack of skill in using massed artillery makes the ideal time to strike a superior civ the time inbetween Replacable Parts and Mobile Warfare.
When I've played a war during this period, the enemy sends all its mobile forces out ahead....and usually its out in the open and intercepted before they even get to a city. Besides at this point, cavalry is pretty much useless in my book, except to be sacrficed when I have the enemy infantry stack surrounded and low on HP.
But the crazy thing is when the infantry stack comes. It just marches in, by passing highly defended cities, charging into your interior to some weakly defended city. The trick is to put an infantry or 2 on defensive terrian near by the infantry stack so its always on low defense ground. Then once you've massed enough of your own infantry, completely surround the enemy infantry and fortfiy (usually you have rails so you can fortify the same turn). Of course I've been pumpling them with artillery the whole time as they head to the weakly defended city. Once surrounded, the enemy has to either charge your infantry at about 3 to 1 odds or worse....or sit there while you continue to pound them with artillery.
Enemy armies act really strangely when completely surrounded. They'll often fight, and take huge losses doing it. But the point is the longest period of time between mobile unit advances, and the point where the AI's lack of artillery skills is the most vital. Once the enemy is low on HP, it doesn't matter what you attack the infantry with usually. ^_^ The only bad thing I can think of is if the enemy gets battlefeild medience, but...usually artillery does more damage than they can heal, and the enemy army will charge your infantry anyway......losing massively.
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