Peace treaties as strategy
I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but the more I work with this strategy, the more incredible it seems.
If you manage your treaties and trades right, you can wage war with a civ, take out a good number of cities, and declare peace. After the treaty, move your forces right along your new border, and take out a few more (or the rest) of their cities, and as a bonus, a ton of workers. (Usually the civ brings out the workers a turn or two after the treaty is signed to rebuild everything you destroyed). Breaking peace treaties as far as I can tell does nothing to your overall reputation (since technically everyone starts off with a peace treaty).
The break in the middle of your war helps ease war weariness, and gives you a chance to mobilize your troops, as well as pump out a few more.
Now when you negotiate your peace treaty, don't tade for anything that requires a turn commitment, i.e. luxuries, resources, per turn gold, right of passage or alliances. Just get cities, tech, lump sum, and workers. I've noticed that your reputation takes a dive even if you break the smallest of trade agreements, esp at the higher difficulties.
Also you can use the time of peace to do a little spying. As far as I know you can't use your spies when you are at war with a civ, which I think is kind of weird, but hey work with what you've got. find out what and where their troops are to better mobilize your army, for the final punch. I don't think I've ever taken out a civ without the peace treaty break, even if it is for a turn. The peace treaty break usually results in a free city capture, which usually comes with its own defensive unit too, again another bonus that shouldn't be ignored. (On the easier settings you may get 4 or 5 cities out of your peace treaty break)
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