Being strategic

[rpodos]

I've been starting to think that I've been somwhat formulaic about my strategies.

First off, thanks Aeson for posting that unbelievable ICS game. It spawned a bunch of new thoughts that I want to try out.

So last night, I did something sort of counter-intuitive, that ended up being a total winner.

Playing my new love, Persia. Monarch, raging, large continents. On a continent with Zululand to the northwest, Babylon in the northeast, Russia south west (and closest), and I'm in the southeast.

Ironworking first, of course, and my Immortals rip through 5 Russian cities, including Moscow. We negotiate peace (btw, I had fallen waaaay behind in tech, but didn't care... got two cities, all money, and all but one tech from the treaty). I pretty much razed everything, because Russia had drafted so much.

Here's where it gets interesting... At this point, Zululand is hands down the biggest (but not baddest) civ. Babs are right behind. I've got lebensraum to spare, but I'm definitely behind. Typically, I would go pick on one of them, but I need to figure out how to grow at the same time. And they're both pretty far away.

After about 10 turns, I go to war against Russia again. I negotiate military alliances with both Zululand and Babylon. I take my time on Russia, waiting for my allies to send in their armies (and also, as Arrian points out, letting Russia build hordes of warriors and archers for me to persecute).

I stay one step ahead of my allies... as they approach a city, I raze it. I purposefully went from north to south, dragging their forces after me. I knew they wouldn;t declare war on me while allied, so I threw everything I had into Russia.

(At this point, I feel like Flounder: "Oh boy, this is gonna be great!!")

So, I mop up Russia. Everything's been razed... I'm far from home, so I build one fortress on a mountain, for protection of damaged elites and for healing. There are a fair number of roads, so I have good mobility.

And the Impis and Bowman are on the killing grounds, faaar from support or healing. I must have taken out 50-60 of'em.

Then I licked my wounds, and started moving north.

3 GLs: Pyramids, Army, FP. My pick of one-quarter of the continent, much of it already improved (thanks Cathy). My opponents' offensive forces decimated. My beloved Immortals mostly elite. A juggernaut army.

Besides making me fall in love with Persia as an early warmongerer, it started me thinking about other, more strategic ploys.

Any good ones out there?

R

[Zardos]

Originally posted by rpodos
I stay one step ahead of my allies... as they approach a city, I raze it. I purposefully went from north to south, dragging their forces after me. I knew they wouldn;t declare war on me while allied, so I threw everything I had into Russia.

FYI -- In one game of mine I allied with the Greeks against the Romans, but two turns later the Greeks attacked me -- I think this is rare, but it has happened to me.

BTW -- Nice Strategy. Normally, I'm a builder, but I like the way you did the "bait and switch"

[Persia] -- C'mon guys, lets take out these Russians!!
[Bab & Zulu] -- YES!
[Persia] -- Umm, just a little farther South
[Bab & Zulu] -- YES!
[Persia, after attacking the Babs and Zulu] -- Ooops, I thought you were someone else

Zardos

[Arrian]

rpodos,

You devious sob. I like it. Early golden age, but in this case it was probably worth it. How many immortals do you have running around?

May have to give Persia another try :grumbles about expensive temples and anarchy:

-Arrian

[rpodos]

I started the first campaign against Russia with six, and build up to ten while warfighting.

During the second campaign, and then for the big betrayal, I think I peaked at about 25.

Stopped building them when I got within shouting distance of Chivalry, and focused on building Knights and Pikemen.

I've been playing with ways to use a unit with declining value (although I had beat up Zululand and Babs so badly that they are slow in developing new techs and thus new units, so I've sort of artificially extended the horizon for Immortal utility!!).

So now my offensive forces include about 20 Immortals and 20 Knights, with a 2 Immortal / 1 Pikemen Army. The units are about half veteran and half elite.

Some of my basic thoughts:
- Immortals are great for mop up.
- Use'em as homeland security, where I have road mobility and the enemy doesn't.
- Create a mountain division or special forces battalion with the vets... it's Ok to put them at risk. Or maybe include some pikemen for protection.
- Goodbye enemy road network.
- The Army is a friggin' can-opener... while Knights clear the way, move that bad boy up for the kill.

Now, how to get "strategic"?

How about a feint... take a stack of 10 vet Immortals, and beeline them to the far side of Zululand, preferably through hills and mountains... while all of their forces are dealing with that, use the Knights to take out city after city on the border.

Actually, that raises a question about AI behavior regarding threats... what will it defend the most strongly... capitol? strategic resources? luxuries? big food tiles? choke points?

R

[rpodos]

Here's another idea, somewhat based on the fortress discussion:

We know that the AI will re-settle certain tiles again and again, due to unseen resources. For instance, there's a Zulu site where I've destroyed two cities, and now that I have Gunpowder I see saltpeter.

What's the most fun we can have with that? A funnel of fortresses? How would you set that up?

R

[Arrian]

If I was gonna use fortresses for my amusement, I would set up a row, two deep, and leave a 1-square path open. Then I would remove the garrisons a couple of my cities on the far side of my empire. The AI will charge right past your (defended) border cities to try and capture your undefended cities. I think they would go right through the gap in the forts, taking a beating on the way.

-Arrian