First win at Monarch level

[MyOlde]

I’ve just completed my first victory at Monarch level. I played Standard map, Sedentary barbarians (I hate them coming around and bothering me – there’s enough trouble with other civs doing that!), 5 random civs plus me.

My experience at Regent had been that, however peaceful you want to be, you will always get into some kind of war fairly early on. Perhaps I simply don’t build up enough defenders but my preference is (was) to get on with the expansion, infrastructure, road-and-mining work, and so on. I learned to adapt to these tendencies and built up a little attack force – sufficient to enable me to knock off a couple of their towns; and this would bring them to the table and we’d get peace and I could go back to my building and researching.

With this in mind, and moving to a more difficult level, I decided to let my neighbour do the building for me. Consequently, I chose Bismarck – for the militarism and for the scientific. I fully intended to be very aggressive but I also wanted to build science for a possible space victory. (I also wanted to see what the Panzers could do – if I got that far.)

It turned out there were two main continents. On the other one was Russia, Aztecs, Zulus, and Persia. One of them knocked out the Zulus so I didn’t ever have to worry about them. On my continent was me (Germany) and India. At some point Russia and Persia each got an unimportant toe-hold on my continent but never made anything of it.

I got a warrior out exploring and then got three cities down, a few workers to get things connected, barracks, and off we went. I focussed on swordsmen. (I’ve not had much success with archers.) Lots of swordsmen and off we went. To make a long story short, India built my empire for me. I just took his cities away from him. Lots of swordsman. Plus some horsemen for their manoevreability. Lots of swordsman.

I had the continent. And, thanks to Ghandi, I had 8 zillion workers. They’re pathetically slow, of course, but once you’ve got lots and lots of them, the job gets done.

Eventually, of course, the Persians came calling, as did Mother Russia. But I was able to beat them off and take over their couple of puny cities. This was enough to get peace again. I hung on to peace (“lots of swordsmen”, eventually “lots of cavary”, and “lot of infantry” – whatever was current and effective) for ages and ages, traded lots of luxuries, outdated resources, and picked up techs here and there. Once I was able to make Panzers, the game was effectively over. (I didn’t know it at the time but it was.) I built “lots of Panzers” – dozens and dozens of those havoc wreakers. And shipped them over to Russia. In the power rankings I was number one. Everyone was furious with me but I’ve gotten used to that – it used to scare me but now I just ignore it or, if I’m vulnerable, take it as a good warning and do something about it.

The Russians were number two on the score sheet, followed by the Persians and Aztecs. I made a mutual protection deal with the latter two and told Russia to get her damned cavalry off my property. (I had trapped a cavalry years earlier and was kind of saving it for just such a moment.) Silly girl declared war on me and my dozens and dozens (and dozens) of Panzers took out Moscow and worked their way through the rest of Russia.

It took far longer than I thought it would and I never did get a chance to ratchet up my research to launch a space ship. When 2050 rolled around, I was beginning to annihilate the Aztecs who, for some strange reason, had decided to attack me. I still had “lots of you-know-whats” and took out four cities pretty quickly. 2050 hit and I was declared a victor by domination.

That’s one way to win on Monarch.

And now, for something completely different, I’m beginning a new one as the French. I’m also going to play the full 8 random civs and see what happens.

Any advice on playing as the French? I know there are a lot of Jean d’Arc fans out there.

[vmxa1]

I don't see where you need any advice.

[Robber Baron]

Congrats, MyOlde!

Were the continents close enough for travel/trade pre-Navigation? I always get nervous when I find myself on a continent with one civ, figuring if there's another, busier continent I'm doomed to technological backwardness until the early industrial era. Sounds like you handled it well, though.

[Harovan]

With the French? Let's see...

The French are cash machines. Fast tile improvements and the commercial trait should make you the richest civ of all, if you do it right. Don't play like Genghis Khan. Stay peaceful and wage short decisive wars if you need air to breathe or a resource. Try to get a good medieval GA by using your UU. It's crappy by stats, but perfectly timed. Use the UU to conquer and/or build some wonders. When you build, focus first on monetary improvements, then on science improvements. Go for the spaceship.

[MyOlde]

Thank you, vmxa1. I think it's the first time I've had a really focussed notion of what I wanted to do. That's important, as many have said before.

Thanks, Robber Baron. No, they weren't close enough. I sent out a couple of galleys which, of course, almost made it but sank before establishing contact. So gave up.

Thanks, Sir Ralph. Appreciate the advice.