I. Intro
II. Creating the Right World
III. Overview of the Civs
IV. Strategies
V. Diplomacy
VI. Miscellaneous thoughts and tips
VII. Contributors
VIII. Legal Stuff
IX. Contact Info
I. Intro
Finally, FINALLY another Civ game is here. Civ III combines many elements
from both previous Civs, and provides a nice challenge at high levels.
Emperor and Deity are really the only levels worth playing on, and this
guide covers the military aspect of the game on Emperor and Deity.
II. Creating the right World
Large, Pangaea, 60% Ocean, Hot, Humid, 5 billion years old. That's the best
possible setup for somebody who wants to win using brute force.
Why Large -- Large world allows for 12 civs, and the more civs you have,
the more fun the game will be. The only reason why I don't choose a Huge
world with 16 civs is because Huge games take forever to finish. Won a huge
game once, and it was just too long to be any fun.
Why Pangaea -- This is self-explanatory, really: you can get to your
opponents without crossing oceans, which is very important, especially if
you're going for a Despotic conquest. Other implications of a Pangaea:
lightning-fast scientific progress (civs exchange knowledge with each other
from the very start), well-developed trade network (with roads connecting
you to all civs via your neighbors), no stagnating civs (isolationism is a
fatal mistake in Civ III, and Pangaea ensures that it doesn't happen),
requires shrewd diplomatic decisions (unlike most people think, Pangaea is
actually the most diplomatic map out there: whenever you get threatened,
you HAVE to take it seriously, because your foe CAN get to you, unlike the
Archipelago map, where you can be at war with everybody, yet see no actual
combat).
The rest of the settings are there to provide for a rich, lush world that
is worth conquering.
III. Civ Overview
Contrary to the popular belief, you do not have to have the militaristic
attribute to be a successful warmonger. In fact, some of the best civs for
taking over the world aren't militaristic. Here I'll present every civ
from a warmonger's point of view and will try to point out its strengths
and weaknesses. I will mention only those unique units, that deserve to be
mentioned or play particularly well in a specific strategy.
The Chinese:
This is easily the absolutely best civ choice for a dedicated warmonger.
It is always nice to be Industrious, Militaristic is also a big plus,
and there's of course the Rider. The speed rating of 3 is huge. I mean
really... HUGE. That's what makes Cavalry so nice, it's not their attack
rating, but their speed.
Warmonger Rating: A
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Egyptians:
The best non-militaristic warmonger civ out there. I cannot overemphasize
the importance and convenience of the Religious attribute: you can rush
temples and cathedrals for a very low cost, which is imperative for a
Despotic conquest. Despotic conquest is what brings me to the second
strength of Egypt: the Chariot. No, they are not military powerhouses,
but they are dirt-cheap. I mean, you can't get any cheaper with a fast
offensive unit. Whip your people to death to produce temples and crank
out chariots, and the world will be yours.
Warmonger Rating: A-
Preferable Age for conquest: Ancient
Preferable Government for conquest: Despotism
The Aztecs:
These guys are the reason why I'm not fond of Expansionistic civs, since
Aztecs get the main benefit of that trait from the get-go in the form of
the Jaguar Warrior. Not much to say here: Aztecs are one of the most
versatile civs in warmonger's arsenal. Perfect civ attributes, and a
perfect scout, who can also double as an early attacker/defender
(something that the REAL scout can't do). In short: expand hard, trade
hard, fight hard. Excellent civ.
Warmonger Rating: A
Preferable Age for conquest: any Age
Preferable Government for conquest: switch between the peacetime and
wartime government.
The Japanese:
Same as Aztecs basically, but without the nice scout in the early game.
Otherwise, just as versatile, and just as powerful. Also, the Spearmen
and Pikemen are supposed to have a bonus against mounted units. I doubt
that it has been implemented, but if it has been (or will be with a future
patch), that'll be a plus for the Samurai.
Warmonger Rating: A-
Preferable Age for conquest: any Age
Preferable Government for conquest: switch between the peacetime and
wartime governments.
The Romans:
These guys are the kings of republican conquest. Get a decent government,
a decent cash flow, then explode outward crushing everything in the path
of your Knights/Cavalry/Armor.
Warmonger Rating: A
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Indians:
Pay no attention to the fact that Ghandi is usually the nicest guy around,
Indians are a very good choice for a warmonger. Having both the Religious
and Commercial attributes makes them very versatile and able to wage a
war at any Age. Plus the Elephant is probably the single coolest looking
Middle Age unit (if that counts for anything).
Warmonger Rating: A-
Preferable Age for conquest: any Age
Preferable Government for conquest: switch between the peacetime and
wartime governments.
The Iroquois:
Having wasted a trait on Expansionism, they seem like a weaker version of
the Egyptians, with a very important saving grace however: the Mounted
Warrior. Their attack rating of 3 gives them an ENORMOUS advantage in the
early game. Considering that they are also a Religious civ, it is a
no-brainer to see when they will really shine. However, if you want more
versatility, stick with the Aztecs.
Warmonger Rating: B+
Preferable Age for conquest: Ancient
Preferable Government for conquest: Despotism
The Germans:
Definitely a military-oriented civ. As a warmonger, you have to strike
early, and they are pretty good at it. While Scientific isn't the best
attribute for a warmonger, it'll definitely help you strike out just a
tad earlier. Germans really shine when they get their Panzers, but that
does not mean that you should hold your conquest until then.
Warmonger Rating: B+
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Babylonians:
Although these guys are the best for a cultural victory, it doesn't mean
they can't fight. I played a game of conquest using Babylon, from the
Middle Ages on, and did quite well. In fact, since I was #1 in culture,
my cities hardly ever reverted back to their original owners (until the
Modern Ages anyway).
Warmonger Rating: B+
Preferable Age for conquest: any Age
Preferable Government for conquest: switch between the peacetime and
wartime governments.
The French:
A very versatile civ overall, thus pretty good at conquering the world.
Not excellent at it, just good. The third best choice for a republican
conquest after Romans and Indians.
Warmonger rating: B+
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Persians:
A nice, solid civ. Nothing particularly noteworthy about its military
capability, but it is not a bad pick for a warmonger. I know that many
people like the Persian Immortals, which really puzzles me: sure, they
have a good attack rating, but they are foot soldiers, meaning that they
are painfully slow, unable to keep up with a fast paced military campaign.
Warmonger Rating: B
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Zulus:
The weakest amongst all Militaristic civs, Zulus have little in terms of
advantages to sustain them after the Ancient Ages. Victory using Zulus
will not come easy, unless you do it the despotic way. I would not
recommend taking this civ, unless you're looking for a challenge.
Warmonger Rating: B-
Preferable Age for conquest: Ancient
Preferable Government for conquest: Despotism
The Greeks:
This is a Sim-City civ. They got the best defensive pre-gunpowder unit,
and no special attributes that will help this civ in waging a total war.
With Greeks, I'd go for a space race, or a cultural victory, as conquest
is not exactly their forte. You CAN use them for conquest, but there are
other civs that are much, much better at it.
Warmonger Rating: B-
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Americans:
Nothing notable to write here. Honest Abe would roll over in his grave if
he found out what a bad card Yanks got dealt in Civ III. Don't get me
wrong, this is not a BAD civ, but once again, there are FAR better civs
to conquer the world with. Having said that, I must note that F-15 is a
neat unit, if you've discovered Smart Weapons. Overall, this is not an
optimal civ for a warmonger by any stretch.
Warmonger Rating: B-
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The Russians:
To put it bluntly, this is a loser civ. It hurts me to say this, but it's
true. Let the computer brandish its Cossacks while you pick a civ that
will better suit your needs. Once again, don't pick this civ, unless you
enjoy pain.
Warmonger Rating: C+
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
The English:
Another loser, akin to the Russians.
Warmonger Rating: C+
Preferable Age for conquest: Early Middle and on
Preferable Government for conquest: Republic
IV. Strategies
Civ III is alot like turn-based Age of Empires: as you advance from Era to
Era, you get better units, better production potential, and more diverse
combat capabilities. Also, like in the Age of Empires, it is all about
maintaining the right balance between your economic and military potential.
1. Ancient Age: Despotic Conquest
This is a do-or-die strategy, that is very deadly, but also quite risky.
If you're able to eliminate everybody before they get a technological lead,
you'll be fine, but if you let somebody hide in a corner and develop, while
you're fighting, chances are, you'll get crushed by a technologically
superior force. Several things are absolutely essential to successfully
execute this strategy:
a) Lots of cities
You'll need many, many cities to successfully fight under Despotism.
However, chances are that you won't have much land to work with.
Therefore, build your cities just a couple of squares apart and don't
worry about the overlapping city radii: your cities will never
grow big enough for that to become a problem. Keep building cities, until
your immediate frontiers have closed. Only irrigate the non-grassland
squares, or the ones that contain special resources pertaining to food.
A good network of roads, on the other hand, is essential.
b) Basic Tech
This strategy doesn't require any tech allocation whatsoever, since all
the techs that you need can be traded for, bought, or extorted from your
neighbors. Specifically, you'll need: Ceremonial Burial, Pottery,
The Wheel, Masonry, Bronze Working, Horseback Riding. That's it. If you
get something extra, that's fine, but it is not essential.
c) Basic Urban Layout
Every city should have the following: a Barracks (Militarism really helps),
a Temple (nice to be Religious), a Granary (get Pyramids if you can), a
Warrior (for riot suppression), and a Spearman (for defense and riot
suppression).
Once you have these basics, start cranking out Horsemen/War Chariots/Mounted
Warriors, using your population to rush their construction. I recommend
keeping your cities around size 5 or 6, depending on how many luxury
resources you managed to grab. Don't be afraid to raise you luxury rates
if needed, just be sure to keep an overall positive cash flow. Now the
best part: Go to WAR!. Start with your neighbors. This is where mounted
units really shine: they are perfect for fast-paced campaigns and will
allow you to take a city every 2-3 turns. Upon taking a city, stay there
until the Resistance has been quelled, rush a barracks, a defensive unit,
then move on to the next target until the entire civ is obliterated.
Cycle, rinse, repeat until all other civs are dead. One thing you can't do,
is stop. Your scraggly little cities are unfit for development, you have no
research, no culture, and no economy worth mentioning. You cannot stop no
matter what, therefore keep fighting, and keep looking for more enemies.
A few comments: if executed correctly, this is a surefire way to victory.
The Pyramids is the only wonder I would bother to build, but only if I
get an early leader. Other leaders should go for armies and a Heroic
Epic (the sooner, the better).
2. Middle Ages: The Republican Conquest
This is a much more flexible strategy that requires large, healthy cities
with a solid infrastructure and well-developed countryside. Republic is
the government of choice here, due to various reasons:
a) Monarchy is weak
Yep, that's right, Monarchy is even weaker than Despotism. In Despotism
you're broke and unproductive, but that doesn't matter, since you can whip
your citizens to speed up your production. With Monarchy, you're slightly more
productive, just as broke as in Despotism, and are unable to whip your
population.
If that's not enough of a problem, the cost of Medieval combat units is
SIGNIFICANTLY higher than that of Ancient units, making pop-rush a
self-defeating
strategy anyway: you'll lose too many people and generate too much unrest for
what you get in return. Thus, Republic with its excellent monetary revenue is
the best choice here, as you can buy your military units just a couple of
turns after you started building them; as for the maintenance costs, they are
laughably low for a Republic with a healthy economy.
b) War weariness is not a problem.
Many people dread waging war under representative governments, because they
dread the war weariness. While I agree, that waging wars under Democracy is
an exercise in futility, Republic is a whole different story. Before I proceed
any further, I would like to explain how war weariness works. First of all, it
isn't
based on how long the war takes, but rather it is based on the intensity of
that war.
Wars become intensive with the arrival of Tanks and Mech Infantry, but in the
Middle Ages, the intensity is rather low. Every military engagement has a
chance
of inducing war weariness. Furthermore, every war has its own war weariness
record,
independent of all other wars. Example: say, you've been waging a long-drawn
war
against the French, and your people are getting tired of it. Then, all of a
sudden,
Persia has decided to expand its territory at your expense and declared war on
you.
So, you have now two wars going, but that by itself won't increase your war
weariness.
In fact, if you make peace with the French while still maintaining the war
vs. Persia, your war weariness will disappear completely, since all of it
was induced by the war with France. Finally, Marketplaces, Temples, and
Luxury spending will go a looooong way in ensuring total loyalty of your
citizens. I had non-stop wars under republican government, lasting close
to 100 turns, and never did I have to raise my Luxury rate above 30%. Of
course, if you have Bach's Cathedral or Sistine Chapel, things will be even
easier. For Religious civs, if war weariness is getting out of hand at the
most inappropriate moment (just as the war is drawing to a close), switch
to Monarchy for a few turns, finish the job, the revert back to the Republic.
Anyway, once you've got your economy working smoothly, start cranking out
Knights with the occasional Pikeman to garrison newly captured cities.
Start beating on your neighbors and expand from there. Accept peace only
if it comes with a hefty bribe, and never break your word. Let
the 20 turns of peace run out, then go back to beating your foe into the
ground. As the Middle Ages progress, the Knight/Pikeman combo will be
replaced by the Cavalry/Musketman combo, but nothing will drastically
change, except that with Cavalry you'll be able to capture cities
significantly faster. Once leaders start pouring in, make sure to grab as
many happiness wonders as you can. As for Sun-Tzu Art of war, only get it
if your civ is NON-militaristic. That wonder isn't of any importance for a
militaristic civ due to the civ bonuses. Since most of your enemies will be
well-developed, complete conquest of the world by the end of the Middle
Ages will be unlikely. Your goal here is to establish yourself as a dominant
civ and get ready for the final push in the Industrial and Modern Ages.
3. Industrial Age: Tiger's Leap
The early Industrial Age is a perfect time to have a lull in wars, allowing
yourself to concentrate on Industrializing your empire. Bring military
unit production down to a trickle, just to maintain your warring army,
and concentrate on building railroads, factories, etc. Amongst the
Industrial Age wonders you need (at the very least) Universal Suffrage.
If you get it, you're doing fine, if you also get Hoover Dam, you're
doing VERY well.
By the mid Industrial Age, you should have about twice the production as
before, and should be able to crank out Cavalry at a good rate without
the need to buy it. The Modern Age also revolutionizes Diplomacy, and
for short time shifts the military advantage towards the defender. Does
this mean that you should stop producing Cavalry and wait until the first
tank rolls out? No, ooooh no. It is true that Cavalry has a tough time
beating Infantry, thus you need to augment your Cavalry divisions with
Artillery (and a some infantry to escort the artillery). I have found that
units defending cities that just came under intense Artillery barrage
usually lose at disproportionately high rates. A solid attacking army
should have 10 - 12 Cavalry units, about a dozen Artillery units and a
few Infantrymen to guard the Artillery. This army can take practically
ANY city guarded by Infantry with ZERO casualties. Once again, the key in
using Artillery is numbers: one won't do much,but a dozen will bring the
city to its knees. Armies are also a good
way to minimize your casualties. I usually build a couple of all-cavalry
armies, which I use to crack the defenses of particularly well-fortified
enemy cities (with the help from Artillery of course). Industrial Age is
also a good time to raise a few cities to strengthen your workforce at
home in its upcoming battle with pollution. Don't underestimate the
problem of pollution, you'll need LOTS of workers to keep it in check,
especially if you're playing a non-industrious civ, and captives will
do just fine. Ideally, you would find a relatively backward civ and
completely raze it into extinction. Sooner or later, the Tank will make
its first appearance. That means, it is time to stop the production of
any new Cavalry units. Keep the ones you have (Cavalry is still important),
but don't produce any more of them (Germans are the exception here: use
the Cavalry to speed up the production of those lovely Panzers, and don't
stop). Since the first Tanks are slower than Cavalry, expect your military
campaigns to slow down considerably, especially vs. other civs with Tanks.
You will have casualties, heavy casualties at that, so Artillery is still
important in making things easier for The Tanks. Keep your overall
Artillery count around two dozen. Another important job for artillery
is to make big cities smaller. If you take a size 25 city, chances are,
you'll lose it in a few turns to cultural reversion (which is the most
frustrating aspect of Civ II imho), but if you bring it's population down
to 10 or 11 using Artillery, you'll stand a very good chance of keeping
the city. With Tanks and Artillery pounding on enemy cities, The role of
Cavalry shifts from a primary attacker, to a guerilla fighter. Cavalry
should be used to finish off badly damaged enemy Tanks and Infantry,
usually producing leaders as a result. If your civ is militaristic,
you'll literally get more leaders than you can use of Great Wonders, so
use em to create lots of armies, small wonders, and whatever else. Since
you (apparently) can only have one leader at a time, don't hold on to
them. Air power arrives at about the same time as Tanks, and it is
important to invest into it. Build about a dozen Fighters, and use those
to maintain air superiority along the frontlines. Never, NEVER build a
bomber, they get shot down too easily, and has a lifespan of a gnat.
4. Modern Age: The Final Push
Modern Age is where you get the niftiest, most destructive offensive units,
as well as most powerful defensive units. Upon reaching the Modern Age,
your primary objective is ... research. Shift all those funds usually
allocated towards the treasury, into research, and get to Synthetic Fibers
ASAP. I mean it, you have to get there first before anyone else. If that
means losing money, do so, if that means borrowing, do so, get that tech
by whatever means, and do it FAST. In the meantime, keep cranking out
more Tanks. Once the research is conducted, and your tanks have been
upgraded, take a good look at the map. Assess the situation. Can you take
over the rest of the world with your current production potential? Can
you take ON the rest of the world and come out victorious? Finally, are
there any other civs just as strong as you, or close to you in strength?
If you feel confident about your abilities, switch to Communism, and simply
exterminate the rest of the world(and I DO mean 'exterminate', not 'take
over').
Burn their cities, pillage their countryside, staring with the biggest civ out
there. If you feel you need to expand a bit more, stay with the Republic, until
you've absorbed enough cities to boost your production potential sufficiently.
The downside is that by now, some of your rivals will also have Modern Armor,
therefore you'll need to make sure that you not only have Modern Armor, but
you have more than your enemies do. At any rate, once your final war has begun,
research Stealth to augment your invading Armor with Stealth Bombers. A few
words on Stealth bombers: they are hideously expensive, they are only
effective in large numbers (20+), BUT they can reduce a metropolis with
complete infrastructure to a barren little village in a single turn
(considering that you have the numbers), and they are almost completely
invulnerable. You will lose an occasional Stealth Bomber to a Jet Fighter,
but those losses will be few and far between, making this aircraft one of
the best investments. With the arrival of Smart Weapons these guys become
downright obscene in their power. Build em, use em, and you'll fall in love
with them. Guaranteed. As for Great Wonders of the Modern Age, they are
optional. Longevity is good though, since you will be in Communism, and
Longevity will allow you to recover more rapidly from pop rushes. As for
the other wonders, they won't make enough of a difference to justify their
building cost (unless you got a leader twiddling his thumbs).
V. Diplomacy
Diplomacy is of paramount importance in Civ III, especially on large worlds
with many opponents. Fighting everyone simultaneously is usually a rather
suicidal idea, thus making diplomatic affairs a must for any warmonger.
Furthermore, diplomacy and trade go hand in hand, and trade is a very
important aspect of the game. The most important thing to have for
successful diplomacy is money. Money buys you friends, treaties, alliances,
tech, and strategic resources. In fact, I advocate completely neglecting
your own research and advancing technologically strictly via trade. If
you're wondering about how to do so without going broke, I will answer
that it is doable, and quite easily. Suppose, you've just bought Refining
from the Germans for an outrageous price of $1200 + 200 per turn. Crippling
even for a healthy economy. What do you do now? Turn around and sell it to
EVERYBODY. You won't get as much money from any single buyer, but you are
almost guaranteed to come out ahead as a result. So, now you have the tech,
AND you have more money than you started with. It's a win-win situation,
no matter how you look at it.
In diplomacy, it is also very important not to act impulsively. Example: I
get a demand from the Japanese for my World Map and 50 gps. Japan is roughly
equal in power to me, and I will probably end up victorious if a war breaks
out, BUT... but, the Japanese just bought a tech from me and are dishing
out $150 per turn AND are buying several of my luxury resources. Will I
risk a war? Nope, it is absolutely against my interests, even if we never
get to actual fighting. Computer opponents just LOOOVE to threaten you when
they owe you money (since wars erase any debts), don't get suckered into a
war with them. Another time when I give in to the enemy's demands is when
the biggest kid on the block comes knocking at my door demanding tribute.
You know they can crush you, you know they mean business, so unless you
have a good coalition already, (i.e. Mutual Protection Pacts with several
influential neighbors, I won't recommend risking the war. In all other
cases, the civ in question is either bluffing, or deserves to be eliminated.
Mutual Protection Pacts, bring me to another point in diplomacy: bypassing
them. Suppose, you're itching to fight the Americans, but they happen to
have a Mutual Protection Pact with the Indians, who happen to be your good
friends and trading partners, and you can't wait for that pact to expire.
What do you do? First of all, sign a Mutual Protection Pact with the Indians.
Second, if Americans happen to have a military unit in your territory, position
a lonely worker right by it. Now go ahead and declare war. Do NOT undertake any
offensive action, wait for the next turn. Since Indians have Pacts with both
you
and the Americans, they will be forced to choose sides, and will side with
whoever
comes under attack first. Since you didn't ATTACK (you just declared war),
you're
giving the Americans a chance to screw up and fight two enemies instead of one.
Since we all know who computer opponents love hunting down defenseless workers,
the
very next turn America will have two wars upon it.
In order to be a successful diplomat you must maintain your good name.
Never break any treaties or sneak attack anyone. Maintain your good
standing, since having a bad reputation also increases your chances of
getting nuked. In short, you can be as aggressive as you want (it's okay
to raze a city every once in a while), but as long as you abide by your
word, you'll be regarded as "mean" instead of a "liar and a cheat."
First turn of war is usually the most important turn in a war, especially
when you're taking on a powerful enemy. You have to make sure that others
will be either neutral or on your side. If you're, say, #5 on the power
graph, and you're taking on somebody who's #1 on the power graph, you WILL
need friends. Strong friends. Preferably bordering on your enemy. Do
whatever you have to do in order to buy a Military Alliance/Mutual
Protection Pact with them during the first turn of war. If you don't,
chances are that your enemy will bring them to his side (computer opponents
LOVE siding with the likely winner). This way you can fight enemies that are
far stronger than yourself and win. Sure, your allies will take some of the
cities for themselves, but the important thing is that you've crippled/
destroyed the #1 civ in the game.
On the other hand, I hand fought blitzkriegs that only lasted one turn.
That's right, one turn. That usually requires an extensive border with the
enemy in question, as well as lots of offensive units with speed rating
of 3. Invade from every direction, take over as many cities as you can,
and make your opponent dread you. If 40% of his cities are gone in one
turn, Caesar will give a very serious thought to peace. Sometimes, they'll
offer peace right away without counter-attacking, usually however, you'll
have to endure one counter-attack, but they will be available for
negotiations as son as it is over.
Resource denial is another important diplomatic tool. Suppose you have an
advanced enemy with Modern Armor, while you still have rusty ole tanks.
Things aren't looking good. Then you notice that your foe has no oil
deposits on his territory and has a trade agreement with a nation that
is awash in oil. Chances are, they are importing their oil. Do everything
you can to break off that agreement, and the tide of war will turn.
Sure, you lose 3 tanks for every one of his Modern Armor units, so what?
You can REPLACE you tanks, he can't replace his Modern Armor.
In short, diplomacy is a very powerful tool in warmonger's arsenal, that
should be used and mastered, and by no means neglected.
VI. Miscellaneous thoughts and tips
1. Nukes
To use or not to use, that is the question. Personally, I don't like
them because of all that mess. I mean, nuking others is okay, but getting
nuked in return is no fun. Once again, the biggest mistake one can make is
send one lonely nuke to devastate the capital of a hated enemy. What does
that mean? That means that next turn you'll be getting a wave of nukes as a
payback. In order to prevent that, you must use those nukes in large
numbers: one nuke won't help much, but if you send out a dozen to their
biggest cities (which probably house THEIR nuclear silos), you will not only
cripple their economy, but also avoid retaliation by destroying their nukes
before they take off in your direction.
2. Pillaging
Oh yes. If you can't beat them, pillage the hell out of their countryside,
and capture as many workers as you can. Pay special attention to their
strategic resources, and make sure to destroy any roads leading to them.
The best pillaging Army will consist of a few Infantrymen (for Defense), a
couple of Cavalrymen (to capture enemy workers), and as many Artillery
units as you can spare. Bomb their cities, destroy their railroads in a
slow-moving wall of desolation (especially since Artillery has a
range of 2). Make Sherman proud.
3. Navy
I didn't pay much attention to this branch of the military mainly because
on Pangaea you can get away with being a dedicated landlubber. On other
map settings however, the importance of Navy grows tremendously, especially
if you have to wage a transcontinental war. I never build much of a Navy in
the Ancient Age (except for maybe a couple of Triremes for exploration), my
Medieval Navy usually consists of 3-4 Frigates that I use to escort an
Armada of Galleons (4-5 Galleons) plus a few Privateers depending on
how much havoc they are wreaking (usually not much). Conquests of sea
ports are the only military maneuvers where I actually prefer foot
soldiers to mounted soldiers. My port siege army usually consists of 4-5
Musketmen, 6-8 Longbowmen, and 8-10 Cannons. Cannons Soften up the city
(since Frigates are TERRIBLE at bombardment) Longbowmen TAKE the city,
Musketmen GUARD the city. Quite simple really, and effective as long as
you keep the combined arms approach. Land such army on a rough terrain
(preferably a hill or a mountain, and the city will eventually fall.
In the Industrial Age I'm always tempted to make Ironclads, but I never
do so. It is far better to wait for the Battleship and make those. As for
combating a Navy without a Navy of your own, yes it is doable with
Artillery: Bombard the enemy ship from the coast, and the computer WILL
pull it back to its ports to heal up. Repeat as often as needed. This way
I can reduce the number of city squares lost to bombardment down to
almost nil.
VII. Contributors
None so far.
VIII. Legal Stuff
I have no problems with posting this guide anywhere as long as two
conditions are met:
1. No money is charged for this guide
2. The contents of this guide are not changed in any way without my
explicit written permission.
This guide is copyrighted by Roman Grigoriev.
IX. Contact Info
Liked this guide? Hated it? I can be reach at rvgrigoriev@mdeintl.com for
questions, comments, etc.
