Top Civ Tips

[Tyler]

I thought it might be good to have a thread for some basic MP civ tips. Post below if you have any top tips.


The top research priority of ancient starts is bronze working. It enables the slavery civic that allows you to slave a defensive unit, e.g. when Palmar’s stack of doom arrives in your territory. Bronze working also allows workers to chop down forests for a quick production boost early game. This is amazingly important early game.

The standard initial build order, assuming you send your first unit out to scout, is “warrior, worker, worker, warrior, settler, worker”. Aim to chop a forest with your first worker to create your second, then chop two forests to create the first settler.

Send a unit to the spot you want to plant a city before you build the settler. That way your new city will be protected from the start.

In multiplayer military techs are the most important. If an opponent gets something like knights and you don’t have pikemen, its gg.

Combined arms are the way forward. A three unit stack of (archer, spearman, axeman) is much stronger that three of one type. Similarly it is a good idea to take different promotions with the same unit type.

As the game goes on it becomes very hard to attack cities. You typically need a stack with twice as many units as are defending a city to take it. Catapults or other siege weapons are essential for larger cities with three or more defenders. Use some catapults to weaken defenses and others to directly attack a city and cause collateral dammage to all the defending units.

Even if you cant take a city a stack of more defensive units can wreak havok with an opponents economy through pillaging.

Don’t let anyone get too far ahead, epsecially in tech. Civ is an exponential or “snowball” type game. There is little chance of “catching up”.

[delling]

As you've probably seen from my recent 'early lead' games I have a slightly different early-game style.

I usually build a worker first, not a warrior.

With my first unit (always a warrior so far), I skirt my territory in concentric circles. I am never too far away from my capital that someone could come in and take it.

Accidentally, I seem to have stumbled on an early-culture/religion build. I always take religion first, then bronze working. I use the expanded LOS from my culture to see any incoming troops.

The extra turns at the start with a worker obviously make quite a difference in early/mid-game, as Hugman/Shiftey commented on a few times

[Tyler]

My point was “warrior, worker, worker, warrior, settler, worker” works for all civs, either scout or warrior start (you get a scout if the civ starts with hunting). Feel free to improvise a little around that order Using your “free” warrior to harass an enemy cap is fun!

Religion first is very nice if you start with mysticism. Not all civs can go for it though. I often get agriculture/hunting/animal husbandry before bronze working if my capital has those resourses nearby, to give my first worker something to do. You need to get bronze working quickly though, chops for the first settler are crucial.

[Archz]

Defense in cities is fun! I had a game where a city in my outer region was attacked, I had walls, caste and two 'Cho co nu'. I defended the city and killed 9 axemen who attacked! It was lovely

[Daekesh]

Is there any point to forests, other than to chop them down for hammers?

[Palmar]

they give hammers, and they also provide happiness in late-game I think.

[Kilizion]

You can apparently build foresters late game, that might be what Palmar means when he says they provide happiness. Also adding building work boats is pretty good too if you have sea resources to take advantage of. Anyone know how good they are in relation to a worker?

[Hugman]

Is there any point to forests, other than to chop them down for hammers?

They give health, and can be quite important in cities, between the period between aqueduct and the next health generating building.

[delling]

As long as you have a good trade network and 2-3 cities picking up scattered resources, health shouldn't really be an issue.

Happiness on the other hand...

[Palmar]

happiness is easy, just go monarchy early on and the garrison will keep your people happy. You need to garrison each city with 3+ units anyway (I usually go for 5 or so).

[delling]

Yar, I've been picking up Monarchy sooner the last few games -- couple of times with The Oracle, I think.

[Hugman]

The other  day I played a game where my starting city was totally surronded by forests, cepting only 1 pig, and one hills. The combined bonuses from forests to the health, allowed me to grow to size 15 very quickly without any un-healthy pop, and Monarcy kept them happy.

Its generally a good idea to keep a few forests in your city radius, just for the health. Also they generally produce better resources than pretty much any other undeveloped squares, early game.