Combat tactics?

[abrensons]

Im quite new to the game except for console edition which i could beat on diety easily.
I struggle to take down a city state with 5 of my units (3archers, 2spears) vs one archer unit, while it takes 5 turns for my city with an archer to destroy a barbarian horsman.
I would greatly appriciate some tips, thank you.

[gimmethegepgun]

Make a catapult.

[Danny]

The horseman probably is going around pillaging your stuff which is why it took 5turns to kill. But for city sieging catapults are nice early game. In this one you dont charge cities like the others you gotta slowly "Siege" them by using ranged units and melee units to take it over when its about to fall.

[RNGeepers]

Originally posted by abrensons:

Im quite new to the game except for console edition which i could beat on diety easily.
I struggle to take down a city state with 5 of my units (3archers, 2spears) vs one archer unit, while it takes 5 turns for my city with an archer to destroy a barbarian horsman.
I would greatly appriciate some tips, thank you.

why do you even bother attacking without longbows, archers? really? And why a city state ... its the last thing you should attack, if you must attack cus i dont know better, attack a civ ...

[Klumpatsch]

I agree that going to war with a city state so early in the game doesn't really make sense. But if you REALLY want to go to war as soon and effective as possible, I'll help you.

The key, like mentioned before, are catapults. Later on it will be the Trepuchet, and then cannons, and then artillerry and airplanes. With 2, 3 siege weapons you can easily destroy any city. They are essential, if you don't want to lose hundreds of normal units.

Now the tactic:
Right after starting the game, learn the techs "Animal husbandry" and "Archery". After that, learn "The wheel", and then "Mathematics". That's the straightest and fastest way to building catapults, while everyone else doesn't even know what it is. Just take 2-3 catapults, 4-5 archors and 2-3 warriors (to defend them and to enter the city once it's down).

This is a 100% tested and secure tactic.

[abrensons]

In that particular campaign i had to make some space for my empire because my settler spammed at a wrong place. Why is city state a bad target by the way? They had no friends yet and their army was weak. I had few roman ballistas though but they could not get close enough and eventually i lost them all. Anyway i have started a new campaign, thank you guys!

[Damsteri]

Originally posted by abrensons:

Why is city state a bad target by the way?

Every major civilization which you have met at the time you conquer the city state will hate you for the rest of the game. Killing a city state (one city civilization) gives you the maximum warmonger penalty, same as conquering major civilization's last city. You can forget peaceful play after that. It doesn't matter if that city state doesn't have friends or an ally at time.

[Klumpatsch]

Attacking a city state barely has any advantages - usually they are very poorly developed and small. It's just not worth the loss of money, happiness, and, like mentioned before, the bad reputation you'll immediately earn. It's much more profitable to trade with them, befriend them, to get culture, units and so on. And if you want a valuable ressource on their territory, remember that you can steal it with a great officer or how he's called in English.

Also remember to always place your units around the borders of a state before you declare war of him! That can be vital. If you need to move your units across the half map, everyone will be dead until they arrive.

[Draa]

Originally posted by abrensons:

Why is city state a bad target by the way? They had no friends yet and their army was weak.

They're not bad targets but they're worth more long term than what you get from conquering one.

I use city states as buffers along my nation's borders. If you form an alliance with the city state you can give them military units and use them to help protect your borders. They won't hold off Napeolean but they may give you time to get your troops in position.

City States have a number of uses and for a single settler you can find a spot just as good or better than where the CS is located anyway. That's why destroying them is not very productive.

Unless it's guarding a vital mountain pass, or in a great defensive position that is. If so, it's worth taking it for that.

[Bullwinkle]

Personally, I never use catapults, trebuchets, cannons (though I do like Rocket Artillery for seige). Those units are really useless in melee. Try to use at least 5 units when seiging. position them so they all move into firing range from the city at the same time if possible. Pillage tiles after you take damage to heal. Include a scout if possible, because they often target the scout, and he can be a cheap sacrifice. Archers are too weak. Use composite bowmen at least, imho.

When defending against a horseman, don't shoot the horseman if he is at full health and standing on a tile you have improved. He will just pillage it and heal if you do. Keep an archer in or near your cities so you can better defend. City with archer is powerful combination compared to city alone.