When do you Recommend Building Your City?

[Allah Jackson]

I made it past the ancient era but I felt that I was at a huge disadvantage compared to other civs because I focused on a more solitary "build your own city" strategy. I almost lost a few times because I attempted that strategy, but Barbarians and city states would lurk around my borders.

My main question is, when should I start building my army (turn-wise.) I really want to play the game and build my city but I just feel like I have to get 10 warriors in the first 50 turns if I want to actually do anything around the map.

Even when you make it past the classical era, using my strategy still puts you behind no matter how many cities or how advanced you are. Playing the game militaristic results in penalties such as housing problems and low food sources (because let's be honest, how the actual hell am I supposed to get builders when I'm forced to build an army by turn 100?)

[hxcjedders]

Build a slinger first, and scout around with your free warrior and the slinger. Be very vigilant and work in a unit or two between buildings until you get walls. A city without walls is very easy to take. Also, focus on getting a settler up as soon as you can afford to. More cities is more better in Civ 6. There is no level of punishment for having too many cities.

[Allah Jackson]

Quick note before I get called out:

I've actually been playing the Civ games for quite some time, and I've never encountered such difficult AI (good job Firaxis you actually made a game challenging.) I realize that it may sound like I'm complaining, and I am to an extent, but I just don't know what to do, I've never been posed with such hard decisions. From my experience this is the first Civ game you actually encounter other civilizations within the first 5 turns.

[paugus]

Originally posted by Oxy Rotten:

Quick note before I get called out:

I've actually been playing the Civ games for quite some time, and I've never encountered such difficult AI (good job Firaxis you actually made a game challenging.) I realize that it may sound like I'm complaining, and I am to an extent, but I just don't know what to do, I've never been posed with such hard decisions. From my experience this is the first Civ game you actually encounter other civilizations within the first 5 turns.

I like to build up a scout or two first, and then use them to steal a settler from a neighboring AI (only works on difficulties where the AI starts with multiple settlers). Otherwise, a couple of slingers (I try to get three) and the initial warrior can hold off almost anything, especially once you quickly upgrade the slingers to archers (get a kill with a slinger to boost archery, then you upgrade them each for only 30 gold)

Archers are brutal and if you use terrain and a melee unit to guard them, they can shred just about anything. Once your initial army of 4-5 units is operation, feel free to start expanding or building towards your preferred victory type. I usually try to buy a builder with gold rather than build one, depending on the start and civ I'm playing.

[Allah Jackson]

Originally posted by hXcjedders:

Build a slinger first, and scout around with your free warrior and the slinger. Be very vigilant and work in a unit or two between buildings until you get walls. A city without walls is very easy to take. Also, focus on getting a settler up as soon as you can afford to. More cities is more better in Civ 6. There is no level of punishment for having too many cities.

Thank you very much for your advice, I greatly appreciate it.
However, I have a few questions.
Are you saying I should build a slinger before a scout? That sounds like it could be useful but just clarifying.
Secondly, Should I keep a unit inside my border to defend from Barbarians? I've made the mistake of moving my warriors too far from base and barbarians just ended me.

[paugus]

Originally posted by hXcjedders:

There is no level of punishment for having too many cities.

There actually is a "punishment" which is the amenities system. Each lux resource typically only gives 4 amenities, which are spread between your cities. Luxuries go a lot further if your empire is only 4 cities as opposed to 50 (though the increased territory will often net you additional luxuries, so it kinda balances out)

[paugus]

Originally posted by Oxy Rotten:

Are you saying I should build a slinger before a scout? That sounds like it could be useful but just clarifying.
Secondly, Should I keep a unit inside my border to defend from Barbarians? I've made the mistake of moving my warriors too far from base and barbarians just ended me.

Early build order is kinda personal preference. Some people hate scouts since they're not good in a fight, but they let you meet city-states early (and get some big boosts to culture/science/gold/faith/etc. game-changing sometimes) and nab goodie huts, but a slinger will take more to kill and eventually upgrades into very useful ranged units. Other than your scouts (and occasionally your starting warrior if you're feeling brave/start in a safe location) I'd keep all of your army relatively close to your city unless you're planning an invasion.

[hxcjedders]

Originally posted by Oxy Rotten:

Originally posted by hXcjedders:

Build a slinger first, and scout around with your free warrior and the slinger. Be very vigilant and work in a unit or two between buildings until you get walls. A city without walls is very easy to take. Also, focus on getting a settler up as soon as you can afford to. More cities is more better in Civ 6. There is no level of punishment for having too many cities.

Thank you very much for your advice, I greatly appreciate it.
However, I have a few questions.
Are you saying I should build a slinger before a scout? That sounds like it could be useful but just clarifying.
Secondly, Should I keep a unit inside my border to defend from Barbarians? I've made the mistake of moving my warriors too far from base and barbarians just ended me.

As people have said before, the first couple build order items are personal preference, but I find a team of warrior slinger will be able to take advantage of early encampent hunts which early gold management is very important in getting a swift start.

I always buy my first worker and continue a cycle of selling them at their last charge and buying new ones to replace them. Improvements will aid growth much more than anything else early on.

Scouts are a bit of a gamble which is why i prefer military. I also attack the first thing I see so early army building is always beneficial.

You probably get around 10-15 turns until you start seeing barb scouts and maybe about 5-10 turns before they roam around with spears. You want to clear camps nearby you as soon as you can because if you do not, you end up getting flooded with barb horsemen.

But there is no true formula for success since it all depends on location, environment, and civ you are playing.

One word of warning. If you find out you're neighbors with Gilgamesh, get a standing army ready as soon as you can. He attacks his nearest neighbor every time as soon as he is ready.

[Twelvefield]

Army building is a priority. There is so much that in the early game that slaughters city-builders. You need an initial army to take out the closest barbarians, then you need to get horsemen going. Once you have horsemen, you can garrison your original army and use the horsemen to range long distances and kill barbarians. A mix of horsemen, melee, and ranged plus maybe one catapult will allow you to take out enemy cities.

You don't need a large army, but you do need one that is tactical. Horsemen his hard, are cheap, and are mobile. Use them to kill anything but anti-cavalry. Use horsemen to pin down enemy units long enough for your slower units to move in and slaughter them.

Once you have your army in place, likely four units or so is enough for a start, then you can secure your borders and build wonders and improvements.

[D3bs]

If you see a barb scout kill it, don't let it get away or get back to its camp as it's like advertising a party on social media; every barb for miles will turn up drunk and looking for trouble.

I usually manage early game with my initial unit a slinger and a scout but it really depends on who my nearest neighbours are. I also build one or two districts and leave them with one turn to go if I have a barb problem; at least until I've taken out their camp and/or have walls and archery.

[Martin]

Depends alot on number of ai, speed of game, type of map etc.. but lets say you're expecting 2-3 ai civs to be "near" you.

I'd build from start, 1 slinger, then 1 builder, then 2 more slingers, then 2 warriors, then usually 2 chariots. That gives you your default 8 for mercs boost. 3 archers for crossbow boost.

Then 2 more builders, esp if I have hills nearby that can be mined. Maybe a settler, then trader, then and only then, monument, walls, silo/waterwheel if river, then encampment, then whereever.

I tend to follow this exactly every game. Rarely get declared on, if you get the archers asap and 3 warriors and a couple of chariots.. not even sumeria will declare on you right away.

They might declare on you, but usually only send a scout to fight. The rest are hiding inside their own borders.

[Azunai]

in my experience, it's a good idea to start with a slinger. gives you a decent chance to snipe barb scouts and get the eureka to get archery cheaply.

archery is one of the early key techs. barbs (and also warrior rushes from your next door neighbor) are relatively easy to deal with when you have archers.

after the slinger, i usually squeeze out a builder. helps with productivity and also helps with unlocking some eurekas. after the builder i might build another warrior or slinger, or directly churn out my first settler if there is no immediate threat nearby.

i try to have at least one archer per city and then a few warriors/spearmen (or horsemen, chariots or swordsmen if i have the resources for those) to keep my surroundings clear of barb camps.

the start in civ 6 feels a lot like civ 4. in the early game, you pump out settlers, builders and just enough military to fend off the barbs. building up infratructure in the cities is low priority in that phase of the game. just slows you down. there's plenty of time to make your exsting cities large and shiny once you run out of good spots to expand to.

[DanloJr]

Personally I always go:

- builder
- settler
- slinger
- city

[Son of Thor]

Slinger is my first build. And I make sure to take a barb with the slinger. It boosts Archery. I make another slinger early on, and actively pursue barbarians. The barbarians are my friends. They are there to get promotions for my slingers. By level 4 I have a cannon that can take 2 shots per turn. I put them in a city or encampment were I need defence.

[Azanimefan]

Originally posted by Oxy Rotten:

I made it past the ancient era but I felt that I was at a huge disadvantage compared to other civs because I focused on a more solitary "build your own city" strategy. I almost lost a few times because I attempted that strategy, but Barbarians and city states would lurk around my borders.

My main question is, when should I start building my army (turn-wise.) I really want to play the game and build my city but I just feel like I have to get 10 warriors in the first 50 turns if I want to actually do anything around the map.

Even when you make it past the classical era, using my strategy still puts you behind no matter how many cities or how advanced you are. Playing the game militaristic results in penalties such as housing problems and low food sources (because let's be honest, how the actual hell am I supposed to get builders when I'm forced to build an army by turn 100?)

your first 5 build actions should be

1) scout
2) monument
3) SLINGER
4) builder
5) VICTORY CONDITION DEPENDENT

if you lose a unit before you get to no.5, no.5 should be a unit to replace it.

if you are building settlers to go wide make sure the first thing the new city builds is a slinger/archer. Slingers/archers are fantastic defense first units. and until you build city walls is absolutely required in every single city.

all these rules go out the window when you are starting with Sumeria, if you are Sumeria and you're building anything but war-carts then you're playing the game wrong.

Be ready at all times to build a new military unit to take care of barbarian encampments, or take out close by neighbors. When you're in the ancient era there are no warmonger penalties, so take advantage of that, and conquer your closest neighbors. This should be your VERY FIRST action. the maps are too small and the game sandwiches foes too close to your boarders. You'll need space for a good civ in the later games, so attack attack attack in the ancient era and build the base of your society. take all close city states and enemy civs before they build walls. Once walls start being built and you exit the ancient era you can scale back the aggression and settle in for your victory condition.

[taylormarian9]

My first five builds are usually 3 slingers, a warrior and a monument. Or 2 slingers and 2 warriors. Slingers turn into archers, which are the best 30g investment around. Put one in a forest, and they can defend pretty well, too.

I use my 1st warrior as a scout, but keep him in a circle around the city, so he's never too far away when the barbarians attack.