Best civ for guerrilla warfare tactics?

[=CrimsoN=]

In strategy games (and even non-strategy games), my favorite tactics almost always involve guerrilla warfare. Being fast, but also being able to escape and recover. It's different than just rushing (can't stand rushing). It's more like defending, while chipping away at the enemy to deter them until victory can be achieved (that's actually what real guerrilla warfare is).

Are their any civs that specialize in this tactic? I don't play much civ, but I imagine that I'd play a lot more with a civ that specialized in this. Guerrilla warfare doesn't just apply to actual combat either. Combat is one aspect, but the other involves winning over the populance (i.e. spreading culture in civ terms) and terrorism (espionage).

^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_and_tactics_of_guerrilla_warfare

Best explanation of guerrilla warfare: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dautranh.jpg

tl'dr
Are there any civs that specialize in spreading culture, while at the same time having fast attack units and good at espionage? (and maybe units that benefit from hit+run/raiding).

[Jimmy McGill]

I don't think there is any civ with a real gorrila warfare advantage. However, civs with quick units(Like the shoshone's comanche raider) and mounted ranged unit(arabia, mongolia, attila) probably have an advantage in guerilla warfare.

[EnigmaVisionary]

Horses are the ideal units for guerilla tactic.
They have the abillity of additional movement after they attack, so they can retreat.

[=CrimsoN=]

Originally posted by Sinnaj63:

I don't think there is any civ with a real gorrila warfare advantage. However, civs with quick units(Like the shoshone's comanche raider) and mounted ranged unit(arabia, mongolia, attila) probably have an advantage in guerilla warfare.

Originally posted by Enigma:

Horses are the ideal units for guerilla tactic.
They have the abillity of additional movement after they attack, so they can retreat.

Yeah, I've been thinking about this, and adapting to what Civ 5 has to offer. I actually think the Greeks might be an ideal civ for what I'm thinking. They do have fast cavalry (companion cavalry), although I'd really prefer a fast mid game unit, but this is better than nothing at all. In addition they can influence the city states which can be useful for just about anything else, but most importantly for culture.

Edit: greeks can also heal in city-state territory for free without border incidents. So I'll be able to protect them better than any other civ.

India is another good one, which benefits from small cities which will produce more culture, but doesn't have fast attack units (war elephants have a movement penalty).

Am I thinking on the right track? I'm certainly gonna try out the greeks for this type of strategy. It's a real shame that a true guerrilla warfare faction doesn't exist. It's a viable strategy afterall.

[Jimmy McGill]

Originally posted by ♥Nibbles♥:

Originally posted by Sinnaj63:

I don't think there is any civ with a real gorrila warfare advantage. However, civs with quick units(Like the shoshone's comanche raider) and mounted ranged unit(arabia, mongolia, attila) probably have an advantage in guerilla warfare.

Originally posted by Enigma:

Horses are the ideal units for guerilla tactic.
They have the abillity of additional movement after they attack, so they can retreat.

Yeah, I've been thinking about this, and adapting to what Civ 5 has to offer. I actually think the Greeks might be an ideal civ for what I'm thinking. They do have fast cavalry (companion cavalry), although I'd really prefer a fast mid game unit, but this is better than nothing at all. In addition they can influence the city states which can be useful for just about anything else, but most importantly for culture.

Edit: greeks can also heal in city-state territory for free without border incidents. So I'll be able to protect them better than any other civ.

India is another good one, which benefits from small cities which will produce more culture, but doesn't have fast attack units (war elephants have a movement penalty).

Am I thinking on the right track? I'm certainly gonna try out the greeks for this type of strategy. It's a real shame that a true guerrilla warfare faction doesn't exist. It's a viable strategy afterall.

The modded Civ's Vietnams Unique Unit Vietcong is made for guerillia warfare, but probably comes too late to be too useful.

[zxcvbob]

How about Persian "immortals"? Or (I'm playing my first Sweden game now and haven't quite gotten to rifling yet) and their caroleans? They can heal every turn.

Or landsknectts from the Commerce tree? Cheap units, reasonably strong, and no movement cost to pillage. Upgrade them to lancers (or helicopters) and you can really wreck an opponent's lands.

[JesseL]

The Inca Slinger has a chance to retreat when attacked.

[ApollosKnight]

Bismark with barbarians on. Unlimited troops haha.

[IrationalFear]

You can try the Iroquois; forest and jungles act as roads if you own the tile, and their UU requires no iron and has a combat bonus in both. Makes for strong defense with few strategic resource requirements for a few stages of the game; of course, you need a map with lots of forest to utilize this.

[=CrimsoN=]

Originally posted by zxcvbob:

How about Persian "immortals"? Or (I'm playing my first Sweden game now and haven't quite gotten to rifling yet) and their caroleans? They can heal every turn.

Or landsknectts from the Commerce tree? Cheap units, reasonably strong, and no movement cost to pillage. Upgrade them to lancers (or helicopters) and you can really wreck an opponent's lands.

Originally posted by Faramir:

The Inca Slinger has a chance to retreat when attacked.

Originally posted by xTEGSx-ApollosKnight:

Bismark with barbarians on. Unlimited troops haha.

Ayyyy that would satisfy the military portion of guerilla warfare. Not sure about the political portion though (i.e. spreading culture).

Originally posted by IrationalFear:

You can try the Iroquois; forest and jungles act as roads if you own the tile, and their UU requires no iron and has a combat bonus in both. Makes for strong defense with few strategic resource requirements for a few stages of the game; of course, you need a map with lots of forest to utilize this.

I actually used to play the Iroquois when I first started. They were all I would ever play and I use to really scare my friends with the Mohawk Warriors (those guys actually make amazing shock troops, with the ability to travel through the forests like mounted units haha), but you're right that they require forests. If you are Iroquois and don't start in the forest then you are pretty much screwed in the entire early game :/

[=CrimsoN=]

So far the Greek Campaign I started is going pretty well. Turn 199 and I have 6 wonders in my Cap. Only 3 cities for the sake of high culture boost, but I'm allied with 4 citiy states. 1 is giving me military units and another culture. The other 2 are just resources, which I'm trading with 2 other civs for gold. I have enough military to protect myself from invasion too, while still pumping out culture. Now I just need to find a way to sabotage my top opponent at the current moment (France), without pissing them off too much. I already stole one of their city-states so that set them off a little .

[DerRitter]

I'd say the Iroquois, and pehaps the Inca- with their slingers and no movement penalty on hills

[KnightwhosaysNi]

America's UA is pretty good for hit and run tactics, as are minutemen. Mongolia obviously does well with mounted units, Inca is super powerful with hill terrain, and Denmark can do amphibious attacks very well. Really, it's more of a matter of terrain of the battlefield that makes civs good at guerilla warfare.

[Mr. Poopular]

I'd go England. The Longbow gets an extra range. So you can hit most units and retreat before they can get to you. They're naval units get +2 movement. If you can get the Great Lighthouse and the Exploration policy that's 4 extra moves for boats. Their other UU is just a stronger version of the frigate.

My favorite hit ad run strategy is with aircraft carriers. Bring them close enough for your planes to attack then back out of the range of their planes.

They also get an extra spy.

[ajhartman65]

Poland. The winged hussar is probably the only lancer unit in the game really worth having. Forcing your enemies to retreat upon inficting more damage than you take, and then being able to move after forcing them back, pretty much the definition of what you are looking for. Plus the extra social policy every era goes a long way to helping with your second criterion of "winning over the populace". Extra social policies are never a bad thing. Then the UB giving you extra cash for a stable is nice as well.

After Poland i would agree with the above poster on the mounted ranged units, but the problem there is you lose everything (promotion wise) if you ever need to upgrade them.

[Excommunicatus]

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned what I think are probably the two best candidates.

Mongolian Keshiks are probably the defining unit for fast hit and run attacks. Move 5 ranged attack horsemen that shoot as hard as crossbows, can move after attacking (they joust into unit or city bombard range, shoot, then step back out to virtually *never* take reprisals), and the Khan (Mongol Great General replacement) is also a Move 5 unit, and adds a healing bonus to nearby units. Nothing finer for hit and run.

If you want to take culture into account, whereas there aren't any units that spread culture to other civs per se, Aztec units all generate culture for the empire when they kill an enemy. Jaguars (Warrior replacement) ignore terrain costs in jungle and forest, have a combat bonus in jungle and forest, *and* heal 25 when they kill an enemy. A host of Jaguars, once upgraded to Infantry or beyond, are some nasty fighters. For an unmodded Civ V, they could be considered pretty close to guerilla fighters.