@BigBlocky:
Yep, that’s the way to defend. But if a big neighbour puts 10 units on a city, you still need to put 5 in for defence to prevent the city from breaking down (or close, been awhile).
I think it’s less: six to build, work as seven to defend… means four to safe it surely.
If each neighbour used 20 of 55 on 2 attacks (or more if the surround lands can support more, say 26 max)
Improtant point: he needs the lands to “cultivate” the attackers. Means, lands with population maximum of 3+ would be good…. and a few of them!
each, they could sustain that forever…… With the 20 case, you need 5 defensive units each times 4 attacks is 20 defenisive units, ya need 40 minimum to sustain that
Why would i need 40 units to sustain that? I need 20 on “2” lands to regrow that, i need two per city if i remember correctly….
Now toss in Iconaclism and herasy or …. Civil war (only need 4 cities to get that).
That is exactly the point: the leading player usually has absolutely no need to trade, and therefore won’t be hit by that stuff. If i am in front, then at the end i get so many things discounted that even the higher cards are not that expensive anymore and i can get the money needed by having each resource twice, or the more expensive ones three times.
(by saving them the round before). Plus: Inland cities can’t be attacked, and i am not sure what happens first: funding of cities or fighting in places: because then i would let you attack me, and just rebuild cities whereever i want. Having nine would be nice, but usually there is no gold anyway (because ppl tend to buy it for 18 ), so 8 makes no difference, and 7 is not so far to really change a lot. Anything below 5 in the city number would become dangerous though.
If you’re on the edge a natural disaster might cost you a round, if you go below 2 cities you halt the advance.
The natural desasters can cost how many cities maximum…. no more than three i suppose. would still leave me “bronze” to try to get my money (should have played more often in the last years, could be wrong there).
You also need some valuble cards to advance in latter rounds. Sure, if somehow you got 2 places ahead on the advance chart and had 1100-1300 in cards and trade cards at that point you can coast…… But ya need better opponents… :-)
The two places ahead is not that much the point: one is totally sufficient. For the cards: that usually is not the problem. To get into the last era you need 1000 in cards, don’t you? And then you have another round to prepare for the last steps.
My point is: you don’t need to trade the last rounds, and therefore are effectively not attackable. Means that two turns before the end the game is decided. (unless all players manage to shuffle people to the borders and there are many enemy borderlands and cities close by).
