# Civ 5 strategy disucssion **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 4, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460 "2011-08-04T14:27:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460/1 "2011-08-04T14:27:02Z")
What’s the optimum number of cities if the desire is a military domination victory? When conquering other cities is it best to puppet or raze etc? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460/2 "2011-08-04T15:12:55Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > What’s the optimum number of cities if the desire is a military domination victory? When conquering other cities is it best to puppet or raze etc? IME, razing makes one _very_ unpopular with the neighbors. OTOH, if you’re going for military domination victory, I guess you don’t care… ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460/3 "2011-08-04T15:17:13Z")
> [@furt](#): > > IME, razing makes one _very_ unpopular with the neighbors. OTOH, if you’re going for military domination victory, I guess you don’t care… Well, I care if I’m not ready to take on all the neighbours yet! ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460/4 "2011-08-04T16:58:50Z")
> [@furt](#): > > IME, razing makes one _very_ unpopular with the neighbors. OTOH, if you’re going for military domination victory, I guess you don’t care… _Everything_ makes you unpopular with the neighbors in this game. Found cities, build wonders, fight wars, befriend city states, conquer city states, build a large military, build a small military… no matter what path you take, by about 1600 AD you’ll be either: (1) hopelessly unable to win; or (2) despised and friendless. IMO, one of the weaknesses of the game is that there’s no point developing a strategy that cultivates friendships, because sooner or later every competing Civ will be denouncing and insulting you no matter what you do. * * * **Wanderers** , on what difficulty level do you play? To some extent, the answer to your question will vary with the difficulty level and type of map. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460/5 "2011-08-04T17:45:44Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > _Everything_ makes you unpopular with the neighbors in this game. Found cities, build wonders, fight wars, befriend city states, conquer city states, build a large military, build a small military… no matter what path you take, by about 1600 AD you’ll be either: (1) hopelessly unable to win; or (2) despised and friendless. IMO, one of the weaknesses of the game is that there’s no point developing a strategy that cultivates friendships, because sooner or later every competing Civ will be denouncing and insulting you no matter what you do. > > * * * > > **Wanderers** , on what difficulty level do you play? To some extent, the answer to your question will vary with the difficulty level and type of map. I’m trying Emperor, but getting pwnd ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-5-strategy-disucssion/591460/6 "2011-08-04T18:22:43Z")
If you rush to Horsemen as fast as possible and build 3-4 ASAP (and I really mean ASAP…found a city near horses if you need to and have a worker ready to build a pasture when you get the tech) you can tear around and crush everyone. Give them healing buffs as upgrades. Kinda like the old Civ games when you got tanks first then smashed everyone with tank spam.