Should You Conquer City-States in Civilization V? A Wargamer’s Guide

The burning question that plagues every aspiring emperor in Civilization V: Should you conquer city-states? The answer, as with most things in Civ, is a resounding “it depends.” There’s no universally correct answer, as the optimal strategy hinges on your civilization, your chosen victory condition, the map, and the specific city-state in question. However, as a general rule: early game conquest is much more advisable than late-game. The diplomatic penalties for aggressive expansion increase as the game goes on, making mid-to-late game city-state annexation a risky proposition that can turn the whole world against you.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Before you unleash your legions on a hapless city-state, carefully consider the following factors:

Advantages of Conquest

• Strategic Location: This is the most compelling reason to conquer a city-state. If a city-state occupies a vital mountain pass, guards a crucial resource, or sits on a prime coastal location you need for your naval expansion, annexation becomes much more attractive. Securing a geographically advantageous spot early can cement your power for the rest of the game.
• Resource Acquisition: Similar to the point above, City-States may control luxury resources you don’t have access to. Conquering a city-state grants you direct control over its tiles, including the luxury and strategic resources found within its borders. Early access to unique luxuries can boost your happiness and economy considerably.
• Eliminating a Threat: While rare, some city-states can become thorns in your side. For example, if a militaristic city-state is constantly harassing your borders, or if a maritime city-state is claiming all the prime coastal tiles before you can, eliminating them preemptively might be necessary.
• Mongolian Advantage: The Mongolian civilization, led by Genghis Khan, gains unique benefits from conquering city-states. Their Khan unique unit heals adjacent units and gains combat bonuses from victories, making them excellent at leading early conquest campaigns. Their unique ability also eliminates city unhappiness upon conquest, alleviating a key penalty that other civilizations suffer.

Disadvantages of Conquest

• Diplomatic Penalties: This is the biggest drawback. Annexing a city-state incurs a diplomatic penalty with all other civilizations. They will view you as a warmonger, making alliances more difficult and increasing the likelihood of war. The severity of the penalty increases as the game progresses, so conquering city-states in the late game is generally a bad idea unless you’re already committed to a domination victory.
• Happiness: Annexing a city creates unhappiness within your empire, which can cripple your growth and production. While some civilizations can mitigate this (like the Mongols), most will need to carefully manage their happiness to avoid crippling penalties. You may need to build Colosseums or connect new luxury resources quickly to offset the unhappiness.
• Loss of City-State Bonuses: Each city-state provides unique bonuses to civilizations that are allied with them. Conquering a city-state means losing access to these bonuses. This can be a significant loss, especially if the city-state provided a crucial boost to your science, culture, or military.
• Opportunity Cost: Spending resources on conquering a city-state means you’re not spending them on other things, such as building infrastructure, researching technologies, or training units for defense. Assess whether the potential gains from conquest outweigh the cost of diverting resources.

When to Consider Conquest

Here’s a framework for evaluating whether to conquer a city-state:

1. Early Game Opportunity: Conquering a city-state in the early game is generally less risky than later on, as the diplomatic penalties are lower. If you have a strong early military and a clear strategic need for the city-state’s location or resources, consider taking it.
2. Desperate Measures: If a city-state is actively undermining your game plan, such as by blocking your expansion or constantly attacking your units, conquest may be necessary, even with the diplomatic consequences.
3. Domination Victory: If you’re aiming for a domination victory, diplomatic penalties are less of a concern. You’ll be at war with most civilizations anyway, so conquering a few city-states is unlikely to make things significantly worse.
4. The “Worth It” Factor: Carefully weigh the benefits of conquering the city-state against the drawbacks. Will the strategic location, resources, or elimination of a threat outweigh the diplomatic penalties, happiness hit, and loss of bonuses?

Alternative Strategies

Before resorting to conquest, consider these alternative strategies:

• Alliances: Forming an alliance with a city-state provides access to its bonuses and can deter other civilizations from attacking it. Invest in patronage and use great diplomats to secure these alliances.
• Influence: Competing with other civilizations for influence over city-states is often a more diplomatic and less risky approach than conquest.
• Ignoring: Sometimes, the best strategy is to simply ignore city-states that don’t pose a threat or offer valuable bonuses. Focus on expanding your own empire and developing your civilization.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I improve my relationship with city-states?

You improve your relationship with city-states by completing quests they offer, gifting them gold, and investing in the Patronage social policy tree. Having a strong military presence nearby can also deter other civilizations from bullying them, improving their disposition towards you.

2. What happens when I declare war on a city-state?

Declaring war on a city-state immediately removes all your envoys from that city-state. It also incurs a diplomatic penalty with other civilizations, making them more likely to view you as a warmonger.

3. Can city-states declare war on me?

Yes, city-states can declare war on you if you repeatedly bully them, violate their territory, or have very low influence with them. A city-state may also declare war on you if you attack a civilization they are allied with.

4. How do I protect city-states from other civilizations?

The easiest method is to have influence over the city-state, which makes other civilizations reluctant to attack them for fear of angering you. A suzerain can station troops nearby to deter aggression.

5. What are the different types of city-states?

There are several types of city-states, each offering unique bonuses when you become their ally: maritime, cultural, militaristic, religious, mercantile, and scientific. Each type grants a unique bonus tailored to its focus.

6. Is it possible to liberate a city-state that has been conquered?

Yes, you can liberate a city-state by capturing it from the civilization that conquered it. Liberating a city-state grants you a significant diplomatic bonus with them and other city-states.

7. What is the Warmonger penalty and how does it affect my game?

The warmonger penalty is a diplomatic penalty incurred when you conquer cities or declare war frequently. It makes other civilizations distrust you, reducing their willingness to trade, form alliances, or engage in peaceful relations. The more cities you conquer, the greater the penalty.

8. How close should I build my cities to city-states?

Building cities too close to city-states can lead to border disputes and reduce their willingness to ally with you. However, building too far away means you might miss out on strategic resources within their territory. Aim for a balance, usually 4-6 tiles away, is optimal.

9. What are some good pantheons for civilizations that want to focus on city-state alliances?

The Messenger of the Gods pantheon is excellent for civilizations aiming for city-state alliances, as it provides bonus science for each trade route to a city-state. Goddess of Festivals, Fertility Rites and Oral Tradition are good choices as well.

10. How many cities should I have in Civ 5?

The ideal number of cities depends on your victory condition and civilization. Generally, a “tall” empire has 2-4 highly developed cities, while a “wide” empire has 6-12 smaller cities. Consider the happiness impact of each new city.

11. Is it better to annex or puppet a conquered city-state?

Generally, it is better to annex a city-state if it has a strategic location or valuable resources that you want to directly control. Puppeting is preferable if you want to avoid the happiness hit associated with annexing, but you’ll have less control over its production and development.

12. Can city-states have loyalty?

City-states in Civ 5 do not have loyalty in the same way as in Civilization VI. However, their willingness to ally with you depends on your influence, their opinion of you, and their perception of your military strength.

13. What is the strongest civilization in Civ 5 for conquering city-states?

The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, are particularly well-suited for conquering city-states due to their unique Khan unit and ability that negates unhappiness from city conquest.

14. What are the benefits of being allied with a city-state?

Being allied with a city-state provides numerous benefits, including bonus resources, units, culture, science, faith, or gold, depending on the type of city-state. These bonuses can significantly boost your civilization’s development and competitiveness.

15. Where can I learn more about the role of games in education and learning?

You can explore the fascinating intersection of games and education by visiting the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. This organization researches and promotes the use of games for educational purposes. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org for more information.

Ultimately, the decision to conquer a city-state is a complex one that requires careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages. Weigh the potential benefits against the diplomatic consequences, happiness hit, and loss of bonuses. Remember that there are often alternative strategies that can achieve your goals without resorting to war. Choose wisely, and may your empire prosper!