Can players earn gold coins by killing villages (i.e. barbarians)? So far this has been abused by all players in our games for easy economic victories (4 gold coins before tech level 2).

Yes.

Pg. 23 "Combat" [...] "When an army figure moves into a square containing a village marker , an enemy army figure, or an enemy city, a battle takes place ."

Though, I fail to see how anyone is getting four gold coins - by winning battles - before level 2 tech is being researched (which is often achieved by turn 3). Code of Laws says "Once per turn [...]." I suspect you may be doing combat incorrectly if you're defeating villages easily, turn after turn, in the beginning of the game. You need 15 gold coins for an economic victory, also... in case you're thinking you win once you get all 4 coins for Code of Laws.

Also keep in mind that huts are not villages . You can't get a coin on Code of Laws when taking a hut since they don't require a battle to be won. They huts see your military might/cultural greatness/great thinkers and say to themselves: "Better to just wave the white flag and benefit from them"

Thanks for the clarification. I missed the once per turn part.

I did exaggerate a little, but this ability has definitely been the easiest method of generating gold coins for us. Code of Laws has been everyone's first or second tech. I do not find barbarians hard to kill at all.

okorz001 said:

The following may come off as preachy, which is not the intention. I simply believe you and your friends may be playing combat incorrectly for the following reasons (like my friends and I played incorrectly for our first seven games).

In the beginning of the game, civilizations don't have combat bonuses and your unit hand size (in battle) is 3 - just like the Barbarians. If the Barbarians play a unit that you can't trump, then it's about a coin flip chance that you'll win that battle - at the end of combat, count up all remaining unit strength and combat bonuses to determine the winner. If you lose this early battle, you take a major loss in terms of growing your civilization. A first turn combat bonus is possible with the Germans, but not practical - you'd lose a lot of important early momentum, or Americans if they can get a General as their free random great person.

You really do need some sort of advantage before picking a fight with Barbarians - either a combat bonus or having two army figures stacked and attacking simultaneously which add +2 to unit hand size - only Germany can field 5 units before the third turn - on the first two turns for every one else, they only have 1 city and can produce only 1 unit a turn. So, now we're into turn 3 before the first battle should take place against a Village. Most players will have researched two Tech I cards and be ready for their first Tech II at the end of Turn 3.

Taking Code of Laws first turn seems - to me - a waste, because unless you're willing to battle in turn 1 or 2 at a coin flip's chance, you have a useless tech until turn 3. I'd much rather have Horseback Riding as my first turn tech - speed is very good. Third turn is less predictable, but if I'm able to research a Tech II, then I'm taking Sailing, Printing Press, or any of the three Tech's that upgrade my units to rank 2 - this is not the "correct" way to play, it's just how I play. After three turns, I still have no interest in Code of Laws; perhaps I'd consider it on turn four at the earliest.

For sake of argument, let us suppose that you have Code of Laws, start attacking by turn 3 and continue to do so each subsequent turn - though I don't think even this is possible without a couple turns in which you're just moving into position, unable to attack anything. To be generous, let us say that by turn 7, you've won four battles and now have four coins. That's great, but not the boon you seem to think it is. Your other opponents will have had just as many turns doing whatever it is they do and will continue to be a threat worth reckoning.

Back to the point about how I think you may be misplaying combat; you don't use combat bonuses to add to the strength of your units when playing them down on the field:

pg. 25 "4. Resolving the Battle: After both players have played all of their battle forces, the battle is over. First, all wounds are removed from the surviving units in the battle. Then, each player tallies up the strength of all of their surviving units, adding in the value of the combat bonus card (if they have it). The player with the highest total wins the battle, with ties going to the defender."

If the Barbarians tie or beat you early on, you're at a major disadvantage. Even if you win the battle, if you lost two units, you lose an army figure - though, you cannot lose your last army figure in this way (pg. 25 "Winner's Figure Losses).

One of the reasons my friends and I did combat incorrectly is because this rule is the only instance mentioned in the rule book on how to apply combat bonuses. Unfortunately, combat examples provided in the rule book, do not show or discuss how to deal with combat bonuses. I hope this clears up why I suspect you may be playing combat incorrectly.

Cheers

I'm a new Civ player but it seems to me that Code of laws is a great early technology to get. You can change your of government (to republic) for free and that gives you the ability to use your scouts in exploring friendly huts and your army figures can build cities. It also enables you to build trading posts - which increases your trade (something essential). If you get another scout built early it is very helpful. For me the gold coins you collect are a bonus that make it even more valuable.

Perhaps I have been playing the battles wrong, but it seems to me that if you attack with an army and a scout you have a battle hand of 5. Then you can be attacking the villages early (several civilizations might not have enough hammers in their first turn to build a scout - so they can build units). So the third turn or so you can be easily attacking enemy villages.

take care,

Incorrect.

You only gain +2 units for each additional friendly ARMY in the square. Not for Scouts.

Thanks for the correction! I'm not sure how I missed that point.

Arabs can attack barbs quite early due to starting with mathematics. Promoted artillery and can spend iron for +3 strength, and they start with an iron from supply.

Still not sure if beelining CoL is worth it though. So many early techs are good.