How to destroy captured cities ?

[Jagged_One]

Hi guys !!! I have been playing SMAC for over a decade, but I only recently discovered this forum. I have decided to shed my "lurker" status and dive in with a question that has been driving me nuts ever since I started playing SMAC.

Is there any way, other than nuking it with a PlanetBuster, to completely wipe a city off the map ? As I go about the globe conquering cities, I do not want to acquire every city I take and then have to manage it - it's really unwieldly, esp. in SMAX where the new factions seem to build like mad. As I hop across a continent taking over cities, I would prefer to leave a wake of total destruction behind me...it just feels more "conquery" to me. But I have never found a way to do it. I suppose I could turn the Governor on (I never use it - I'm a micro-manager) and let him manage the conquered cities - it would be less of a hassle for me that way. But I would prefer to erase my enemies from the planet - literally !!!

I am prepared to be profoundly embarrassed when someone points out something obvious that I have missed for over 10 years, but I will stil tickled pink if there really is a way to do it.

Thanks in advance....JaggedOne

[Lord Avalon]

Have a combat unit (with offensive firepower) obliterate the base ('b'). FYI, it's an atrocity - more serious if you obliterate a newly conquered base (or so the manual says; I've never done it).

[Buster's Uncle]

Starve it down to one citizen and build a colony pod.  If there's only one citizen when it completes, you have the option of finishing it anyway and that erases the city.

You can move the CP into another of your cities and bump up the population by one (even if the pop is maxed out) if you don't want to found a new city.

[551262]

From worst to best:

1.) Planet Buster.
2.) Nerve gas. Sometimes I'll make X 13-1-12*2 needlejets if I think things will get ugly. Also nerve gas works great on aliens (Marr, H'minee). Each successful strike cuts the base size in half: e.g. size 14 to 7, 7 to 4, 4 to 2, then after a certain number, it is wiped off. This means you can cut a size 30 base off the map with like 5 or 6 strikes.
3.) Base obliteration, using the B key, as mentioned already.
4.) Mind worms. Not yours, but "released" mind worms. The base must be size 1. Move a mindworm or IoD next the base, then release it into the wild. The base will be wiped off the map once the "Native" turn goes around.
5.) Starvation, as BUncle says. I do this with sea bases: fusion sea colony pods aren't that expensive once you got the first 10 minerals done. The way I do it, is aggressive: put them to specialists, build colony pods, and disband them to further the next colony pod.

As a warmonger, I just have the conquered cities build 1-1-1 police units, and if they're good enough, rebuild 1-4-1*2 AAA ECM garrisons then finally some SAM rovers just in case I get struck in the rear, plus a few scattered needlejets, because my whole attack force moves to the next landspace to conquer.  You could also try supporting your attacking force with the conquered cities, this frees up minerals back home.

[Jagged_One]

Wow, I absolutely did not know about the Obliterate command...this is the first time I have ever seen it mentioned. I guess I was right about being a bonehead and missing something obvious. 

Thanks all !!!