Many Leaders Game 2 - Sword Training

After much deliberation, I move on north to found Mecca, to pick up the plains hill and extra clam. Get some production and food.

Research to Fishing and build to warrior.

Short term plan is to see whether one of the more common strategic openings is still doable (at Noble at least), the CS slingshot

Here is home in 3960BC, having just popped a map (forgot to do it first turn).



We meet Gandhi, across the waves.



Alex appears to be closest neighbour, great.



A note on the opponents, Gandhi was included as he is usually among the better teching AI and Alex for being on of the most unpredictable. It was just luck that had them as our closest neighbours.

Churchill appears.



First event of the game and its a goody.



My scout dies.



Second city founded.



Finish up here.





My city looks a mess (production wise) but I have just whipped a library for 2 pop, when Mecca grows to size 4 and 5 I'll employ mines again. Actually, I think Oracle will be ready before I get through Mathematics.

Plenty of good city sites around but I'm going to go south first to head of Alex. Mecca will be going settler after Oracle and Medina worker then settler after warrior.

I'm going to try a peaceful game, 8-10 cities if I can and space race.

Research: Fishing, Wheel (hut), Mining, Mysticism (hut), Bronze Working (hut), Animal Husbandry, Pottery, Writing, Polytheism, Priesthood, Code of Laws (12 turns).

Builds: Warrior, Worker, Work Boat, Settler, Library (whipped), Oracle

i think this is likely to be a cakewalk for me. I think I'll go to the moon... =)

Byzantine Empire
Justianian I
Imperialistic - +100% Great General Emergence, 50% Faster Production of Settler
Spiritual - No Anarchy, Double Production Speed of Temple
Starting Techs: Mysticism, The Wheel
UU: Cataphract (Knight), comes with +2 strength but is not immune to first strike
UB: Hippodrome (Theatre), grants loads of extra happiness, +1 base, +1 more for having access to horses and +1 for every 5% spent on culture (instead of the Theatre's 10%)
Game Goals: Play with the Apostolic Palace

I begin and found Constantinople 1N of the starting position. This way I can gain the extra clam and plains hill for production. Since I am going to chase control of the religions, I decide to start by building a settler off the bat.



Huts provide me with 85G, 84G, 108G, 85G, Hunting, 28G, Sailing, Maps

In 3120BC (T22), I meet Gandhi and build my first city, Thessalonica. It happens to be connected to my capital via river. With a huge treasury already, and minor maintenance costs, I am off to a great start.



In 2960BC (T26), Buddhism spreads to Thessalonica.

Techs: Meditation (Buddhism in Constantinople), Polytheism (Hinduism in Constantinople), Fishing, Masonry, Monotheism (Judaism in Thessalonica), Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Mining

Constantinople: Settler, Warrior (incomplete), Fishing Boat, Warrior (finish), Fishing Boat, Warrior (begun)

Thessalonica: Warrior, Worker, Warrior (begun)







Bronze Working is ordered up, due in 6. I plan to revolt to Buddhism, then Slavery and Organized Religion together. Once Constantinople reaches its happy cap in two turns, I will switch to a Settler. I plan to research Priesthood, Pottery, and Writing. Ideally, I would build the Oracle to grab Confucianism via Code of Laws. The GP from that would lightbulb Theology for me.

I will attempt to win a peaceful Religious Victory, but I may decide to go for an early backdoor domination instead. Either way, I will aggressively spread Buddhism as much as possible.

Round 1 (T0-50)

Well, this IS interesting. I settled 1 E passing on the clams. Why? A) being next to two rivers gives me early trading options, and B) a two clam seaside city is a great candidate for a settler factory and a few wonders. Namely, the Great Lighthouse, The Colossus, M. Statues...to name a few.

I then set upon building two scouts and set them off....and the haul came in. By turn 50 I had...Fishing, The Wheel, Pottery, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Hunting, Mysticism, Mining, Masonry, and Bronze and Iron Working.

I beelined for the GW, which would allow me to get a Great Spy quickly, and gain easy expansion access. I plan to move to block off the small strait, but, as for the massive deserts...shame really...I suppose one city and a ring of defensive forts should be good enough. But that's far in the future.

Gilgamesh seems set up for early expansion: nice axe-based UU, courthouses available with priesthood, creative for free border pops.
With that in mind I settled one north (for the extra clam), map indicated either AH or fishing so I started with AH for pigs and sheep (less commerce but more hammers).
Techwise it went mining(hutpop) 3720, AH 3600, BW 3160, pottery 2840, myst 2600, med 2320, fishing 2200, priesthood 2040, just started sailing for coastal/river trade-routes. Techwise it was a bit of a mess, should have gone for fishing/sailing before priesthood route.
Built warrior, worker, (barracks for growth), settler, worker, popped a warrior from a hut. Founded second city to grab copper to get them vultures going.



I'll probably aim to spam settlers and vultures, put new cities building ziggurats straight away and try to claim northern continent. I'm not too bothered about religions atm. Also look at building cheap libraries to run some scientists.