How many scouts?

How many scouts do you build before anything else?

  • What's a scout?

    Votes: 2 2.4%

  • A bunch only if they have a civ specific UU.

    Votes: 4 4.8%

  • Just one to look around.

    Votes: 32 38.6%

  • Two will find some nice goodies.

    Votes: 40 48.2%

  • Three or more because I can't stand white clouds.

    Votes: 5 6.0%

  • They can wait, I build scouts after I build something else.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    83
Current game was 2 scouts - primarily because I'm running unlimited barbarian exp with raging barbarians turned on. Was able to get them leveled up quickly, and then found advanced weaponry - makes for some insanely powerful archers who heal a lot every turn. Nice.
 
Usually 1. If I'm a civ like Spain or the Iroquois, two or three.
 
What map type???
Contenants appear to be one.
Pangaea appears to be two.
Water based maps appear to be zero as you'll have the entire landmass "scouted" with the starting warrior soon enough anyway and will use a few naval units instead for "scouting"

I also play with ruins off since having the ruins on made Immortal too easy. (AI sucks at getting ruins)
 
Usually one scout, then monument, then another scouts. Sometimes monument first, if I find I'm in a location where warrior can take care of basic scouting.
 
I almost always select just 1 scout for all map types. I've seen immortal/deity players with their victory stories and first order builds saying they make up to 3 scouts for exploring. If I am Shoshone, I get at least 1 more pathfinder (seeing that you already start with one), regardless of map type, although size might change that, but it depends. I usually wish to build a worker as soon as possible to develop my land, especially since the AI starts with a worker on emperor level and up.

I might change that plan if they get rid of that stupid reveal barb encampment bonus.
 
I really like going for some of the early wonders, plus I kinda like having a religion, so I usually only get one and scout with my warriors as well.

I get a worker quite late so I have no fear from barbarians early on.
 
I tend to build three scouts then a worker. It really feels like three is minimal you need to explore the decent chunk of the world by classical era on huge maps.
 
I feel it depends on the map and where you're located.

I usually send my initial warrior in a wide circle around my capital to see what's out there and to grab any nearby ancient ruins, sometimes I go a little further too. I start by training two scouts and send them in different directions. Sometimes, I'll train a third if I'm in a spot that has a lot of different directions to explore. They're so cheap and exploration really pays off in a lot of ways.
 
Usually two scouts as just after the second one finishes pottery also finishes. Usually with two scouts and a warrior roaming around one of them will find a culture ruin allowing for a delay in building monument or just taking the free one from tradition.
 
2 max.

1 if its archipelago or large islands and I'm not polynesia. Not enough land to justify the early hammers. Also it seems like all the AI scouts make a beeline for me, taking all my early game goody huts. If that happens I only build 1.

0 if I'm Aztecs. I'd rather have jaguars
 
1 in most cases. 2 if Spain, Shoshone or Polynesia. 0 if Aztecs or Archipelago map and not Polynesia.
 
@CraziFuzzy: I always play with raging barbs. I am under the assumption that they will slow the expansion of the AI more than me (can anyone confirm this), and should I decide to open up Honor in the future there are always some isolated barb villages I can camp by for the culture and gold of killing them.

It does seem like most people are determined by map, which makes sence, if you are on a small continent that can be explored in moments and there is no shallow water to the next continent like fractal has, scouts are pointless.
 
Yeah, raging barbs certainly does slow down everything. I've noticed comparing a Pangaea with raging barbs on to one with barbs off, the land mass fills up much faster without raging barbs. You figure that every unit that gets killed by the barbarians is one more that has to be rebuilt, slowing down worker and settler production, as well as economic losses. Barbarians are constantly pillaging, meaning the workers that ARE produced are much less effective, constantly having to rebuilt improvements.

This ends up giving a key player advantage though, as you are more able to adapt to the raging barbs, and run your defenses out a little more aggressively, preventing the barbs from getting into your improved territory.
 
At least 2, sometimes 3 and when I took the Honnor policy that gives culture and smiles when garnisoned, then maybe 10 or more but much later in the game ;)

Edit: also forgot to add when there is huge part of unclaimed land, I sometimes build them in cities with baracks and plant them like antibarb lighthouse.
 
Always one and usually two (I like to play on larger maps)
 
Used to be just one but 2 seems to be the magic number for me since open borders got moved back. Gotta get past your neighbors quickly so you can find the other civs and CSs earlier. I'll even replace scouts that get an upgrade hut so I always have two at least until I can replace them with horsemen or knights.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Iconian
Fantastic Ancients
Replies
0
Views
1K
Iconian
Iconian
freethink
Ancient Civs Proposals
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
Dracosolon
D
mastrude
Civ V Calculator Nerds
Replies
0
Views
339
mastrude
mastrude
M
Loss of infrastructure when city is conquered
Replies
9
Views
546
martindo
M
mastrude
[BNW] [Deleted]
Replies
3
Views
350
mastrude
mastrude
Top Bottom