Spanish/Conquistadors anyone?

Do any of you play as the Spanish (Commercial, Religious)? I haven't played them and wondered if any of you have any thoughts on strategies with them.

Starting with the Alphabet would give you a jump towards the Great LIbrary (which I try to build each game). Also, I figured that the Conquistadors (3/2/2, replaces explorer) would put a useful twist to gzollinger's explorer tactics -http://www.civfanatics.com/civ3acad_explorers.shtml. I fear, though, that the AI would treat the Conquistadors as military units rather than 'harmless' Explorers.

Conquistadores are very useful pillaging units. If they are attacked then they will usually lose, but you have a fair chance of them retreating.

In an SG I am currently playing as the Spanish we have done some testing. We have found that the AI will not attack a conquistador army if they do not have an army themselves. So if you can generate a leader and build an army of conquistadores you can use it to pillage the enemy to death.

Thanks for the info, mad-bax. Also, after reading up on the Conquests info, it looks like Spain will now be Sea-fairing/Religious, but will still start with Alphabet. The changes to trading, comminucations, and availability of Explorers/Conquistadors makes me think that they may become available at a more useful period with the new expansion.

I keep starting games as Spain and then never finishing them. I think I will play as them in Conquests first.

Im playing as Spanish now. Its my first game as Spanish. And I can say Im succesfull, play on monarch / large map / 12 civs. I just invent electronics and the others are on the start of Industrial era. Its my first game, I was able to build all but 4 GW. Ofcause I used 3 GL to hurry prod. I used Conquistadors only for start GA. Im satisfied with them.

My latest finnished game in the unmodded game was as the Spanish.

It was a kind of odd game - I was lagging in science till the mid-Industrial, but with a combination of inferior numbers and outdated units I managed to win every war I got into by frontal assault. By the end of the Industrial Era, I was supreme ruler of my continent, and had gained a foothold on the other main continent. I was intending to do a Conquest Victory, but forgot to raze any cities, and so accidentally triggered a Domination win while systematically dismantling China.

Commercial and Religious are decent traits; in particular, those cheap Temples/Cathedrals were a big boon to my culture, which was needed, particularly since I got no Ancient or Medieval Great Wonders. The Conquistador is kinda useless. I built one, triggered an early Industrial GA, and then stationed it in Madrid as a royal guard.

As Spain, my strategy would be to make a bee line for Navigation and hopefully get it before too many others found gunpowder. Navigation is only two advances past Education, so if you get some universities built, you might not have to wait too long (maybe 20 turns).

After that I would look around and see who was still using pikes and spears and try to take advantage of them inorder to get a big piece of land.

nope, never palyed them. Im too bust with my Germans and Americans