What is the strongest Religion?

[Ekolite]

Please Note: This is not the same as your favourite religion.

What religion do you use because you think it is the strongest overall? Also, if you have time give a little explanation of why you think this religion is best in the thread.

 

[Maniac]

Hmm, the Order, Veil, Runes and Leaves all have their advantages... The Overlords, Council and Empyrean suck in my opinion though.

 

[Halancar]

I would say Ashen Veil is the strongest, as in the strongest militarily. It's tied with the order for best heroes, has very offensive priests, and sacrifice the weak allows for a lot of production...

Although the specific elf+leaves combo is probably even stronger, but that is for two specific nations.

 

[westamastaflash]

Chalid Astraken is a fantastic hero. But Ashen Veil gives you sacrifice the weak. If I feel like being good, I grab the empryean though, Ratha's are great too

 

[Sensemann]

the overlords is also strong, because of the temple giving +3 and you can have it very early, so you can achieve culture victory faster.
but i have voted for order, because of social order, basilica and bless spell.

 

[DrStalker]

Ashen Veil for me. Great priests, insane research boosts, sacrifice the Weak, two good heroes.

Other religions are better for specific strategies, but I thin AV is the best overall.

 

[Darksaber1]

Order: Strong Heros, and even stronger Unyelding Order(Altought, that was better when aRchmage or Lich could use it. Also, Basilica Does equal lower upkeep. 'Course, I play Vehem's Mazatl, so this is sort of a moot point

 

[Ajidica]

Ashen Veil all the way. Simply vassalize a couple good civs early and get life mana and resources from them and hell terrain wont faze you. (Side bonus of the fact your empire looks cooler). The priests are like a combo warrior/mage because if you get them early enough they are quite effective at attacking.

 

[jwin]

Empyrean gives high mobility units with blinding lights. Stop your enemies at a distance, or freeze them in their cities, and pick them off with spells and assassins.

 

[Alzara]

Definately AV

Used to play that religion ALL the time. So easy to win if you're the founder!

Al

 

[Blackmantle]

3 or 4 choices might have been better to get a good overall picture (just like with best mana one choice only is very misleading. CoE is hardly as weak as suggested by above results). They are different enough that one clear winner is hard to make out imo.

I picked Empyrean but its a close call whould easiely find another 2 or 3 to pick of comparable power in other fields which suit my style of play from a power point of view.

 

[Justicar333]

Tough choice, they all have great stregenths. Though I think RoK might just be the best. Not for millitary power, or amazing goodies. Voted for it because of the staggering boost it can give a players economy/production. The power to always have lots of gold, and burn those little dwarves for insane hammers. Can turn an empire into a titan.

 

[MrUnderhill]

Order, without a doubt.
You've got Social Order's garrison bonus along with essentially 3 mobile Towers of Complacency (4 counting Sphener), meaning you'll almost never have to deal with unhappiness. On top of that, you get Basilicas and Law mana for running a large empire with little maintenance, you have guaranteed access to Paladins for direct combat, you're immune to hell terrain, and it's not as much of a tech investment as the other late-game religions (Empyrean, I'm looking at you).

Veil is powerful, too, but it has a lot of drawbacks (unhappiness, hell terrain, lack of gold, armageddon, etc.) that the Order deals with more easily.

Empyrean is great for military but otherwise is pretty bland. Their sole advantage in peacetime is the Overcouncil but that can be used under any religion, and even then the council's most meaningful action is -you guessed it- declaring war.

 

[westamastaflash]

Empyrean is great for military but otherwise is pretty bland.

Which is funny because lore-wise, its the ORDER that's supposed to be the militant ones.

 

[Ksi]

AV, Empyrean. Emp for Chalid + Dominating/Air III Arch's.

 

[Amerigo Arturo]

AV and Order are the most powerful for me, Good units, great heroes, and social order and sacrifice the weak are great. But, Chalid is my favorite hero, I play emp just to use him. Ratha are the Emp chariots, right? I can't remember what the unit they replace is called, but I wish they never became obsolete. I like to uprade them to champions, phalanx, and such so they have the blinding light ability.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

Religious units never replace anything.

 

[Amerigo Arturo]

Sure they do, they replace other religious units. The Ratha replace Radiant guards, I like to upgrade Radiant guards to Champions, so my champs have blinding light.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

They "replace" in the sense that the earlier unit becomes obsolete when the city can build all of its upgrades. For example, you can still build Radian Guards and Rathas in the same city if you don't meet the requirements for building champions in that city.


I find obsolescence annoying, so I tend to give every unit <bNeverObsolete>1, using Replace All.

 

[MalkutX]

I think it has to do with what civ you're playing. All of them are nice, but try playing a non-Veil Sheaim, for instance. Just not as powerful.

But although it's not particularly powerful, sometimes I do like to play against type. Faeryl Viconia converts to the Order, and with one hand she is the Fist of Justice, and with the other is stabbing you in the back.

I find obsolescence annoying, so I tend to give every unit <bNeverObsolete>1, using Replace All.

What file is that under?