Cultural Victory, T175, Score 853, 19.5 h
(Although no splash screen until T177)
Plan
This was a nice setting that worked well with Chandragupta's good domination abilities. India works well with religion, and with the natural wonder nearby, I focused on getting an early religion and exploited the Reliquaries belief once I found Yerevan in game. I combined sacrificing martyr apostles with expanding to control as many monopolies as possible, via both settlers and conquest.
Early game
Finding Yerevan early at T20, I went after a Reliquaries religion which I got at T65. Screwed a bit on not getting a Classical Golden Age, I should have gone after Irrigation directly without delay after seeing there were no farming resource for the boost, as the stepwell era score could have made a real change.
At T100, I am at 7 cities, a religion, one theater square already, a sizable army of warriors and archers, an olives Industry and a good deployment for monopolies in Olives, Amber and Jade, and I am looking to build my Varus for conquest of Qin Shin.
Diplomacy
Tomyris decided to screw my plans and razed (not conquered, razed!) Yerevan, from all the city states the only one I really needed! Out of spite I declared a Territorial War in T123 and stepped over his lines, conquering 4 of his cities, including the capital. I signed peace in T141, I probably should have taken Issyk as well, for it would have given me Orange monopoly, but I was afraid of taking too much of his territory an Tomyris disappearing through pressure, as well as receiving too many grievances.
Although there was no coastal bridge to the third continent, I was lucky enough to eye contact through the ocean one of Hong Kong's galleys on T118. I sent Amani there and got suzerainty on T126, obtaining diplomatic contact with Ba Trieu, Kublai Khan and Cahokia. Then, I moved Amani to Cahokia to find Cyrus, completing the civs list.
The second and last war was with Qin Xin Huang, I took his capital, to get monopoly with Jade and build up towards whales. I hopped to get also Coffee monopoly, but it resulted the other copies were in my ally's island. Also conquered Bologna, Qin's ally, to secure monopoly in whales (and a failed attempt on coffee).
Had good relationships, and then alliances, with Gitarja, Jayavarman and Ba Trieu. Cyrus and Kublai Khan hated me for my wars. Trade was basically done with luxury resources, although I also sold the eventual iron and horse.
Cities
22 cities, 8 were conquered, and 3 more funded from captured settlers.
2 of Tomyris settlers served me great to secure the mercury and silver monopolies to the south-east of the continent.
1 from Qin I used to obtain the Jade monopoly in the tip of the western peninsula.
Early on I realized I would need the many whales at the south-west end of the continent, and funded there a couple of cities, one with a holy city that I used to jump apostles and missionaries to the western continent once Cartography was discovered.
Religion
Pantheon (T40): Earth Goddess, I wanted Desert Folklore but it was already taken.
Religion (T65): Reliquaries and Holy Order, later Tithe.
With holy sites, Earth Goddess and stepwells, my faith output was solid and soon had a few Apostles with martyr thanks to Yerevan. Gitarja and Jayavarman had many missionaries I used to sacrifice my apostles, but soon I was restricted for lack of enough temples. I tried to get the Apadana but failed by 6 turns. It could have been a real turn over...
Wonders
After failing the Apadana for short, and with Yerevan lost, I focused on Mount St. Michel, which I got in T160, one after getting Petra for a nice desert city. Also went after Saint Basil's for even more relic slots but game ended 1 turn before completion.
Natural wonders were basically useful for good Holy site adjacencies. Exploiting the initial lake for an early Territorial Expansion maybe could had been a better idea, but I felt it would tax too much the growth of my capital, and preferred to work coffee and amber for culture.
Barbarians
There were a few outposts that got out of order and required extra work. It forced me to slot an early Apoge card and build an army to clean an outpost in the Olives fields with many archers making my day painful there. Also, at the east and south of Tomyris lands two outposts had gone crazy, spamming musketmen and crossbowmen without stop. Fortunately I had an Apostle with barbarian conversion, and I used it to clear three outposts and obtain 4 or 5 musketmen and a couple crossbowmen. Without that apostle things could have turned very very bad.
Monopolies and Corporations
Obtained monopolies in Olives (T144), Salt (T153), Mercury (T154), Silver (T154), Amber (T157), Jade (T159) and Whales (T174). To obtain control of some of them I had to secure suzerainity of a few city states. Could have obtained Oranged conquering one more city from Tomyris, and I think I should have done. Coffee was also close, but required conquering one of my allies, which I did not want to do.
Found one bug, when you obtain control of a luxury resource, the percentage of control is not recalculated and the resource is not counted towards monopoly. I had to undo an improvement at my territory and build the improvement again, then control percentage is recalculated taking into account the copies in your city states and the monopoly is properly granted.
My monopolies bonus to tourism ended at +1002%.
Special abilities
The extra movement and +5 Strength on declaring a Territorial Expansion war, was incredibly powerful and helped me secure at least 5 of my 7 monopolies.
Stepwell is better than it seems, for you can fit it on places that otherwise would be difficult for a farm, and in this particular map with not many places for farm diamonds, worked very well. Also, you can build it in the desert, which is a plus when you have coastal cities that just need more housing.
The Varu was also very strong, specially when you have archers to shot from behind, it just makes your ranged units stronger.
The bonuses to religion were nice, but not very defining, specially the belief of Tomyris religion, helped me nothing, for it was Choral Music but there was not holy sites in his land.
Final state
It was a very interesting setting for a fast cultural victory. I screwed a bit in some parts and could have done better, specially on defending Yerevan, building more Temples and securing the Apadana with a chop, but overall I am satisfied and definitely had fun with this one. A nice Christma's holidays gift after the Krampus hell!
