Socrates99
Bottoms up!
This looks fun. I've often wondered if there was a fun start that prioritizes civics over techs. Going t try it my next game.
A Deity strategy for Poland - Singing Hussars
- Thread starter Mr. Shadows
- Start date
Socrates99
Bottoms up!
Well, the holy sites are needed to faith buy the WHs from what I understand you turtle up even in religion, stockpiling faith and then convert as you conquer using inquisitors.
Mr. Shadows
Nomad of the time streams
@Mrmyx22 That's right, possibly with support from frigates. You have to be fast to wrap it up that way though.
@jacktannery I guess it depends on what turn you aim to finish the game. This certainly isn't going to give you a sub-100 victory, that's for sure. It all hinges on how early you can field your WHs, which largely means how quickly you can build the Grand Masters Chapel. I don't have trouble getting it out by turn 120~ and potentially can have it quite a bit earlier. I don't place a lot of importance on how quickly I can finish but a sub-200 win is very obtainable with this.
@playshogi You certainly want monuments but Theaters aren't much help. You're lucky to get a +1 adjacency from a TS combined with the amphiteater (which costs 150 hammers) that gives +2 culture and that's it without a Great Writer until Humanism. With Choral Music shrines (cheap at 65 hammers) gives you +2 culture and +2 faith. Then you add the temple (105 hammers) which gives you +4 culture and +4 faith. That's +6 culture for 170 hammers compared with +2 for 150 hammers. Not only does the HS generate more culture than the TS it's generating the hammers (in the form of faith) for your Winged Hussars.
@Socrates99 That's exactly right. You want to use Defender of the Faith to turtle and stockpile faith in preparation for a big explosion when your WHs come on-line. DoF makes it easy to defend yourself early, and it becomes a powerful weapon once you start taking cities. It's always fun when you convert a city that you just captured and can immediately start attacking at +10.
@jacktannery I guess it depends on what turn you aim to finish the game. This certainly isn't going to give you a sub-100 victory, that's for sure. It all hinges on how early you can field your WHs, which largely means how quickly you can build the Grand Masters Chapel. I don't have trouble getting it out by turn 120~ and potentially can have it quite a bit earlier. I don't place a lot of importance on how quickly I can finish but a sub-200 win is very obtainable with this.
@playshogi You certainly want monuments but Theaters aren't much help. You're lucky to get a +1 adjacency from a TS combined with the amphiteater (which costs 150 hammers) that gives +2 culture and that's it without a Great Writer until Humanism. With Choral Music shrines (cheap at 65 hammers) gives you +2 culture and +2 faith. Then you add the temple (105 hammers) which gives you +4 culture and +4 faith. That's +6 culture for 170 hammers compared with +2 for 150 hammers. Not only does the HS generate more culture than the TS it's generating the hammers (in the form of faith) for your Winged Hussars.
@Socrates99 That's exactly right. You want to use Defender of the Faith to turtle and stockpile faith in preparation for a big explosion when your WHs come on-line. DoF makes it easy to defend yourself early, and it becomes a powerful weapon once you start taking cities. It's always fun when you convert a city that you just captured and can immediately start attacking at +10.
Fluphen Azine
What is Fluphen Azine?
I made it work pretty easy with this game. I should of saved the turn 0 file but I saved on turn 43 when I realized it would all fall into place. Needless to say I made many mistakes. This is my 4th go at this strategy. I got up the Pyramids but should of had the Colosseum up very easy and early as well but I'm an idiot. I didn't get up the chapel till turn 114 or so. I should of had that much earlier as well but once again I am an idiot. Even after all those mistakes I was able to chop and hard build enough Hussars to get rolling. Once faith purchase kicked in it was pretty easy to smash and grab. I did a horrible job with my religion though. I was faith purchasing workers and other things because Harvest really gives you plenty of faith. I think that is one of the main keys to the game. If you get Harvest with this strategy or any strategy it is by far very OP. Everyone knows that though. I don't see how I needed Defender of the Faith on this game. I didn't get attacked so it seems like a waste for me since my religion was getting crushed. I think anything would of been a better choice for me, on this game, the way it went. I put up the turn 43 save file if anyone wants to mess about. HCD stands for Harvest/Choral/Defender. I was first to a Religion.
On this save file you are 7 turns away from a Golden Age. I was trying to expand over some other options. I decided to go for Astrology first and it didn't hurt that a NW is right next door. Neighbors are pretty far away and no barb trouble for the first 43 turns. I went scout, builder, Holy Site. I think I built a Shrine after that and I bought a monument with gold. I didn't start building any units until around turn 50 or so when a barb camp gave me some problems. I think I bought all my monuments. I only got out 4 cities but it still worked because I ran into a lot of CS's and didn't have any pressure with wars. The turn 43 picture is in the spoiler.
On this save file you are 7 turns away from a Golden Age. I was trying to expand over some other options. I decided to go for Astrology first and it didn't hurt that a NW is right next door. Neighbors are pretty far away and no barb trouble for the first 43 turns. I went scout, builder, Holy Site. I think I built a Shrine after that and I bought a monument with gold. I didn't start building any units until around turn 50 or so when a barb camp gave me some problems. I think I bought all my monuments. I only got out 4 cities but it still worked because I ran into a lot of CS's and didn't have any pressure with wars. The turn 43 picture is in the spoiler.
Spoiler :
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BarbarianHunter
King
Well, it certainly works on Marathon speed.
I really liked the idea of a 100% culture based warmongering strategy and tried it again on Deity/Marathon. I paid a little more attention this time around and seemed to get it all to come together at just the right moment. I just now chopped up a Grand Master’s Chapel, and completed an encampment with a stable and commercial hub in Salvador to crank out the Hussars with both faith and production (see previous post, Singing Hussar Deity Level Axiom). The commercial hub and sukiennice +2 production trade routes, combined with faith buys and the mines around Salvador should make a steady stream of Hussars. I have a battering ram and crossbowman heading for the Mapu’s last city, after which I think I will swing toward Montezuma or Genghis (gulp). Although I think I may let Genghis come to me (as I have defender of the faith).
I never would have thought I would be even mildly competitive building only holy sites and commercial hubs, but it would appear I am. In fact, I would have bet I’d have gone broke off the maintenance (but am treading water with more commercial hubs and trade routes on the way). I have ½ a mind to not build any campuses, ever, and see what happens. If I can find a civ with a significant number of holy sites, conquer them, then convert them to my religion (choral music), I’m thinking Hussar corps and armies are right around the corner. At that point, who needs tanks?
Status of of 1130BC
Cities: 9
Holy Sites: 6 (all with shrine+temple and 1 HS being constructed)
Commercial Hubs: 3 (2 more being built)
Encampment: 1 (with Stable)
Entertainment District: 1 (with colosseum)
I have included the save and, if anyone has the patience or inclination some vids I took of the gameplay (no narration).
I really liked the idea of a 100% culture based warmongering strategy and tried it again on Deity/Marathon. I paid a little more attention this time around and seemed to get it all to come together at just the right moment. I just now chopped up a Grand Master’s Chapel, and completed an encampment with a stable and commercial hub in Salvador to crank out the Hussars with both faith and production (see previous post, Singing Hussar Deity Level Axiom). The commercial hub and sukiennice +2 production trade routes, combined with faith buys and the mines around Salvador should make a steady stream of Hussars. I have a battering ram and crossbowman heading for the Mapu’s last city, after which I think I will swing toward Montezuma or Genghis (gulp). Although I think I may let Genghis come to me (as I have defender of the faith).
I never would have thought I would be even mildly competitive building only holy sites and commercial hubs, but it would appear I am. In fact, I would have bet I’d have gone broke off the maintenance (but am treading water with more commercial hubs and trade routes on the way). I have ½ a mind to not build any campuses, ever, and see what happens. If I can find a civ with a significant number of holy sites, conquer them, then convert them to my religion (choral music), I’m thinking Hussar corps and armies are right around the corner. At that point, who needs tanks?
Status of of 1130BC
Cities: 9
Holy Sites: 6 (all with shrine+temple and 1 HS being constructed)
Commercial Hubs: 3 (2 more being built)
Encampment: 1 (with Stable)
Entertainment District: 1 (with colosseum)
I have included the save and, if anyone has the patience or inclination some vids I took of the gameplay (no narration).
Spoiler :
Socrates99
Bottoms up!
Just started this strat tonight. In your satellite cities do you prioritize monuments or holy sites first?
Getting the religion with just Krakow was easy so placed the sites but switched to build monuments in the other cities first. Just not sure if that is generally the right way to go. Had to build a few slingers to protect from a horsey barb camp but luckily it spawned near a CS and they wiped it out for me.
Shaka is my closest neighbor which is bad news because with his corps of Impis he may be the only one with a shot at countering me. Luckily he got a wonder building agenda so maybe he will be softer than he typically is. Crossing my fingers, he'll be my first target at any rate.
Getting the religion with just Krakow was easy so placed the sites but switched to build monuments in the other cities first. Just not sure if that is generally the right way to go. Had to build a few slingers to protect from a horsey barb camp but luckily it spawned near a CS and they wiped it out for me.
Shaka is my closest neighbor which is bad news because with his corps of Impis he may be the only one with a shot at countering me. Luckily he got a wonder building agenda so maybe he will be softer than he typically is. Crossing my fingers, he'll be my first target at any rate.
Fluphen Azine
What is Fluphen Azine?
I think you should build the HS first and buy the monuments or shrines depending on your gold situation.
I keep forgetting that you are supposed to roll CS's in this strategy while expanding and make DoF's.
I have a hard time getting up 5 cities to be honest on Pangaea.
If I beeline Astrology and get up the HS asap and beeline Mysticism I seem to be almost always first to a Religion.
I notice I am able to get Harvest as my Pantheon a high percentage of the time recently.
When you have Harvest I don't feel like I need the Holy Sites as much or as fast.
I am still playing around with it though. I don't really like it because I have to wait and it feels like a gambit or a slingshot.
Kind of feels like a roundabout way of doing things. This is why I said it was like Role Playing.
If you Role Play like your on some Crusade with your Religion it makes it more fun for me.
I still am all over the place with using my faith. I don't know if it is better to invest in missionaries or not.
If I have a golden age I find that buying Settlers and Builders to be better and forget pushing my Religion.
I dunno... I still have a tough time with it because it doesn't feel like a straight path to me or it is changing my usual tactics.
I am starting to think you might be able to mix in other Districts first though if you have Harvest and plenty of chops.
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Fluphen Azine
What is Fluphen Azine?
I just started this game on Pangaea/All Standard/Deity.
I really liked the start!
I messed up the planning for the Golden Age.
I made all my Era Points on the Era Change Turn
I was able to get up Harvest Pantheon again on turn 17.
I took a beeline to Astrology and started with Scout First.
I received free population to 3 in a Hut so I built a Settler next.
For those of you who want a pretty good start for this strategy I have a few of the save files.
I really liked the start!
I messed up the planning for the Golden Age.
I made all my Era Points on the Era Change Turn
I was able to get up Harvest Pantheon again on turn 17.
I took a beeline to Astrology and started with Scout First.
I received free population to 3 in a Hut so I built a Settler next.
For those of you who want a pretty good start for this strategy I have a few of the save files.
Spoiler Hints :
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Just finished a game using this on my iPad. Prince,Small -6 civs, continents, vanilla so no grand master and all. 250 turn dom victory which is good for me. By the time I finished I was in the modern age and last AI was in industrial. Took 190 turns to get to the second continent but I was getting a WH every three turns.
The issue I had was that I arrived on a continent full of Medieval Walls but couldn’t get a battering ram or siege tower. I had to wait until I could faith buy bombards to make any progress. Also had amenity problems until I started building entertainment districts.
The issue I had was that I arrived on a continent full of Medieval Walls but couldn’t get a battering ram or siege tower. I had to wait until I could faith buy bombards to make any progress. Also had amenity problems until I started building entertainment districts.
Fluphen Azine
What is Fluphen Azine?
I am starting to think this is for Continent Maps for the most part. I just messed about with 3 games in a row on Pangaea and I had pretty ugly starts for all three of them but gave it a try anyway. Got boxed in on one. The other just didn't have enough production and chops and resources to make it work and the last one I was at two barb camps clearing when obviously a third one nearby sent 2 horses and 2 horse archers. I quietly clicked on "exit to desktop" when I seen the Barbarian Horde!
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I always play Fractal, and I'm getting the hang of this strategy. On the latest I had to chop the last project to get the last religion (hate to waste Harvest chop in classical age), but got DoF and was able to avoid DoW. I think Russia backed off when I got the religion, makes my units look stronger. Chopped out the first 5 hussars to go after Brazil, then Theology kicked in and faith bought another army to take out Russia. Rolling the world now, but a runaway China on the other side of a wall of CS has tech equality so I've slowed down. But Hussar Armies are just so strong, especially with Bombard Armies to take down walls.
Fluphen Azine
What is Fluphen Azine?
I can see it working on Fractal or most maps other than Pangaea. Not that it won't work on Pangaea but I think it is a strategy you keep in your back pocket for the right conditions. Sort of like how you can get a very fast culture victory when you find a relic in the first few turns and some other things fall into place. For that matter you can basically play this out with a Religion First type of strategy for all Civs if you have the time and space. You can focus on Faith Generation and Harvest to mass Faith Buy troops and crush. Choral is still viable giving you more culture and faith. I still find the detours of going for a Religion problematic. The pros usually wait for Magnus and Chop it out from what I understand. This gives them more flexibility.
Edit: I played a few games up to turn 100 on Continents and it is much different. You have more space and are able to expand easier. I find it by far easier on this map type but I find that any map type is easier compared to Pangaea not to say that you can't win with ease on Deity Pangaea. The game is by far Sim City no matter what you do.
Edit: I played a few games up to turn 100 on Continents and it is much different. You have more space and are able to expand easier. I find it by far easier on this map type but I find that any map type is easier compared to Pangaea not to say that you can't win with ease on Deity Pangaea. The game is by far Sim City no matter what you do.
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MarigoldRan
WARLORD
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2011
- Messages
- 2,349
Again, this strat is easier with Arabia. Mamluks come online about the same time as Hussars. As Arabia you're still building Holy Sites and getting Choral Music for the culture and the bonuses, but you don't need to prioritize Holy Sites right away because you're going to get a religion as Arabia, anyways, which makes the early game that much easier. Your first building might be a campus, instead, after a settler, so you can get Currency faster and spam Commercial Districts.
Each commercial district with a trade route and a marketplace means 14+ gold/turn.
The difference is that unlike Hussars you can pre-build chariots and upgrade them to Mamluks, which means that if you can gather 2000 gold and 20+ chariots by turn 100ish or so and get Stirrups and Mercenaries, you've won. Mamluks have less strength than Hussars, but their auto-heal makes up for it.
Each commercial district with a trade route and a marketplace means 14+ gold/turn.
The difference is that unlike Hussars you can pre-build chariots and upgrade them to Mamluks, which means that if you can gather 2000 gold and 20+ chariots by turn 100ish or so and get Stirrups and Mercenaries, you've won. Mamluks have less strength than Hussars, but their auto-heal makes up for it.
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Socrates99
Bottoms up!
With mamluks it's pretty much the standard knight rush. I get that it's easier but you can do it with basically any civ. The appeal of this is that it's civic based. You can focus entirely on holy sites and ignore tech which gives it a different appeal to players looking for something new.
MarigoldRan
WARLORD
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2011
- Messages
- 2,349
You could also do a similar strat with Chandragupta and their Varus. Holy Site + Choral Music -> Get Military Tradition and Pol Phil, then win. You'll get Horseback Riding for Varus automatically just by Rexxing, and as India you get all bonuses of all religions in your cities.
Socrates99
Bottoms up!
Scrapped my first try, wasn't hitting my goals fast enough because I focused too much on my HSs and not enough on city development. Second run I started in the north with a decent mountain border to my south with only 3 passes. This allowed me to develop unmolested while the AI competed to the south. I actually had to hard research defensive tactics because no one ever DoWed me and even getting the eureka for bronzeworking was a pain.
Only problem I had was both Gilgamesh and Robert were starting to runaway with the game before I could unleash the fury of the North. Gilgamesh had 3 capitals and a pretty sizable tech lead while Robert was only a half step behind him. I could only wipe out Gilgabro before the hussars started to lose steam. I'm currently rushing corps which should give me a second push to knock out Robert. Winning after that should be easy street.
A couple thoughts. 5 cities seems to be enough unless you have tons of chops and production. Trying to get that 6th and 7th just seemed to leach resources from me and they came on line too late to be truly helpful. I think rushing Divine Right first might be the better way to go so you can build the GMC while getting mercenaries. It'll get you the better gov t sooner and you can start spending faith immediately after your Hussars come online.
Only problem I had was both Gilgamesh and Robert were starting to runaway with the game before I could unleash the fury of the North. Gilgamesh had 3 capitals and a pretty sizable tech lead while Robert was only a half step behind him. I could only wipe out Gilgabro before the hussars started to lose steam. I'm currently rushing corps which should give me a second push to knock out Robert. Winning after that should be easy street.
A couple thoughts. 5 cities seems to be enough unless you have tons of chops and production. Trying to get that 6th and 7th just seemed to leach resources from me and they came on line too late to be truly helpful. I think rushing Divine Right first might be the better way to go so you can build the GMC while getting mercenaries. It'll get you the better gov t sooner and you can start spending faith immediately after your Hussars come online.
TheGreatSleepyOne
Chieftain
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2016
- Messages
- 94
I've been trying this strategy for the last week, and it is so much fun.
How important is the Coliseum? Also, how important is a classical golden age?
I can never get the ball rolling fast enough if I miss the classical golden age. And I always aim for the Coliseum.
I did win one game with this, but I had an incredible start location: something like 8 gems, 2 horses, and mountains surrounding me on 2 sides.
How important is the Coliseum? Also, how important is a classical golden age?
I can never get the ball rolling fast enough if I miss the classical golden age. And I always aim for the Coliseum.
I did win one game with this, but I had an incredible start location: something like 8 gems, 2 horses, and mountains surrounding me on 2 sides.
Neither classical golden or colisseum is strictly necessary here, you get so much culture from shrines and temples. Classical Golden is wasted if you don't have enough faith to buy settlers and builders, and even with this strategy I often haven't ramped up enough on turn 40-50 to be able to really utilize this. Turtling with this strategy is the way to go. You want your religion developed, temples everywhere, a couple of stables, and as many unique markets as you can get. Thats plenty to get done in classical age. Shooting for medieval golden age is a good goal. You want the fast and durable religious units so they can keep up with your hussars. If you can make it a heroic medieval to get science from all your CH's thats even better, but thats only if you can keep your cities through a classical dark age. Keep a watch on the religions, but I almost always will delay creating the religion until classical because you want all the classical era points you can get.
