you swapped from :
'axe rush is overpowered and need to be nerfed'
to
" 'war sometimes' dominates on 'always peace' "
whats is the clear logical link between your 2 statements ?
I agree with the later and disagree with the former.
while going to war at a time or the other beats never doing war (as a quickest victroy strategy), using 1 SoD/axe rush during 1 war is not the same as saying that SoD/axe rush are overpowered.
you are right: 1 SoD will win the battle... but it won't mean you win the war or that the diplo to stop other civ from intruding, or the culture to protect your newly obtains cities are not NECESSARY. or trade so that your powerful 14pop city does not go into rebellion...etc
yes : SoD helps winning wars and having some wars helps winning the game : but they are
1) no guarantees
2) not the only strategies that always work against the AI (worker stealing works very fine.. thank you, or capital camping : those nerf the AI , giving you place to expand ==> overwhelming technic)
3) not the only strategies you HAVE TO use to win. (in CIII you could win early with rushing with sioux horsmen and only using them. try winning with only SoD, never using diplo, or never using trade, never develloping your cities ==> this is the same statement as saying 'SoD are overpowered because if you don't make any war it's harder to win')
4)// I lost my thought
EDIT : ah yeah :
SoD are the way to win wars... who cares, wars aren't always the best/quicker solution to win the game.
even a late rush war with a neighbourg is hammer /gold/ beaker / time consumming. then, you may/will encounter a cv that has traded tech... and out-tech you.
it is fun crossing a continent with full galleons of grenadiers... only to find that they already have cavalery... or infantery

tchao SoD...
5) and it's true that if you started with going SoD .. and then if it doesn't work, waiting for the next SoD time, it will always be better to go for a SoD technic. other path have to be prepared.
after doing axe rush and cat rush, you are too late to go for diplo/space/domination win without using another rush. (that it is easier to win through war when your civ is tailored for war ... is normal)
Diplo/space can be won faster by focusing on it than by starting warmongerer and then changing option. (but after playing warmongerer until say ..500AD or 1000AD, it is easier to finish the game by a diplo (or spacerace) win with warmongering a little more than going for a religion or trade path for which you have not tailored your empire).
you are saying : (with an analogy with role playing, or morrowind/ADD/...etc)
"when I use my big barbarian swordman, in late game, wining is always easier through bashing people than by charming them therefore the bashing head style is overpowered compared to the mage/thief approach".
In reality if you tailor your avatar into being a thief or a mage, he will be as powerful but you won't win by bashing heads. If you try to win by bashing heads with them, you will find they are weak !!! oh, so strange
