Best AI civs to put in a challenging game?

[Cahotia]

I tend to like epic speed games in which i build a large empire, ready for a final dramatic clash between super powers. I can start at a later era, bu i like the developing aspect and i hate when i see some of the AIs literally stuck without reasons, so what are the AI civs that really do well? So far i identified the Iroquois (strong settler production focus in every game), Russia (actually they play quite badly, but the double strategic resources bonus rescues them) and Rome. Remember, i am not asking which civ is the best, but which are best played by the computer and has the best chance of being a strong opponent.

 

[Granty555]

Well they can all suck sometimes but it *seems* in my games (Huge/Epic/Emp/Imm) that the following tend to do well generally speaking:-

Hiawatha
Washington
Wu
Darius
Bismarck

And then these ones are always good for spicing up the game:-

Alexander (Hi peasants, I just popped by to tell you how much you suck!)
Montezuma (loony)
Attila (loony)
Genghis (eats up the city states nom nom nom)

 

[bdporter]

The most challenging ones tend to be the the civs that are more agressive and have a higher flavor for war/deceptive.

 

[kirbdog]

The Ottomans usually turn out pretty beasty on a water map (coastal cities, not necessarily small islands).

 

[akashsara]

Hiawatha and Alexander are the most challenging in my opinion.

 

[Loucypher]

Catherine has also a penchant for running away with the game. Might add Sejong there as well. The rest is already named.

 

[joncnunn]

Korea closely followed by Persia appear to be the best AIs in the game to me.

(These two can still compete with the human going tall peaceful science on Immortal level even "promoted" to Prince happiness)

Catherine though doesn't build enough happiness structures and tends to be last place in happiness (and have something like 41% approval on Demographics screen) when promoted to Prince.

The worse two AIs are Maya & Babylon; these are really good civs in the hands of any human but the AI doesn't know how to use their UAs properly.
In addition, the AI doesn't use the Dutch UA at all and in addition, the fall patch accidently? stopped the Austrian AI from using its UA.

 

[Unresolved]

Korea's never very good in my games. Sejong always seems to keel over by mid-game. Hiawatha, Alex, Catherine, Bismarck and Darius all have a penchant to run away for me.