Best AI Civs

[carl2552]

I was just wondering who you guys found to be, more often than others, the most challenging civilizations to play against.

In my experience, the Balseraphs and Svartalfar have always been the most powerful and most difficult to take out (though I mostly only play huge maps, so that could influence it).

Thoughts?

 

[Breunor]

I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of long threads covering this topic if you wnat some long answers.

I've found the Hippus the most deadly. They are powerful, the AI is much better on land than anywhere else, and they do build horsemen. The Hippus can be tough!

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[Rhymes]

Every time the Malakim are in one of my games the become the point leader.

The main reason is that I use Erebus continent map script, so they always start in a huge flood plain region with gold mines and incense.

 

[ArkhanTheBlack]

I agree that in FFH2 vanilla, Balseraph and Hippus are the kings.
Not sure about Svartalvar though.
Khazad also could be good from time to time.

 

[Azhral]

Khazad can be powerful in the early-mid game where they build a huuuge army. Later on they fade due to unit support costs.

I find that the Malakim and Sidar usually do very well as the AI. Malakim probably because Varns AI script is really quite aggressive and he usually has the finances to back it up. Sidar because their traits and bonuses (super specialists) are quite easy to use without knowing what they are. I reckon they would be nigh unstoppable if then knew how to shade properly.

 

[Aline]

I usualy have trubble with the Clan, they pump out units like they are going out of style.

 

[Jarrema]

If game is short, then Khazad and Hippus are PITA (and sometimes Sheaim)
In a long game, rather Clan or Malakim

 

[Annex]

Balseraphs definitely. Though in my last game the Grigori became the most powerful ai civ.

 

[DaveGold]

Different nations tend to peak at different times. There's also a question of whether an AI is a threat to the other AI or to a human player, which can be different things. The Shaiem can wipe out neighbours very quickly and dominate from there. The Clan can also get on an early roll that never stops. The Calabim and Bannor can expand very quickly in the mid game when their unique troops and heroes arrive. The Hippus are formidable with either leader.

Some nations play the blight very badly, which can drastically affect their performance in some games. This is typically because they overproduce units using food and never regrow their cities. Elves using Guardian of Nature can come through very strongly after the blight.

 

[Angrenost]

Unless Calabim die early or get stuck killing Elves or smth they will conquer with their summon stacks. Khazad have terrifying production, but they luckily waste much of it into building Stonewardens. Still they steamroll all the time in my games. Once Clan gets its units production going they're hard to stop without mass-damage spells. Malakim get a great economy due to the Erebus Continent map script and can get too far ahead sometimes. Ljosalfar are prone to having the biggest military and a great economy around turn 300 if no one's harassing them, though they won't conquer that effectively without any way to reduce cities' defensive bonuses apart from naval bombardment.

 

[Folket]

I find that Lanun always get powerful, and Ljosalfer are difficult to handle with their 400 tiger armies that get resurrected in a turn.

 

[squadbroken]

Generally the AIs I find most powerful overall are:
Balseraphs - They seem to be the most economically adept AI, which leads into tech and troop advantages.
Lanun - Like the Balseraphs, they tend to be very strong economically, although they seem less capable at warfare.
Ljosalfar - Almost broken due to how well various elements synergize (build on forests + GoN + treants + etc.). They aren't that amazing on the offensive, though, which limits them.

Hippus are fearsome, especially if you start near to them, but I find their rapid conquest often leaves them overextended and they always seem to be lagging in tech. Past the early-mid game they're mostly a threat to other AIs.

 

[Heathcliff]

It's interresting that it's always the same civs that become strongest and the same weakest. I think it has to do with the buildorder, Luchurip in my games doesnt ever use to build a settler.
Also if you play on the Erebus mapscript some civs are at a large disadvantage due to bad terrain Illians and Doviello and Luchurip.

Best for AI:
Hippus
Lanun
Balseraph
Malakim

Worst for AI:
Luchurip
Illians
Doviello

But when I play them all are decent but four stands out to me as better than the others:
Bannor
Ljosalfar
Khazad
Hippus

 

[cypher132]

It's interresting that it's always the same civs that become strongest and the same weakest. I think it has to do with the buildorder, Luchurip in my games doesnt ever use to build a settler.
Also if you play on the Erebus mapscript some civs are at a large disadvantage due to bad terrain Illians and Doviello and Luchurip.

Best for AI:
Hippus
Lanun
Balseraph
Malakim

Worst for AI:
Luchurip
Illians
Doviello

But when I play them all are decent but four stands out to me as better than the others:
Bannor
Ljosalfar
Khazad
Hippus

I've noticed that the Calabim under Flauros does incredibly well. They get the OO holy city, Feudalism, then everyone is their vassal and it's far too dangerous to attack them. At least in my experience.

 

[Azhral]

I find that Alexis can steamroll if she does a Moroi breakout after she's got Feudalism, unstoppable vassalised empire.

One of the reasons I turn vassal states off.

 

[Tasunke]

Luchuirp is definitely one of the worst AIs. Doviello just plain sucks tho, AI or not.

Calabim, Hippus, Lanun, Khazad, and Clan all seem to do reasonably well as AIs. Malakim too, generally. Sometimes Khazad doesn't do so well, other times its one of the best.... Clan usually has one of the best armies in late game or in high difficulty, and Lanun seems to almost always be near top score if in the game.

 

[Tielby]

Completely agree about Doviello. If you can do well playing Doviello, that's an extra achievement.

 

[nabaxo]

Grigori almost always seem to run away in my games. Calabim as well.