Best beliefs for "accidental" religions?

[ShakaKhan]

So at this point, we've analyzed and perfected nearly every aspect of the game down to even some of the most rare situations. But here's something that happens pretty frequently, at least for me, that we haven't delved into...

By "accidental religion," I refer to founding a religion when you don't build a single holy site or plan on founding one (for me, if I don't feel like playing for a religious victory, I don't invest the uber-valuable early game hammers into holy sites, which means I'll miss out in founding.) However, an early game archer or horseman or UU rush to take out an early neighbor and catapult your empire from 2 cities to 6 cities seems to be a pretty optimal strategy. In doing so, as the AI has such a high inclination towards building holy sites, I'll often capture a holy site, quite often several, and with completed shrines. So while the intended spoils of war is the boost to number of cities, a fringe benefit is that I end up founding a religion without intending to.

At this point, I'm usually doing the early setup for one of the other victory conditions, usually space or conquest. So which beliefs complement this scenario well? The biggest consideration is that I plan on using my faith towards things other than spreaders, and that faith will probably be somewhat limited since I don't plan on building additional holy sites (although I often end up making quite a bit of faith through other means, not the thousands that you religious specialists make, but 100 fpt or more by the end of the game.) As I don't plan on investing in having the religion spread to my own cities and certainly don't plan on spreading it outside my borders, most of the beliefs based on having the religion in a city or having a holy site in the city would have less value.

 

[Ziad]

Whatever complements your ultimate goals I imagine. There are few "one size fits all" builds.

 

[UWHabs]

I love grabbing Choral Music, since it's a free 6 culture per holy site. It actually makes me want to build holy sites.

Otherwise, I tend to prefer bonuses that affect "total cities" and not "foreign cities". So Tithes (1 gold per 4 citizens) at least gives me something, although often not much more than like 10-20 gold per turn. But still better than choosing one of those ones that yields faith for foreign cities following the religion, which would rarely give more than a handful of faith per turn.

But basically going through and choosing the passive bonuses makes sense. Although if you actually get a decent choice, and can sneak in one of those "defenders of the faith", even if you don't use it yourself, at least it stops the AI! I can't tell you how many times I've started to war with someone, and I wonder why I'm actually losing troops, and then discover that they have a +10 combat bonus against me due to religion.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Not many. Minimal investment in Missionaries would allow you to use Jesuit Education to buy buildings in cities you spread the religion to.
One temple at a holy site would allow you to purchase Warrior Monks.
Papal Primacy would make your envoys act as missionaries as well and increase the bonus you get from CS.
Holy Order would make your Missionaries cheaper saving you faith to use for other things.
Religious Colonisation would save you some missionaries.

Most beliefs depend on having religion present or building a religious district or building.

 

[BarbarianHunter]

Take zen meditation, continue conquering and spread via inquisitors for +1 amenity per city with 2 districts.

 

[Tech Osen]

Defender of the Faith is always high on my list if still available. Jesuit Education too, but only if I actually plan on generating plenty of faith.

 

[Navelgazer]

You probably can't get Synagogue but with no other religion game I love focusing my faith on Monumentality and building up the empire I've built. Similar and easier to obtain accidentally is Meeting House, because who doesn't love a production boost? But basically, if you don't have specific plans, just pick whatever will get you the most faith generation to use it as a separate currency for stuff: GPs, possibly units, etc.

 

[Disgustipated]

ake zen meditation, continue conquering and spread via inquisitors for +1 amenity per city with 2 districts.

I've been taking this more and more lately. It's only after playing and doing so awesome with Scotland that I see how useful amenities are. Granted that's Scotland, but ecstatic cities are still useful for other civs. I definitely recommend this as Scotland.

I usually choose the cheaper Apostles (since I often don't build more than 1 or 2 holy sites), I often pick up Stupa with Zen meditation as well to really keep my amenities strong. I like big cities, and I cannot lie.

And last one I choose is the one that gives +1 science for campus districts and +1 gold for commercial hubs.

 

[Socrates99]

If I'm not going cultural I'll take choral music and skip building theater districts. Then you get enough culture via holy sites to keep pace with civics and faith to buy great people units or buildings with.

Its weird that the AI doesn't pick up that belief more often.