Best Financial Leader

[The Almighty dF]

Might as well continue these, and don't forget to vote in the rest!

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=376205 Philosophical
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=376228 Creative
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=376228 Charismatic
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=375839 Spiritual

Now, who is the best financial leader (not just based on traits, of course. Base this on synergy with UU, UB, techs, etc.)

I've gotta go with Capac. I hate playing as him, but he's easily the most powerful fin leader.
His UB basically means he's Fin/Ind/Cre, his UU is extremely powerful, he's one tech from BW, one tech from an early religion. Cheap wonders, culture from granaries... come on.
He doesn't stop being powerful until higher difficulties where ind becomes worthless.

I'm expecting some more debate here since Fin is already considered among the best traits, and fin leaders do well in the previous polls.

 

[ICNP]

Tough choice, they're all great leaders, save for Willem on all land maps.

I give it to old Mansa. Spiritual may not be the best trait, but Skirmishers are cool, and the Mint isn't a horrible building. I've never really liked the Immortal, Quecha, and Numidian cavalry so those UU's fall out of my ranking.

 

[The Almighty dF]

Tough choice, they're all great leaders, save for Willem on all land maps.

I give it to old Mansa. Spiritual may not be the best trait, but Skirmishers are cool, and the Mint isn't a horrible building. I've never really liked the Immortal, Quecha, and Numidian cavalry so those UU's fall out of my ranking.

I'd far from call the mint "not horrible." It's easily one of my favorite UBs. Forges are already a building you're going to build anyway, in every city. To have them also give you a financial boost on top of that hammer boost? That's just awesome.
The best UBs are buildings you'd build anyway, only moreso now. The worst UBs are buildings you'd hesitate to build, but improved to where you'd at least -consider- it.

 

[ICNP]

I'd far from call the mint "not horrible." It's easily one of my favorite UBs. Forges are already a building you're going to build anyway, in every city. To have them also give you a financial boost on top of that hammer boost? That's just awesome.
The best UBs are buildings you'd build anyway, only moreso now. The worst UBs are buildings you'd hesitate to build, but improved to where you'd at least -consider- it.

Mints are questionable, as Forges aren't all that great until you have 8 hammers in a city. Which if you're cottaging everything, like a good Financial leader should do, is difficult.

I would put it above the Mall, but only because of early game impact. I'd still rank the Stock Exchange the highest of the buildings.

 

[madscientist]

The Incans. The reasons have been stated for year's now.

 

[Spectrite]

Huayna Capac, although a lot of the leaders are very good. Darius is a very close second for me.

 

[Moroktonos]

Huayna is awesome (even if Quechua are probably overrated, though pretty good), and IND is NOT garbage on higher levels. Huayna's Oracle >> Colossus + cheap forges is glorious, and its not like the aesthetics > literature wonders start to stink just because FIN is in the picture.

All this being said, I'm voting for Elizabeth, partly because I hate being in the majority [the minority is always right, Ibsen]. Redcoats and stock exchanges are a pretty darn powerful combination when rushbuying becomes viable (even if it is tough to pull off the kremlin sometimes, though if there's anyone that can do it... Lizzie can). I don't know if anyone can turn out a cultural victory faster than Elizabeth. Acadamies + Free speech and you'll outtech anyone (even on immortal, don't know about deity).

I wouldn't object to Willem (on CRE alone), Darius (IMMORTALS!), or Mansa (solidity of spi + best early defense UU [cover skirmishers can even go offensive], and a respectable UB -- @ICNP, forges/mints discount rushbuying! It's easy to scrounge up the hammers for a forge [and worth the effort] in a Bureaucratic capital, stock exchanges probably are better, though.) taking the top spot either, but I don't think this is an open and shut shoe-in for the Capac.

Glad these polls are finally turning to financial -- I was sick of seeing noobs automatically pick the financial leader with the other traits in the other polls.

 

[obsolete]

He doesn't stop being powerful until higher difficulties where ind becomes worthless.

Oh really?

 

[babybluepants]

This poll should easily be the biggest blowout.

 

[The Almighty dF]

Oh really?

In the highest few difficulties, your chances of getting to -any- wonders first are pretty much zero, even if you -are- ind.

 

[The Almighty dF]

This poll should easily be the biggest blowout.

Possibly, I was honestly expecting more diversity. I mean Capac is overpowered, but Ragnar, Elizabeth, Victoria, Darius, etc., etc. aren't exactly average either.

 

[Fleme]

Even with HC in the poll, for me it's Darius all the way.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

In the highest few difficulties, your chances of getting to -any- wonders first are pretty much zero, even if you -are- ind.

Lol apparently your experience with those difficulties is somewhat limited, and you've missed a post or 100+ on the forum .

That is, of course, already ignoring national wonders and failure gold too.

 

[The Almighty dF]

Lol apparently your experience with those difficulties is somewhat limited, and you've missed a post or 100+ on the forum .

That is, of course, already ignoring national wonders and failure gold too.

Odd. It seemed like there was a consensus that in Deity and... brain-fart here, the level below Deity, the odds of beating an AI to a world wonder were so low that it was usually not a good idea to go for them.
However yea, national wonders are still useful, so Ind doesn't become -completely- worthless, so I was mistaken there. However, I still stand by that, at least in Deity, pursuing wonders is a -lot- less of a good idea, and that ind decreases in usefulness in the same way that organized increases, which is just a "cheaper courthouse and factories" trait in early difficulties, but becomes more and more useful in higher difficulties where civic cost begins to matter more.

 

[Jerrymander]

In the highest few difficulties, your chances of getting to -any- wonders first are pretty much zero, even if you -are- ind.

You are aware that you're talking to Obsolete, right? The wonderhog?

I voted Elizabeth, with Darius and Capac probably at the same level.

 

[NihilZero]

As an Immortal level wonder addict, I can attest that wonders are still very much viable, you just have to know what sacrifices to make to get them and be able to judge whether it's worthwhile or not.

Hehe, in a recent Immortal forum game (Brennus Snack Economy) I even built the Pyramids with no stone or Industrious, much to the horror of one fellow poster. I did get the win, despite Ragnar's DoW at 500BC.

 

[plasmacannon]

Rarely are there Traits that I have played all of the leaders for, but, Financial is one of them.
All of these leaders can tech well, and pay to upgrade units.
The Incas are one I don't play, because, they are too easy to succeed at what they do best, Like Rome and sword rushes.
Better to build large armys and capture their cities full of wonders, then, to have the reverse happen to me.
I voted for Inca, with Darius and Hannibal close behind.

I have to give an honorable mention to the Mayan.
On higher levels, starting with +2 health, and +2 happiness, and +1 gold (Financial), and not needing a resourse to build Spearmen, and faster built granaries, must be great assets, especially, when health and happiness resourses may be more rare.
I would rate them above Hannibal at higher levels.

 

[Merovinge]

Even with HC in the poll, for me it's Darius all the way.

Booyah, good man. I am sure HC's super early rush is more OP, but man Darius just makes me win games despite my low skill level. I think I won my 8th game ever played (plus several hours on this site) on emperor difficulty thanks to Darius.

 

[madscientist]

In the highest few difficulties, your chances of getting to -any- wonders first are pretty much zero, even if you -are- ind.

I have been playing at Immortal and can still wonderspam with an Industrious leader. Hell, even non-Industrious I can get early one like Stonehenge, the Great wall, and even the pyramids.

 

[i_imperator]

This is a tough choice, but i went with the majority and picked HC. Seccond and third place for me will have to go to Vicky and Mansa. Weliam is good also but lets not get into that argument (cough' ''rant'') about his UB again!! His UB is not the reason why i like the dutch by the way, just so we're clear!