Best Small wonder

[Isabelle]

Wall Street.

 

[RagingBarbarian]

1. Forbidden Palace
2. Wall Street
3. Military academy
4. Iron works

 

[viper275]

1. Forbidden Palace
2. Military Academy/Heroic Epic/Battlefield Medicine
3. Intelligence Agency

 

[barron of ideas]

Just to throw a brick at the window, isn't the Palace a small wonder? You could build it with a military great leader somewhere else, and in some of the Civ games that could be a very powerful strategy. Just to be contrary, lets say the Palace is better than the forbidden palace.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Barron's brick aside, it must be the FP. Great benefit, and available early.

 

[Tomoyo]

If you don't have enough cities, heroic epic.

 

[MidnightRambler]

if only the forbidden palace didnt take so damn long to build!

 

[Cuivienen]

Vanilla/PTW:

1. Forbidden Palace
2. Iron Works
3. Heroic Epic (Leaders are more important than Armies since they rush Wonders.)

Conquests:

1. Iron Works
2. Forbidden Palace (The FP is slightly weaker in C3C.)
3. Military Academy (Armies are much stronger and more important than Leaders, which can only form Armies or rush minor things, anyway.)

 

[Sandman2003]

I don't think there is any choice for number one - Forbidden palace. Your number two is a lot more interesting. I would opt for Intelligence Agency - the power of spies is a real underrated gem. Then probably the military combo of Heroic epic/Military Academy/Pentagon, although both BAttlefield Medicine and Wall Street are pretty darn important too.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I like having the Intelligence Agency, and I don't war enough to use the army-related wonders. And of course, you need Apollo to win the space race...

 

[Kiech]

Iron works. With the sheer production you get from it, it acts like an additional FP.

Although my favorite is really the Military Academy.

 

[general_kill]

the satelite defense small wonder. It is needed for modern age wars. I don't care about no army or corruption by modern age, i care about getting nuked where it hurts. even the most corrupt cities can produce uncorrupt shields now in c3c with specialists.

 

[Binnor]

1. Forbidden palace (a no-brainer)
2. Wall Street
3. Apollo

Iron works would be right at the top but you rarely get the opportunity to build it. I didn't include it in my top 3 because you can't plan/rely on getting it.

 

[Masquerouge]

Geez it's interesting that so many chose the Intelligence Agency... I usually find spying missions way too costly and almost ineffective ; I usually try to be the science leader so I've got no use stealing techs, and apart from military strength the other spy missions are a bit pointless IMHO once everyone is in the late Industrial age. Anyway.
I completely forgot the Iron Works, but that's because I play on huge map, and getting the Iron Works on huge maps is, well... see sig below

 

[Rammstein]

1: Forbidden Palace
2: Military Academy
3: Wall Street

 

[DragonRunner]

1. Forbidden Palace
2. Military Acadamey
3. Battlefield Medicine

 

[LordKestrel]

SPHQ. It arguably is better than the Forbidden Palace, because it provides that third uncorrupted city, and it's the final piece needed to make your country run as smooth as glass.

 

[Smellincoffee]

The palace is an improvement, for whoever asked.

 

[Tomoyo]

The palace is an improvement, for whoever asked.

It's an improvement, but it acts like a small wonder. (One per civ, no rushing excepting leaders, MGL can rush them)

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

1. Forbidden Palace (Necessary to combat high corruption)
2. Iron works (Good, but rare)
3. Wall Street (Extra 50 gpt is a nice thing to have)
The others aren't as important to me,