but is this a worthwhile spend of their charges?
A few things here
while as a general rule the earlier you chop, the more benefit there is, 3 charge builders are not cheap production wise, nor their return that good. If you build them with the 30% discount card they are better. If you get pyramids and make them 4 charges It’s good, if you get to feudalism for 5-6 chop builders (7 Liang 8 with China) It’s great. If you use the 30% card while going to feudalism, that optimum but depends on what you are doing. Then there is a monumentality golden age which when twinned with good faith (not hard to get) makes it very OP for both builders and settlers.
Builders also increase in cost 5 prod with each one built so you can also say there is a limited supply.
so basically very few builders until feudalism, one early for eurekas and inspirations and a little help production wise, one for pyramid chopping with Magnus(Ideally using autocracy and the 15% wonder card) , one or even 2 for chopping settlers and you are already at building 3-4 builders at a time when you should be building so much else (settlers, army, monuments and granaries).
below is a “Chop Examples & Tables” link that gives roughly the right advice and why. If you cannot see the link, it will be your mobile device so let me know. Somethings have changed (like the chop value of bonus resources is now the same as trees) but the principles are correct.
3-4 builders early and only for vital tasks. Then wait for feudalism, ideally with good faith and a monumentality golden age. It is this strategy that is the key principle to upping your game wether you chop or not. Analysis by
@Sostratus in a thread showed empirically around T80-100 is a good time to chop... if you are happy with his figures, which I am.
