Early game build order and barbarians

[Stalker0]

In some recent threads I've heard a number of the diety players talk about build orders like:

Shrine + Moument...and then go 6 settlers in a row.

I'm only playing King games, but in the last three games I'm usually seeing barbs at my doorstep around turn 15 or so...so I'm struggling a bit.

Do you just forgo warriors and try to use the pathfinder for defense? Do you just let it ride and let the city take care of the barbs, and lose a little with the pillaging?

Was curious how other people deal with this scenario

 

[LukaSlovenia29]

I usually play either on Deity or Immortal.

My plan is to settle my capital on a forest/jungle whenever remotely possible so I can set up my shrine/monument quicker. After that, I build my first warrior, then two settlers, then another warrior (or a horseman if I'm already there). I use the pathfinder to scout around and when my first settler is around 5 turns from completion, I bring the pathfinder back home so it can defend the capital while I send my warrior out with my settler.

That's a rule of thumb. Some civs call for different approaches (for example the Celts and Aztecs encourage a play-style where you build a few more warriors before building a shrine and/or monument), but in general I stick to the above plan.

 

[DarkZero]

The thing you need to keep in mind is that on deity ais and city states start whit more units, so they hunt down barbarians much faster than on other settings, if you are not so isolated,and the barbarian encampments spawned near other civs/city states, all you need is a single warrior to escort all your settles one at a time, often times leaving barbarians up is a benefit for it slows down the ai settling a few turns, and one or two dumb ais can even lose settlers to barbarians.

 

[Txurce]

I usually play either on Deity or Immortal.

My plan is to settle my capital on a forest/jungle whenever remotely possible so I can set up my shrine/monument quicker. After that, I build my first warrior, then two settlers, then another warrior (or a horseman if I'm already there). I use the pathfinder to scout around and when my first settler is around 5 turns from completion, I bring the pathfinder back home so it can defend the capital while I send my warrior out with my settler.

That's a rule of thumb. Some civs call for different approaches (for example the Celts and Aztecs encourage a play-style where you build a few more warriors before building a shrine and/or monument), but in general I stick to the above plan.

Where does the worker for the horseman come in?

 

[Txurce]

The thing you need to keep in mind is that on deity ais and city states start whit more units, so they hunt down barbarians much faster than on other settings, if you are not so isolated,and the barbarian encampments spawned near other civs/city states, all you need is a single warrior to escort all your settles one at a time, often times leaving barbarians up is a benefit for it slows down the ai settling a few turns, and one or two dumb ais can even lose settlers to barbarians.

This probably also explains why Deity players tend to scout less with their pathfinders -- ruins are mostly gone.

 

[CrazyG]

I play deity. I run in a circle with my pathfinder, hopefully get 2 ruins then stop being greedy and bring him home. I always have a second military unit before I spam settlers (possible exception if my scout gets upgraded by ruins)

Also I'm playing continents which makes barbarians a little bit easier. In fact, Ive had so few barbarians recently that authority has started to seem like a joke

 

[DarkZero]

I play deity. I run in a circle with my pathfinder, hopefully get 2 ruins then stop being greedy and bring him home. I always have a second military unit before I spam settlers (possible exception if my scout gets upgraded by ruins)

Also I'm playing continents which makes barbarians a little bit easier. In fact, Ive had so few barbarians recently that authority has started to seem like a joke

You know what, there was a time I legit restarted maps if I got less than 3 ruins, but soon I realized I was restarting 4 times more maps than I was playing them, so I come to expect the average of 2 ruins per game and every once in a while wen I manage to grab 4 I feel like a king, lol.

 

[tu_79]

I play King and Emperor. You have two options here.
If you send your pathfinder away looking for wonders and city states, then you have to build a warrior second. If you use your pathfinder only for revealing your neighborhood, then you can order the warrior as third option, and probably it can be a spearsman or an archer.

 

[LukaSlovenia29]

I usually hope for 2 ruins per game, more is plain RNG luck on Deity.

Re: worker - I go progress and/or settle my second city on horses if it's a decent settling spot (an added bonus is that these horses cannot be pillaged by barbarians or the AI).

 

[Stalker0]

The thing you need to keep in mind is that on deity ais and city states start whit more units, so they hunt down barbarians much faster than on other settings, if you are not so isolated,and the barbarian encampments spawned near other civs/city states, all you need is a single warrior to escort all your settles one at a time, often times leaving barbarians up is a benefit for it slows down the ai settling a few turns, and one or two dumb ais can even lose settlers to barbarians.

What an interesting note...the "one" thing that is actually easier on diety!

 

[tu_79]

What an interesting note...the "one" thing that is actually easier on diety!

If you read some reddit comments, barbs are terrible in Chieftain, hordes upon hordes.

 

[Workerspam]

Playing on emperor, I rarely have a problem going shrine/monument/military unit, frequently even fitting a second pathfinder before the buildings (return on ruins/first CS contact usually pays off if I can get that 2nd pathfinder out in first few turns). Worse case scenario, first barbarian pillages some yields before my city kills him and I have to pull a pathfinder back to play defense. After that my military unit (warrior or archer, occasionally spearman) can run interference until I prepare a proper camp defense force.

 

[admfischer]

If you read some reddit comments, barbs are terrible in Chieftain, hordes upon hordes.

Prince player here. Can confirm.

 

[LukaSlovenia29]

Having hordes of barbarians can be great for most civs on most difficulties, because of:
- authority bonuses from killing units
- plenty of chances to gain influence from CS (clearing barbs&encampments near CS)
- God of war (really great for founding when you go barb hunting)
- play with one of good early war civs (Huns, Celts, Aztecs,...)

Before God of War became so popular on Deity/Immortal with the AI, I very often managed to found with it with non-religious civs.