Great Leader Use
- Thread starter jajas83
- Start date
i build an army and win so that i can build the heroic epic and the military academy. Then i use my next leader (if i get one) to rush a wonder like the Sistine Chapel or Longevity. So i can get happy people and fast growing cities 
billindenver
King
Originally posted by jajas83
Leaders seem to be the most important aspect of the game because if you get lucky and get a lot you have a huge advantage and if you don't get any you're screwed, so how do you do well with minimal leaders. is this a game flaw?
No, it's not a flaw, and it's certainly possible to win without them. I know I have. I don't think they are the most important aspect by any means. To me, quick expansion, good research, and trading are more important.
As to how I use mine, I always use my first to build an Army so I can build the Heroic Epic after it wins a victory.
The other main school of thought is to use the first Great Leader to rush a Forbidden Palace in a faraway, corrupt city, or a new palace in a corrupt city.
RufRydyr
QSC Map Maker
I'll build armies with them if there's nothing else to build, but rushing things, even a hospital or aquadect, is a much better use than as an army.
Armies do have a couple of cool uses, though. For instance, an army of infantry can attack twice instead of once for each infantry. They're fun sometimes, too. If a wonder is coming up soon in the tech tree, I'll save the leader and wait for it instead of making an army. You can always build the small wonder that lets you build armies.
Armies do have a couple of cool uses, though. For instance, an army of infantry can attack twice instead of once for each infantry. They're fun sometimes, too. If a wonder is coming up soon in the tech tree, I'll save the leader and wait for it instead of making an army. You can always build the small wonder that lets you build armies.
A very soon forbiden palace worth a lot, it give you a second core city without corruption ( on standard map size, it mean about 16-18 very good city), so if i have the opportunity to rush built it with a leader, i will for sure.
A quick and well place forbiden palace worth more then any wonder.
A quick and well place forbiden palace worth more then any wonder.
Arrian
Warlord
The use of a GL I get totally depends on the circumstances. If I'm playing a non-militaristic civ and have relatively few elite units, I will probably save him to either rush the FP, or move the Palace after building the FP close to the original capitol.
If I'm playing a militaristic civ, or I happen to have enough elites as a non-militaristic civ that I feel the investment makes sense, I'll make an army and build the HE.
The HE simply increases the odds that an elite unit victory will produce a GL. Therefore, it is only benificial if you: 1) have elites; and 2) are using them. Militaristic civs generate a lot of elite units when fighting, and thus I typically have no shortage. Non-militaristic civs, however, are much less adept at getting battlefield promotions. I've often gotten a leader and looked around to find that I have a total of 1 or 2 elite units. Building an army and the HE isn't a real good investment in such a situation, IMO. It also depends on timing. If I'm just starting a huge rampage, I will be more inclined to go Army, trusting that my hordes will generate another leader before the campaign winds down. If I'm nearing a period of peace, on the other hand, I will be most likely to opt for the FP or Palace move, or if I'd dealt with that, a key wonder (only if I'm concerned I'll lose it otherwise).
If I have my Palace and FP set up properly and I'm winning the wonder races I care about, then I will definitely make an army.
-Arrian
If I'm playing a militaristic civ, or I happen to have enough elites as a non-militaristic civ that I feel the investment makes sense, I'll make an army and build the HE.
The HE simply increases the odds that an elite unit victory will produce a GL. Therefore, it is only benificial if you: 1) have elites; and 2) are using them. Militaristic civs generate a lot of elite units when fighting, and thus I typically have no shortage. Non-militaristic civs, however, are much less adept at getting battlefield promotions. I've often gotten a leader and looked around to find that I have a total of 1 or 2 elite units. Building an army and the HE isn't a real good investment in such a situation, IMO. It also depends on timing. If I'm just starting a huge rampage, I will be more inclined to go Army, trusting that my hordes will generate another leader before the campaign winds down. If I'm nearing a period of peace, on the other hand, I will be most likely to opt for the FP or Palace move, or if I'd dealt with that, a key wonder (only if I'm concerned I'll lose it otherwise).
If I have my Palace and FP set up properly and I'm winning the wonder races I care about, then I will definitely make an army.
-Arrian
Angmar
Warlord
By far my favorite thing to do with the great leader is to rush the forbidden palace. The best place for the forbidden palace is in a far off land filled with corruption. Waiting for such a corrupt city to build the forbidden palace is maddening! However get the Leader get him to his new location, start making the forbidden palace and hurry it. This is a huge boon to that city and all the cities around it.
Schee
Duc des Skandes d'Æqualis
I often get only 1 or 2 Great Leaders in the whole game, maybe because I almost never play with militaristic civilisations.
I don't think that having no GL is really a disadvantage : I play ( and win
) many games without having a single GL and when I have one I don't know what to do with him because I don't want to build armies and my Forbidden Palace is already built.So when I have a Great Leader, either I build a Wonder (I try to find an expensive and usefull one) or I send him to a safe city and he waits there.
Not getting an army, and/or not winning with it, can be death later on in the game. No army means no Heroic Epic and no Military Academy. All other things considered, I'd build an army with my first GL.
That having been said, you do have to have 4 cities/army. If you get a really early GL, you might not have 4 cities and therefore cannot build an army. In that case, I might wait until I have 4 cities, or I might build an early Wonder (like Pyramids.)
While the GL is on the board, you will not receive any additional GLs. If you are in a major war, it would be hard to sit with a GL and wait for a wonder to be developed, if you'd also be losing a lot of chances to get a new GL while waiting.
The forbidden palace is a great use for a GL. Or, build the FP near your capital, but more centrally located, and then use a GL to rebuild your palace in the center of a far-off but well-populated area.
That having been said, you do have to have 4 cities/army. If you get a really early GL, you might not have 4 cities and therefore cannot build an army. In that case, I might wait until I have 4 cities, or I might build an early Wonder (like Pyramids.)
While the GL is on the board, you will not receive any additional GLs. If you are in a major war, it would be hard to sit with a GL and wait for a wonder to be developed, if you'd also be losing a lot of chances to get a new GL while waiting.
The forbidden palace is a great use for a GL. Or, build the FP near your capital, but more centrally located, and then use a GL to rebuild your palace in the center of a far-off but well-populated area.
anarres
anarchist revolutionary
S**T! Is this true?!!!?!?!?? If so I'm really pi**ed off.
In my current game I have a GL, but am on a medium island with my Palace in the center. I am waiting to find another continent to build my FP, but have a few battles left to fight on my current island.
Do I really not get any more GLs with one in waiting? If so, where does this info come from? Why is it not in the manual? Another huge discovery about civIII from a forum. Firaxis have a lot to answer for...
RufRydyr
QSC Map Maker
It's true--only one GL at a time. The manual sux. That's why this site is so awesome.
I've gotten 12 or 14 GLs in games before. The trick is to use them as soon as you get them. I've gotten 4 GLs in one turn by using them when they're created and before another battle.
Elites can only produce 1 GL, but if you upgrade that unit it is supposed to be able to make another.
Attack weak units with elites and you'll have a better chance of them winning the battle which means a better chance of a GL.
