Guaranteed buddhism on Emperor (normal speed)

[Berul]

I've believed for a long time that it was impossible, since the AI will frequently tech it on turn 8, but it happens that, under some very special circumstances, it can be done.

What you need is:

1) Wang Kon (he's financial and starts with Mysticism)
2) A settling location that you can reach on turn 0 and that provides 3 Gold, with another 3 Gold in the first circle. For instance, 2 Freshwater Wines on plains will do (that's what I ended up with after some dozens of alt-Ging )

Given that, you'll be producing 14 beakers on turn 0, which translate into 18 beakers when researching Meditation (I'm not completely sure why this is so, but I tested it) and you'll tech Meditation on turn 7.

Funny, isn't it ?

This may not be a great move, anyway, since a) you'll be working a 1F1H3C tile for the first 7 turns when (likely) producing your first worker b) foregoing the food techs for 7 turns is likely not a good idea... but still, you can ensure being the first to Buddhism without needing to take a gambit.

As a last note, I'm unsure of what happens if you tech Meditation on turn 8. If it works in the same way as the World Wonders, you *should* get the religion but I'm unsure about that. To get Meditation on turn 8, you would need to produce 16 beakers (modified value) per turn (*). I doubt that a non-financial leader can achieve that, but I may have missed something.

Cheers!

(*) or 4*15+4*16 since the cost of the tech is 124. But that doesn't change much to the fact that financial seems necessary.

 

[Gumbolt]

I think you mean commerce and not gold.

As you rightly point out you sacrifice the start by delaying the worker and your worker tech. I would prefer to capture a holy city instead. Also let the Ai build the shrine for me. Chances of you getting this exact situation is unlikely.

Why not set up a game with Ai that don't have myst?

Chasing religions is not great for higher levels on Civ 4.

Also the minute you switch religions you likely upset anyone not in that religion.

 

[Tobiyogi]

I had a lot of games on higher levels, where first religions go on T13/14. It depends on who has already myst. Usually, you won't benefit a lot from founding your own religion so early. At the very least with Gandhi if you build Stonehenge, get a quick prophet, build a Shrine and manage to spread your religion.

 

[Gumbolt]

The main issue with that is a possible GP farm will have GP points for most of the game. Unless you can put it in a non food city somewhere. Would you not be better off doing Oracle and COL? Even if you get the religion it won't spread fast unless you heavily build missionaries. Which are another hammer investment.

Getting Stonehenge on higher levels is no guarantee as it's pretty much the first wonder AI builds. Most Ai start with the tech.

This is all too situational to make it work well.

 

[Berul]

Yep, that's Commerce, not Gold, thanks for the correction.

And I know that going for religion(s) on the highest levels is generaly not a good idea (and not only because it's not guaranteed to succeed, but just because that tech path is usually meh).

Still, getting Buddhism on turn 7 is kind of a (small) feat. I didn't know it was even possible.

On Emperor, the AIs often get Buddhism on turn 8 or 9 and Hinduism sometimes as early as turn 11.

Btw, if someone really wants an early guaranteed religion (without chosing AIs that don't start with Mysticism!), Hinduism is a little easier to get:

12 base commerce (instead of 14) is enough to get it on turn 11, so if you play on Emperor you're sure you'll get it.

There's at least one situation where this might be useful: in a One City Challenge game, where founding a religion might help with the neighbors and where building the Stonehenge is more of an option (since you don't have to build settlers). Then maybe going for an AP victory ? That's just speculation, though.