Is Aztec UA really as bad as I think?

[budweiser]

Just the UA itself will get the first few policies in Tradition faster. No need for Honor really.

I think any decent sized war later in game should be good for several policies, maybe a tree, but I haven't actually done any testing on that.

 

[comatosedragon]

I have not played them in BNW, but I used to play quite frequently as the Aztecs in vanila and G&K. Some of my best games (score-wise and time-finish wise) were as the aztecs. I think they are actually a very strong civ, as everyone else has already said.

 

[Galgus]

On Marathon, which I play exclusively, the Aztech's UA feels very weak.

It ends up being less culture than you get in a turn every...eh, 10 turns or such?

I wish it would add in a doubling of whatever you generate that turn or something, to make it scale better.

 

[Scirocco16V]

One of my favorite recent games was playing as Aztec w/ Raging Barbarians turned on. One of my first policies was the honor opener. I don't think I've ever gotten so many social policies so quickly. (I was playing on prince, btw). I don't know if it was optimal, but it was certainly fun.

 

[Matjillam]

What Aztecs really have going for them is allmost PERFECT synergy in the early game.

UU that moves QUICKLY throw forests/jungles and fight better there too. AND it heals when killing a unit.

UA that gives you honor for every unit killed.

Picking honor start gives you a whopping 16 honor for each barb warrior killed.

And your jaguars can just continue hunting because of their healing.


And then you just build floating gardens and get those HUUUUUGE cities generating loads of science and production

 

[Matjillam]

Besides, they are FUN FUN FUN to play.

Pick honor. Happy hunting!!!

 

[Doctor Doom]

I do kinda wish that the Aztec UA would grant them Faith instead of Culture, seems much more fitting with the historical sense of it all. I'm quite sure that if the Aztecs were introduced in G&K, they'd have just that ability.

The thing with the Aztecs though is that they're much more then just the UA. The UA helps them early game by hunting Barbs to give their policies a kickstart, and mid-game wars ensure they keep a steady flow of culture making them annoying to break by Tourism. They also have a cute UU (Play with No Obsolete UU mod for maximum fun), but the real gem of the Aztecs is the Floating Gardens.

Dem Cities Be Huge.

I've been saying that since G&K, if the Aztecs were sacrificing their enemies to their gods you would think they would be getting faith not culture.

 

[GhostSalsa]

I've been saying that since G&K, if the Aztecs were sacrificing their enemies to their gods you would think they would be getting faith not culture.

Naw it's like "the gods said lets go to war and write some lawwwwwws" *heavy metal riff*

Some of my best games (score-wise and time-finish wise) were as the aztecs. I think they are actually a very strong civ, as everyone else has already said.

They are only hurt by jungle bias, being a sub-optimal start. But I love Aztecs. Also they have tools to overcome jungle start that every other civ lacks (not just growth but being able to scout from turn 1 with warrior, which is huge), so that's a big plus if you exclude re-rolls.

 

[Laurwin]

well IMO aztec is not exactly top tier civ like certain others. I think that much can be established.

Though the unique building is very nice !

 

[redwings1340]

"heal" enemy units? Suddenly, Jaguars have become misunderstood medicine men?

lol, edited

 

[LoneRebel]

"heal" enemy units? Suddenly, Jaguars have become misunderstood medicine men?

You see that terrifying-looking guy in the jaguar pelt holding an obsidian-studded club and running towards you? Don't worry, he's actually there to heal you!

 

[PrimoXanthous]

If you got 6 Jags+3 compBow and you could keep 3 barbs camp from being plundered by other civs plus the Honor policy opener. You could have and entire policy tree just from Culture from kills.

 

[arand86]

If you got 6 Jags+3 compBow and you could keep 3 barbs camp from being plundered by other civs plus the Honor policy opener. You could have and entire policy tree just from Culture from kills.

This.

Raging Barbs+1 barbcamp+ 2 jags+ 1 archer placed around every other tile around the camp= oogles of culture. It's a great bonus for helping you upkeep an army you're saving for later.

 

[Myomoto]

You see that terrifying-looking guy in the jaguar pelt holding an obsidian-studded club and running towards you? Don't worry, he's actually there to heal you!

Heal you to death.

 

[Koiranputki]

This thread prompted me to try the Aztecs again....I used to like playing them in vanilla....

Well....they are still interesting, and after several attempts, the problem I had was production..... Food...no surprise ...was not a problem. In one of the games, my capital, if I had kept going would have developed into a huge city.... Science was not too much of a problem...but I couldn't produce anything very fast.

It was a major chore just to get military units out and trying to get a third city was a massive effort....I tried not to steal workers, but as the Aztecs in a low production scenario you may have no choice...

I assume had I prevailed I would eventually dominate things through my military....but in all the games, it seemed like it was going to be a really long slog to get to that point.

Does anyone have any views in getting good early production with the Aztecs? I suppose in the end it will be the usual BNW comprise....you know, not really being able to maximize the UA of a civ because of other trade offs....

In one of the games I spawned in a "salt field", four or five Salt, plus several desert flood plain tiles... But it seemed not worth playing as it would be just like any other civ with that kind of advantage....

 

[BenitoChavez]

Yeah, production is difficult in the early game due to the jungle start bias. My only solution is to steal lots of workers and start chopping.

 

[reddishrecue]

Aztec honor could help get the early culture to finish the early social policies. However, there aren't always any lakes around to make the floating gardens get to work. Lake Victoria can be helpful to obtain the gardens. Does the Aztec bias make lakes nearby? Last time I used the aztecs, I ended up looking for lakes because I couldn't build the unique floating gardens. The early jaguars are weaker than the usual warrior with jaguars at 5 str and warriors at the str.

 

[BenitoChavez]

Rivers do just fine for building the floating gardens. Even without lakes floating gardens > water mill.

Also Jaguars have 8 strength just like warriors

 

[PhilBowles]

The Honor opener only works against barbarians - the Aztec ability works against any enemy unit.

 

[reddishrecue]

Rivers do just fine for building the floating gardens. Even without lakes floating gardens > water mill.

Also Jaguars have 8 strength just like warriors

So the floating gardens replace the garden or the water mill? What building do the floating gardens replace?