Is Persia the best Civ whatsoever?

[brasaelal]

So far I only finished 4 games (wish I had more time to play Civ5 more...) and in 3 of them Persia was in it and managed to be the most powerful civ during most of the game.

First I underestimated their ability (Golden Ages lasts 50% longer), but that combined with their UB (Satrap's Court = Bank + 2 happiness) drives Persia to be very happy and very rich throughout most of the game. Beside, during golden ages its army gets a boost on movement and 10% strength, which is very helpful if you plan your wars to be fought during golden ages.

I will play Persia in my next game, that's for sure!

 

[Save_Ferris]

Maybe Persia is good, it's always a big empire in my games.

 

[Samuil]

They never get it going in any of my games, and I have finished around 10...
Rome, Aztecs, and Iroqious are usually the ones giving me problems

 

[SRG]

I've finished maybe 30 games, though 5 of those were quick Settler games just to get some achievements.

Persia occasionally gets going pretty well, but in my experience they really don't shine until the middle game.

Usually the beast I have to deal with is France. Holy bajeezus they can expand like crazy in the early game, and then wage some hellacious wars during the middle/early endgame. I would say 7 times out of 10 France is the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

Also, Japan. Japan seems to expand somewhat slowly, but also somewhat unstoppably. They slowly and steadily conquer everything around them and become this massive powerhouse.

In both cases, if I am a close neighbor I prepare for a massive invasion. If I am far away, France and Japan become my best friends.

 

[VirginiaRounder]

I like Persia too. In my opinion the Satrap's Court is one of the best buildings in the game.

 

[The_Quasar]

it depends on what you're aiming to do...

for a science win, Babylon is best, because of the doubled great scientists, and the free one.

for a cultural win, I'd go for India or Polynesia.

for a gold win, (diplomatic), it has to be Greece, because of their overwhelming abilities with CSs.

Persia and Japan are both good for domination, but so are some of the others... imho, where you are planted is more important here.

 

[MadDjinn]

Persia, like most civs, are better in the AIs 'overly bonus adjusted' hands than in a players hand. Ie, massive bonus to happiness = more golden ages for them.

They are decent otherwise, but I'd say Siam is still the broken (therefore best for now) civ in a players hands.

I do like Persia though. There's nothing like settling up for a 100+ turn GA and just ripping through everyone.

 

[nihonsean]

Persia is alot better than you might think. With the golden age bonus (+10% unit strength and +1 movement) it makes your basic units the same or better than unique units of the same type. And you can get multiple golden ages.

My basic opening strategy for Persia goes like this.

1. Get Writing
2. Build Great Library
3. Make sure to have Philosophy and Trapping researched before Great Library is finished.
4. When Great Librarby pops choose Civil Service
5. Start building Chichen Itza, the +50% to golden age duration stacks with the Persian golden age bonus.

So now you have incredibly long golden ages, and pikemen, which are cheaper than swordsmen, but with the +10% effectively the same in combat, and have a move of 3.

Now you're ready to go forth and conquer!

 

[seasnake]

Mongolia is pretty dang incredible, too. Their quick Cavalry/Khans makes them a nightmare for other civs. But I agree that Persia is always a competitive civ, I never see them bounced out too early.

 

[brasaelal]

Also, Japan. Japan seems to expand somewhat slowly, but also somewhat unstoppably. They slowly and steadily conquer everything around them and become this massive powerhouse.

In both cases, if I am a close neighbor I prepare for a massive invasion. If I am far away, France and Japan become my best friends.

Japan is always a pain in the ass!

 

[grandad1982]

France and Japan for me. Germany often comes close but they never seem to convert in to a strong late game. I guess there cheap UU really boosts them in the Medevial, boy they like to spam them!

If I was forced the most likely civ to be a PITA is going to be France though. They REX and then just keep going till they own half the world. With their UUs they can have a pretty strong army come the mid/late game so can be a pain to take down. God I hate you Napolean!

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Persia is one of the best civs. Some have weak abilities but good units buildings. Persia has of the best abilities and a good UA and UB.
Immortals are very good to control babarians and for besieging cities.

 

[Grapa]

Siam is always huge for me. All the time.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Persia's one of the better civs, but they are nowhere near the top of the heap. The power civs right now are Babylon, France, Siam and Songhai. Mongolia is also in the mix, although I think that Songhai is the stronger pure warmonger now due to the Culture rework in the last patch.

G-Minor III is showing that Persia can be very strong if the settings are right, but you aren't going to see them contending in gauntlets across a wide array of settings the way that France, Siam and Songhai will.

 

[Geronimoo]

Surprisingly enough, the Iroquois completely wiped out the Persians in my latest game.

 

[bryanw1995]

there are lots of great civs. France, Japan, siam, babylon, persia, mongolia, Rome and greece are all outstanding in most situations. No doubt Persia is strong, but it is not clearly better than any of these others listed.

 

[VirginiaRounder]

Siam is always huge for me. All the time.

In G-Major 1, Siam just absolutely dominated the list. It looks like they're probably the king of the heap right now.

 

[Beef Hammer]

Agree that Persia is always a huge threat and a huge empire. But when you can pop golden ages almost forever the game is kinda easy. I have only played them once and it wasn't even fun their advantage feels so big. Siam Alex and Catherine are not far behind, ever.

 

[bryanw1995]

catherine is very situational. She's pretty good if you only have a 2 spot of iron or maybe 2x2 and you want to go on a conquering spree with swords/longswords/artillery, but if you have a 6 iron spot nearby then she's not very good, she's just plain avg. krepost was indirectly nerfed with the new tradition policy and faster border expansion generally, and cossaks are a late game UU with mid game power.

 

[Muskie]

Persia doesn't do it for me or prove to be one of the contenders, though this game they are closing in on a scientific victory. The biggest worry for me is Greece, they will attack you early, or buy up all the city states if the game goes long. Siam is also a problem in long games, but I prefer playing as Greece. France and I seem to get along though they expand a lot. Russia and Germany are middle powers.

My highest score is with Japan, but when the AI is using them they are not as fearsome as they once were in previous editions. No Viking Bezerkers to worry about, no Stalin, no Shaka Zulu, so yeah I say Greece and then possibly Rome is the neighbor I least like to see.

I'm downloading Polynesia now, but I did pretty good with the Inca, I'll have to give them another go. I play on the Mac so my game is slightly different from the PC majority.