Lautaro Lunacy

[d_b]

This is part strategy part game settings to create a situation for Lautaro to shine (totally dominate).

Settings: Pangaea; Classical Age; New World, Wet. I've played this out on Emperor (like taking candy from a baby) and Immortal (easy-ish) and Deity (pay attention, relatively easy win).

Starting in classical gives you a city with 4 population, a 2 card government, and 2 x governor titles straight away.

Take cards: + 30% builders. + 50% units. Put Magnus in Capital. A few turns later...

Build a builder, chop in a holy site, then an encampment, then help chop a settler out.

Religion: Crusade, and what else you like. Pantheon: Earth Goddess or Goddess of the Harvest - you want Faith fast to force religion down your neighbors throats as you war them.

When you take +10 combat score against opponents in a golden age, add +10 from crusade, and +5 from a great general... you are unstoppable.

The other great benefit for this is the added battle experience for units created in a city with an established governor. I use my first two cities to make 2 x encampments, one with barracks then the next with a stable. The added experience is thus doubled up and your OP units will outstrip all competition in getting upgraded. If you have Kabul (??) for the 100% added experience, it's completely OP.

You want to generate faith and units. Your first two cities are all you build unless there's a particularly awesome site close and not-settled. At two cities and 2 encampments and 2 governors it's time to start war before the first dedication comes in. The closest neighbor, they have your land, go get it using Crusade to make it easy. Goddess of the Harvest is best for this, chop out a couple units and spam missionaries.

Keep making units, keep warring. At the first era change (golden age opponents) finish stomping your first opponent and pick on the biggest baddest (golden aged) next opponent. Roll them, next, next...

All your science etc comes from sites you conquest. Put commercial hubs in all cities you can to pay for the army. Armies don't need to be very big as they're so strong. But keep them sizable and make it easy. I've not needed to build extra holy sites as AI make so many, but keep an eye in case your first opponents are not religious it'll slow down the crusade.

Stomp enemy religious units. Escort your own.

If you've taken down two opponents relatively quickly you are now competitive with everyone else in culture science etc, and you're barely 50 turns in.

Enjoy.

 

[d_b]

The start looks like this.

View media item 4941
Using the builder card: The first builder chops out the second, then you get a 1 turn holy site, then chop another builder, then you get a 1 turn encampment. There's also a shrine in there and a barracks next turn then i start on units but switch magnus/builders to city two. Political philosophy will arrive around when 2 is prepped. I'll run both horse and melee/ranged cards then, using Oligarchy for even more military overkill. Unless I need the great prophet points then the wild card goes there...

4 chops and 1 lot of stone to get here in 10 turns. You also start with a 100? gold. I bought a hill tile for one of the chops.

Nifty start. The AI (unmet) are all building campuses. Only I am getting GPP for Prophets and Generals. These set me up for the +10 (Crusade) and +5 (General) = +15 combat strength. Deity bonus +6. Pffft. Wait'll they hit a golden age...

 

[d_b]

I forgot to mention the monument. This really helps if you've not settled/worked a culture giving tile. After the settler for city 2 is out, then you build a monument, then units.

One of the reasons I want a stable/barracks up ASAP is pictured. + 70% experience. That experience bonus for established Governors seems to stack with military building bonuses.

There's some convenient barbs to get upgraded on. Archers are getting 6 XP per shot, warriors 9 per hit.

The other reason I want these buildings is I now have 4 x Great General points per turn.

 

[d_b]

Here's the first 'expansion'. Nubia decided they didn't like me on sight, as the feeling was mutual we had a discussion. Golden age kicked in on this turn, so her attacking 'my' new city I still have great defensive bonuses against her (despite no crusade in my own cities), and even more to attack with.

Two great Generals already. 5 missionaries. Converted 3/4 Pericles cities already for my second expansion. Don't want to get carried away it's easier at war so religious resistance can just be stamped on with horses.

A third settler was built to bridge gap over to Pericles.

Gold is the biggest issue. I went without my 2nd holy site and got a commerce hub/market (in 2 turns). I spammed an envoy for a commercial city state. Still - 6.3 gold per turn. Stopped unit production because of this and went for some envoy quests and the settler etc.

Must find gold for more army. Otherwise, so far so good. I think horse production is better for the capital though, rather than city 2. I prefer more horses and Capital typically has higher production. Lesson learned.

 

[d_b]

And that's it for Nubia. I lost one horseman, an archer, and a scout! The army got ambushed by a bunch of pitati archers that came from several directions at once. Wasn't ready for that. The scout got ambushed by her quadriremes. Still, fair trade for 5 cities, several campuses with libraries, a couple holy sites and a shrine, a harbor, a commercial hub and soon to be two more.

Pericles has just conveniently denounced me. I have been making more units at home and now finishing the Warlords Throne for city sacking production bonuses.

Gold is still tight when I think of all those upgrades I'll want, but it's no longer desperate.

Strategically, the invasion typically goes like this. A city is converted and taken and Magnus moved in. As loyalty begins to settle (take more cities, kill units to reduce loyalty - another Lautaro trait...) chopping is used to spam out what you want e.g. a shrine, a commercial hub, more workers for a farm spam which I forgot to do... This simultaneously spams out faith via Goddess of the Harvest, so you then make missionaries when required to continue the invasion.

It felt good to kill all those Pitati Archers, I dislike those things immensely when I'm playing with mortal troops.

I'm an intermediate player at best, but here I am, slapping Deity Nubia about. Partly from learning here and via lets play's, and partly from a good strategy.

A classical age start is a thing of beauty. Many options off the bat, what you choose can be very strategic, or not...

 

[Hactar]

Fun read. That’s one of Civ VI’s big strengths... there’s no one single “best” way to play it. You can have fun trying out all sorts of different strategies.

 

[d_b]

Thanks Hactar.

Yep I come up with all sorts of scenarios too but some are very situational... This is a slower than last deity run due to the early gold shortage. But I'm still getting good mileage out of it.

Pericles declared war. Had pikes, crossbows, horsemen, hoplites, knights even. They're all dead. I lost another scout, to barbs. Two GG retired for a book and some free units from barbs. Two replacements on the field.

I took five Greek cities, a settler, several theatre squares and 1 lousy campus off Pericles then left him and his Capital in a dark age. For peace I got 70 + GPT, 700 + gold, 3 great works, everything ceded. I'll use and abuse him for trading and kill him last.

It's time to turn my eye on the Cree who are doing very well with the largest science and military. In addition they and Norway are both > 250 faith per turn, while I'm > 40. Being stupid they are expending large numbers of apostles on each other in Pericles lands. Meanwhile I'm just using a translator to convert each city as I attack, and who cares about those other fools.

I'm moving towards Cavalry. I've popped a couple builders out in my Nubian expansion area to chop in universities.

 

[d_b]

There's one more AI to find in case people are wondering it's a small map. I can't really handle any bigger on this old computer...

Forgot to mention an important fact why the Cree require attention, they have Defender of the Faith, and with their high faith and science income are dangerous foes indeed.

Pericles donated miles of un-chopped forest and jungle to the cause for chopping out (hopefully) debaters and the odd guru. If I can break the Cree the map and subsequently game will be mine. I like that I haven't met the last player yet, they can help me beat on Norway.

 

[jacktannery]

Good strat, though it's a million times better with Alexander. Skip the great prophets, chop the unique barracks replacement and spam the two unique units and take over the world. Doing it now on deity - fun and very easy. Starting at Classical skips Alex's one weakness (getting rushed before the infrastructure to destroy the world is in place), and his abilities (+from conquering districts and wonders) only shine from the classical era.

 

[d_b]

Alex is a MILLION x better ?

A lack of war weariness is nice. I do like the cav UU as well. And the abilities are great for war, but I aint doing an Alex strat.

You've dismissed the +10 from crusade (religion) in lieu of doing what Alex should do anyway. You've also dismissed the +10 from Lautaros abilities. This is everything in a battle. I'm also making a ton of culture from beliefs, and gold is coming in, what's to skip I'm using all of these and could do with more.

I go in with +25 combat strength, does Alex get + 25 000 000?

 

[d_b]

Here's a tight spot. But... my translator uses two turns to convert a 14 pop city and then a bunch of previously dangerous pike and shot fall to my cavalry crusaders.

Meanwhile the debater and company are destroying norwegian and cree apostles. They've both got > 300 Faith per turn now, and I'm > 60, and beating them down with chops and cunning. I've made Forbidden City and St Basils, Mausoleum, Terracotta...

Turn times are a bit of a drag, lot of stuff going on. Upgrading units and converting others using a couple of spawning barb camps for the cause as well. The pivot to Cree was also an attempt to focus efforts, as the sprawl can get a bit much. Once I have a line across the map post-Cree control becomes much easier (unidirectional).

 

[d_b]

Here's an Apostle with six shots and heathen conversion upgrade. In the first turn it got the two musketmen and a pikeman, In the next turn it'll take the other musket and crossbow. It's not uncommon to take around 10 units per Apostle. Just leave them in a city with tundra/desert wilderness close and wait for the barbs to spawn. High level barbs are not a threat then, they're a resource.

Discard Holy Sites. Why, I disagree Sir.

 

[d_b]

The pikeman got killed, I thought it might. Never mind. Seven heathen conversions so far, six survivors... I have an apostle over at the Nubian expansion as well to cover the desert. I'm sending the newly converted over to the future Norwegian front.

With Martyr's I like to use them as bait for opposing religious units by sitting at one of their border cities using up conversion charges till they come and attack it. Then I run as deep as I can get away from my own cities, to scout if I haven't already, and to get killed and claim my relic. The border pressure applied is useful, and not negated when the unit dies as it has run away to where my religious efforts are yet to be applied. I themed two amphitheaters from Pericles war, and chopped out St Basil's so I might get to theme that too.

The mini map shows how I've not populated some areas I 'control' opting instead for religious control via heathen conversion. I've made 3 settlers total, 2 because the AI failed to fill in some good spots. One now has Forbidden City, the other is on the Nubian side, being settled now.

 

[d_b]

Phew. Made It. I knew the Cree would be tough with the high faith, science, and the Defender belief, and they were. Lost a level 2 bombard to three frigates that came out of the fog, nasty Loads of resistance all the way in and very high pop cities. He was thrashing his caravan bonuses for sure.

Took twice as long as a typical campaign would have - as without cancelling out his religion my smaller army of units would have fallen like weeds (- 10 for me, no Crusade, + 10 for him, Defender). To take on this > 5 x my faith opponent with a critical play on conversion, while simultaneously being spammed by Norway's similarly buffed faith efforts, well, it was satisfying indeed.

I left Cree with one city but no more of his silly religion. He's paying me a ton of gold.

All bow. All bow to the Holy Cow.

Oh yes. France is the last civ. She hates me. I did ten deals in ten turns, she hates me. She also hates Norway.

Norway has issues. They've converted France but France has loads of tourism, as do I, and Norway is crumbling. Two revolutions and lost cities already. My tourism is well respectable, my position is very good. I will make tanks with the oil a builder is sitting on in two turns, then further the discussion with Harald concerning how crap he thinks I am.

My veteran troops are working their way over to merge with my converts. I've converted 15 heathens, and lost two to other heathens in the process, so far.

 

[d_b]

The plan to silence Harald was sidetracked. The free cities he was spawning were stuck between Pericles and France and so Pericles had to go. Then the free cities got taken, then I had a clear path to France and all those wonders she made while Norway continued trying a religious game. I took Cristo Redentor's city off France first, to accentuate my relic filled St Basil's. I took all of France in 7 turns with Helicopters, artillery, and tanks. Compare that to the 33 turns to knock back the Cree.

I upgraded Moksha (the Cardinal) so that my Apostles could get two promotions. I then made a pair of Debater Martyrs - I know right, if you met these guys in real life you'd hate them. They truly sucked the life out of Harald's party. They used up every charge except one each converting his cap and surrounds via killing half a dozen attacking Apostles while spreading the word of Holy Cow. By the time they were converted to relics they'd done way more damage than their deaths could ever compensate Harald for.

Strategically, with all this domination going on, I followed what I think of as a leapfrog of horse units: Horsemen - Knights - Cavalry - Tanks - Choppers. The idea is to always have something ahead of the enemy. This build is normally preceded by chariots but of course changes with a classical start. It's all laid out quite well on the tech tree and most of the boosts on the way are doable as one sets about waging war. I did not go for the unique unit as it is weaker than cavalry I could get around the same time so why bother. As a defensive unit it is a force to be reckoned with, but I'm not playing defensive.

Conquests get prioritized in both tiles and buildings to generate gold at first, and then amenities. My gold is > 800 now, the rich Cree lands really turned the tide. My amenities are holding, my veteran tanks and choppers are level 4 - 6 armies. I've converted > 20 heathens. The game is a given.

It's a straight path to Harald's Capital, I'll move my good units up for a couple of turns, and then bury him.

 

[d_b]

Respectable win. "Religious" hehe. Harald's cities kept flipping to my religion as I took his other cities it couldn't be helped.

I didn't wait to move units just attacked him on four fronts immediately. Liberated a city state for an emergency quest, and the win.

Made two archaeologists and a lot of great people too, they helped e.g. Einstein, steel boost, writers, artist, etc.

 

[d_b]

So there you have it. A middling level player with a non optimal map (lot of distance to get to Nubia and secure the flank), treating (most of) the Deity AI with disdain while taking (most of) the wonders and lands I choose.

France beat me out to a couple of wonders, but then, I took them back.

It's just overcoming that early game gold drought. I was selling everything, doing deals, grabbing every speck I could find but still very tight. However, once I had a 4 tier government conscription helped a great deal, and conquest kept income climbing as my expenses did. Keeping people alive to sue for gold seemed a lot smarter than ending them while gold was an issue, and it made it flow really well. Except I had a grudge with Nubia so no way was she staying in the game

Oddly enough, when I 1st looked at Lautaro I thought they were weak. How very wrong I was. Try this out, they are a brute force killing machine.

 

[Nigel_Tufnel2]

Nice write-up!

 

[d_b]

Thanks Nigel.

I've had a bit of a rethink. Speed is not so much of the essence as set-up with this particular... set up. Yes I want to be fast, but maybe there's a way I can have my cake and eat it too.

Set up requires religion, religion takes a little time. The 1 turn Holy site rocks it out quickly but not instantly. The fast holy site also secures the Harvest Pantheon. I've only missed it once so far. Set up also requires the encampment and stable to get those sweet highly upgraded horses.

Rushing units (while having little - no gold) is a problem. The alternative I chose is to take commerce first and spam army a little bit later. I get a commerce hub and market immediately in the 2nd city, then 2 x caravans. now I can afford that first army as it starts to come out. They'll be veterans soon enough...

I wondered about Kabul, - madness!

+100% XP from Kabul, +20 from Oligarchy, + 25 from the Mapuche Governor bonus, + 25 from the Barracks.

I like the way how, in the fight against Cree, I just carved a line right through his center. I just can't do that against Deity normally. They still spat out units from each side and most every turn but my units would just one shot their units and walls. The conversion was crucial however as they were hurting me bad (run away!) without it.

Check out the sweet Chemamull too. I'll plonk more around Everest for sure.