Malevolent Designs Rush

[JonathanStrange]

If I were as efficient as Monkeyfinger and all of you, I'd try it too. I'm just involved with other stuff myself that effectively doing the idea justice isn't possible for me now.

 

[Bill Bisco]

The problem is that I don't have confidence in the ability of the AI to counter my strategy whether its good or bad. And, there aren't many FFH players on Hamachi for me to test this with.

 

[ArkhanTheBlack]

Okay, I've tested the strategy now with Rhoanna from Hippus. They are expansive, financial, start with an extra hammer thanks to horses and have a world spell, that should make every opponent think twice before he dares to attack me. Since there's enough time, I didn't consider a philosophical leader a real necessity. Even a normal leader can produce 2 greater persons without any problems in this time.

I used a 3 city strategy and built a great sage first for academy and a great prophet second for light bulbing. I made a mistake with the research order because I got priesthood after ashen veil and then tried to light bulb infernal pact, which didn't work anymore because religious law had a higher priority than infernal pact for the great prophet. Fortunately, I had a very high research power of more than 100 / turn later on. Therefore I only lost about 6 turns because of that.

In the end, I was able to get malevolent designs in round 117. However, it should have been about round 110 if I wouldn't have made the mistake with the research order. The settings were the same I used for the Hyborem rush (75 turns) and the Basium rush (85 turns), with monarch, quick tech and aggressive AI setting on small map size. Since I only tried it once I don't know if it's the fastest combination, but I don't think it's possible to be much faster than 105 turns without having very lucky events or outstanding starting positions.

105 turns was also the time I needed for a Basium rush with Kuriotates. Only the Luchiurp were (much) faster because of their early great engineer. To be honest, this strategy is almost scary! Mardero and the beasts of Agares were produced quite fast (< 10 rounds with 3 cities) and I still had Rosier running around with Orthus axe. It's a petty that I didn't had iron for the Eidolons, but it should be also possible to get it with Arete or get malevolent design with Hyborem for the ultimate army of doom with the infernal trio of Hyborem, Rosier and Mardero + 3 Eidolons + 3 beast of Agares. It will take a bit longer, but well who cares if you get such an army.

I'm still unsure about which is the fastest race for this strategy. Is financial better than philosophical in this case or not? I'm thinking about Balseraphs with their ultra golden age. I don't want to use a good race though (I AM a role player after all!).

I'm also thinking about a comparable 'supreme good' strategy with the tower of divination. The army of doom was cool, but the blight and hellfire effect that struck me afterwards wasn't so funny at all.

 

[Bill Bisco]

I'm curious Arkhan, what techs did you go for other than the Required ones, and what order did you get them in? I'm assuming you got Education for Cottages.

Peace,
Bill

 

[ArkhanTheBlack]

I'm curious Arkhan, what techs did you go for other than the Required ones, and what order did you get them in? I'm assuming you got Education for Cottages.

I focused on growth first like usual with calendar and then went straight to mysticism for god king. Since code of laws is required for fanatism I had to get education anyway. However, after mysticism I first got animal husbandry (I had cows and hoped for more horses) and streets. Then I got education and writing for cottages and libraries and went straight to corruption of spirit to get the ashen veil temple fast. After that I noticed that my research power was high enough that it would just take a few turns to get festivals and mining. Since I discovered copper in my area, I also got bronze working. Therefore I wasn't so 'strict' in sticking to the required techs only.
However, researching priesthood before infernal pact was definitely a bad idea since I couldn't use my great prophet for light bulbing anymore. Anyway, it might have been better to just get 2 - 3 great sages for academies instead.

 

[Bill Bisco]

So you're telling me that as Hippus you went: Calendar -> Ancient Chants -> Mysticism -> Animal Husbandry -> Exploration -> Education -> Writing -> Knowledge of the Ether -> Philosophy -> Way of the Wicked -> Corruption of the Spirit -> ? -> Mining -> Festivals ?

Also, btw, Hippus don't give an Extra hammer for having horses. It says that in the display, but it gives nothing.

 

[ArkhanTheBlack]

So you're telling me that as Hippus you went: Calendar -> Ancient Chants -> Mysticism -> Animal Husbandry -> Exploration -> Education -> Writing -> Knowledge of the Ether -> Philosophy -> Way of the Wicked -> Corruption of the Spirit -> ? -> Mining -> Festivals ?

I got festivals before mining, but yes, in general that was the way. It might be even better to get festivals earlier. Depending on the available resources, mining could also be researched earlier.

And yes, you're right, no hammer from the horses :-(

 

[Lone Wolf]

Also, btw, Hippus don't give an Extra hammer for having horses. It says that in the display, but it gives nothing.

They aren't supposed to. It's a rather confusing display quirk that exists in vanilla Civ, too. The hammer just means that a tile with Horses gives an extra hammer when being worked on...

 

[Bill Bisco]

I got festivals before mining, but yes, in general that was the way. It might be even better to get festivals earlier. Depending on the available resources, mining could also be researched earlier.

And yes, you're right, no hammer from the horses :-(

Alright, so at what points in that line did you get Infernal Pact, Code of Laws, Priesthood, Fanaticism, and Malevolent Designs?

 

[ArkhanTheBlack]

I tried to get priesthood as soon as possible to get access to ritualists. If I remember right the last researches were Priesthood - Code of Laws - Infernal Pact - Fanatism - Malevolent Designs. But like I said, it would have been better to exchange Priesthood and Infernal Pact for light bulbing...

 

[readercolin]

by quick tech, do you mean the quick game speed, or is this another option that I have never discovered?

-Colin

 

[ArkhanTheBlack]

Quick game speed!

 

[Onionsoilder]

So Bill, is this what you tried in that multiplayer game then?

 

[Bill Bisco]

So Bill, is this what you tried in that multiplayer game then?

Of course, and I might have succeeding weren't it for those darn Dennis Lizardmen!