Manifest Destiny - A lot better than it looks?

[QuixotesGhost]

Yeah, I think so. Build scout first to pick up a ton of ruins. Then in war, you get to pretty much know the composition and positions of all your enemies' units. And considering how important positioning is now, it's a powerful wartime trait. It's a UA that counters what many people feel are the most OP units - archers. Knowing exacty where ranged units are before you move really helps avoid the brunt of thier attacks, either by hiding behind blocking terrain or having mounted units in position to flank them. You also get to know exactly where thier spears are hiding, making that much easier for mounted units to outmanuever them. Plus it makes catching that troublesome heavy infantry unit on open ground that much easier.

Yeah, it's great combined with a calvary-heavy force, and I imagine it'd be great with Minutemen assuming you have appropriate terrain (I'm currently playing my first game as Washington and am just before gunpowder right now).

In fact, I imagine it's going to be one of the more powerful UAs for fighting human opponents in Multiplayer. Washington is also hard to sneak attack, since a single well-positioned scout (particularly if you got the +1 sight promo - it stacks with Manifest Destiny) will give you more than enough advanced warning to get your standing army in position to face the would-be invaders.

Also, I really liked how they changed the concept for the America civ from "modern-day superpower" they had in Civ IV to "18th-century frontiersmen".

 

[madscientist]

If I understand Washington, the 25% discount on tile purchse helps a lot too. Instead of waiting for culture to arbitrarily take a tile I have been buying them. This allows the city of Washington to actually stretch out in different directions to get happiness and military resources that it otherwise would not get without burning through the entire treasury.

 

[Rathelon]

I just started a new game as Washington, to give Manifest Destiny a tryout. I was playing as Oda Nobunaga because Bushido (units fight at full strength even when damaged) is nice. I dont think it's that overpowered, however. The Japanese units still have the same health, so they die just as easily - they will just inflict heavy casualties if you go to war with them.

 

[Silver44Guy]

I think Washington might be better in MP than SP because humans are a bit more tricky and the immediate buy function can be very useful to seal territory off or grab a resource before an opponent.

 

[QuixotesGhost]

Agreed, Silver. That discount is great if you agressively settle. Which is why I think that it's strange that the policy-based discount on tile-buy "Monarchy", IIRC, is under "Tradition" when it would actually be a lot more useful under "Liberty".

This game I'm playing now, thanks to the sight bonus, I was able to spot Napoleon moving a sizable army towards one of my allied city-states, Belgarade. I have a few turns to prepare and when Napleon declares on Belgarade, I declare on him. My Horsemen are already in position and eat his soft chewy archers, as well as my own archers who rain death on his swordsmen and spears. His army is decimated on the first turn of the war and I'm able to march into Paris unopposed, plus I pick up a ton of influence with Belgarade.

That's the power of Manifest Destiny - the ability to spot and exploit opportunities.

Seems like a decent strat there with Washington- if you are next to a civ which has been showing some agression towards city-states, post one of your scouts near a likely target. If the agressor civ makes his move, then mobilize your army to surround and destroy his forces. Pick up a ton of influence from the City-State and then move on the agressor civ's cities practically unopposed.