Most powerful leaders on monarch level

[Artifex1]

Name the top 5 leaders in power for effectiveness on monarch level difficulty.

 

[Verge]

If picking the right leader is your primary strategy, then there isn't a single leader that will help you on monarch.


This isn't my way of ripping on you or anything; it's just that the notion of a "top leader" doesn't really work in Civ 4.

 

[obsolete]

Is Monarch at the point where the AI starts off with archers instead of warriors?

In that case, I suppose you can't go wrong with HC.

 

[atma6]

First of I'm no expert this is just my opinion from my Monarch games, listen more to the heavyweights. I've just made the jump to Emperor (still trying for a win). I played a lot of Monarch games and I can say this:

Monarch is the first difficulty where every trait is useful

Before Monarch the organized trait is less useful because maintanence isn't hurting as bad, but it now starts to shine.
Financial and Philosophical, while powerful aren't necessary so you don't need to stick to them.
This is one of the first difficulty levels where you will/might, be fighting a real defensive war so Protective has a use.
Imperialistic is always about the same usefulness for the GG appearances, but in general it along with Protective are on the low scale.
Aggressive is still very useful for early wars as maintanence hasn't hit as bad as it does later.
Industrious is still useful for wondergrabs, which we've now seen can run an entire economy.
Charismatic is always useful, but is stepped up because of the new happiness cap.

The easiest leaders to use are those with Financial/Philisophical runing a Cottage Economy (CE) or Specialist Economy (SE) respectively.

For warmongers: Rome with Julius Caesar is one of the early tops due to the power of the Praetorian, as some have said, Rome is a good starter faction for each new difficulty because of its early power, and this is one of the last difficulties where, in my limited experience, you can fully take advantage of early rushes due to maintanence not being as bad.

 

[duende29]

Try Darius. Dude is all around.

 

[vormuir]

Shaka. He's a great warrior, but cheap Granaries and the Ikhanda help a lot with empire maintenance too.

Huayna. The AIs start with Archers and Archery, so you Quechuas have targets right away.

These certainly aren't the only ones, but they're the first that come to mind.


Waldo

 

[madscientist]

Top 5

HC
Shaka
LIZ
Darius
Asoka

You can head towards any victory condition on Monarch with those 5.

 

[vormuir]

You can head towards any victory condition on Monarch with those 5.

A cultural win with Shaka would be something of a challenge.


Waldo

 

[DaveMcW]

A cultural win with Shaka would be something of a challenge.

Not really. Picking great city sites is a key factor in culture wins. It's a lot easier when you have 3 former capitals to choose from.

 

[The Rook]

I think any leader that functions well on levels higher than Monarch, would work great on Monarch too. Most of the names mentioned so far would be candidates for #1 at any level (HC, Liz, Darius, Asoka etc).

One leader I found to be supremely effective at Monarch (although less so at higher levels) is Willem. Simply Rex, claim all the land before the AI has chance to settle, improve the land, sit back, win. If the human has >= rival civ land at Monarch level, they are guaranteed to dominate GNP, Mfg, food harvested, pop etc, and it is easy enough to convert these advantages into the victory path you choose.

 

[madscientist]

I think any leader that functions well on levels higher than Monarch, would work great on Monarch too. Most of the names mentioned so far would be candidates for #1 at any level (HC, Liz, Darius, Asoka etc).

One leader I found to be supremely effective at Monarch (although less so at higher levels) is Willem. Simply Rex, claim all the land before the AI has chance to settle, improve the land, sit back, win. If the human has >= rival civ land at Monarch level, they are guaranteed to dominate GNP, Mfg, food harvested, pop etc, and it is easy enough to convert these advantages into the victory path you choose.

I always forget Williams potential as I have yet to play a serious game with him.

 

[xanadux]

I would say:

Elizabeth
Huayna Capac
Gandhi
Hannibal
Lincoln
Mansa Musa
Brennus
Willem on the right map

Acutally any leader that has a combination of CHA, FIN, PHI, SPI, IND, and add in Willem for the right maps because he has the most rocking UB of them all.

 

[InvisibleStalke]

My picks:

HC - Wonders and financial and Quecha rush!
Willem - Financial and land grab + awesome UB.
Augustus - Early wonders and Praets.
Ragnar - Financial plus beserkers.
Roosevelt - Industrious for wonders, Navy Seals for domination

Any FIN or IND leader will rule on Monarch for me. And the absolute king HC has them both!

 

[CivCorpse]

Top 5

HC
Shaka
LIZ
Darius
Asoka

You can head towards any victory condition on Monarch with those 5.

He meant to type

Elizabeth
Liz
Lizzy
Queen Elizabeth
Her Royal Majesty Queen elizabeth
He doesn't type very well.

My list is as follows





(less than a week left to suck up to the fat guy, and no i don't mean suleman or kublai knan)

 

[dankok8]

Top 5 leaders in the game in descending order IMO are:

1. Elizabeth (you can do CE or SE or hybrid and redcoats rock; stock exchange also nice)
2. Augustus and Julius (they are together cuz they are strong for the same reason - average traits but praetorian is uberpoweful)
5. Mansa Musa (amazing techer; mint is good, skirmishers really aid early defence allowing you to expand peacefully and build a tech lead)
4. Huayna Capac (excellent techer and builder; quecha is the earliest UU and very powerful)
5. Willem (this guy becomes number 1 on a water map; maybe best traits in the game + kickass UB that raises production)

 

[Napalm102]

After playing an Epic Monarch game on archipelago with high sea level I can say I apreaciate organized trait alot more, cheap courthouses really help bring the empire cost down especially with those colony maintanance costs circus that is going on in the BtS (State property ofcourse helped later on too)

But I've won monarch games with all traits.

 

[bardolph]

Random FTW!

 

[Mr. Civtastic]

Darius
Julius Caesar
Elizabeth
Gandhi
Huyana Capac