Question about the Celts

[Lukelbs]

How long do you prefer to leave your forest tiles unimproved so you can take advantage of the faith? Would it be worth it to leave them unattended the whole game? Assuming of course you are trying to build a strong religion.

 

[tetley]

Haven't played Celts enough times to give you a consistent answer, but Industrial. Scientific Theory improves the Lumber Mills, and the days of Holy Warriors are over. Puppets keep the 1 or 3 forests, but my capital and major cities need the hammers more than the faith. And I start by bringing the 3 forests down to 1, and then if I must I lumbermill the 1 (usually in the capital only).

 

[wydon]

I cut river forest when I need that tile, and lumber mills after scientific theory (+1 hammers on lumber mills) only if I need that tile.

 

[Abraxis]

It really, really depends on the dynamics of the surrounding tiles as they relate to your short term growth plans, and the specifics of how, and under what circumstances, you're getting your religion.

One broad answer you could probably stick to in most situations is, once you get your religion, that +1~3 extra faith is worth significantly less to you, and you should probably not inconvenience other goals in order to keep that bonus.

 

[JofOblie]

Going off topic a bit here, but does anyone think that's a weak-ass UA? Even if the bonus applied to improved forest tiles it'd still be underwhelming. Not a fan of the Celts at all

 

[Abraxis]

No, They're one of the most adaptable civs available and are highly effective all the way up to deity. People just don't always put their strengths into the right perspective when evaluating them.

The UA and UU get you a free religion without needing the piety social policy track, building an early shrine, or wasting your pantheon belief on a piety generator. That is plenty powerful enough, and as powerful as you need.

'Lucky' doesn't come into it either. Their bias sets them next to a forest. You have to be extremely unlucky for that not to happen. Whether it's two or three barely makes a difference. Either way you'll get your pantheon and will be set to get a first religion even on deity with 14 other civs. A lot of people even prefer only having the +1 piety as it gives you more time to scout, so as to be more informed when picking your pantheon belief.

Worrying about these 'issues' that keep it from being slightly stronger is not really maintaining an accurate perspective. It all boils down to "Free religion, with no effort required". When you view it as such, it's a pretty awesome ability.

They are my favorite and best civ for Deity play.

You can create any synergy you want. Their UA and UU are designed to give you Faith for roughly as long as it takes to get a religion, then stop giving you faith.
What makes the Celts unique isn't faith generation, it's being able to completely ignore faith and piety, and still be guaranteed a religion. Further, being able to structure your religion without any +faith pantheons or follower beliefs if you want.
It turns their UA into essentially a grab bag of UAs allowing you to pick and choose whichever will best fit your situation after you've explored your starting area.

 

[tetley]

Celts get Celidhs right when the faith bonus fades into nothingness, so no...Celts' UA is useful at the time it is needed.

 

[lindsay40k]

I had a good Celts game where I was capturing cities and clearing the Lumber Mills in the first next to them, grabbed me an extra handful

It really is situational, but yeah, ST does mean you're picking between 2 hammers or 1 faith and CH does really tempt a chop.