Spain + Mt. Sinai = Silliness :)

[futurehermit]

Started my first ever game as Spain. Wasn't sure what to expect. A couple turns in, I find Mt. Sinai and get $500. I was like...WHAT?!?!?!?! So, once I hit size 2 on my cap, I rushed a settler and plunked it down beside Mt. Sinai. I stagnated the city at size 1, working it. This gave me 16 fpt, giving me a pantheon the next turn. So, I pick one with nature for an additional 8 fpt, so now I'm cranking out 24 fpt. A short time later, I found a religion (CB, Holy Warriors). Then another short time later, I upgrade it (Asceticism, Religious Texts). I buy archers for 80 faith and got a free worker/settler from liberty.

At turn 60 I've got 8 comp bows, 1 spear, a fully enhanced and awesome religion, cranking out 25 fp, and 3 good cities working toward NC (rushed a library in my super faith city).

I am on a continent that should be making me quake in my boots. My neighbours, in order of who is closest to me, are: Bismark, Napoleon, Liz, Oda, and Alex

However, with my insane early army, I took out Bismark and Nappy in short order and bribed Japan and Greece to war with England. So, now Liz is weakened and will fall easily. Alex is my bosom buddy and Japan has a weak empire, so once his army is whittled down, he'll fold faster than superman on laundry day, as they say. It's like the continent turned into a bowling lane and Mt. Sinai is the big bad bowling ball.

Seriously, I've never had a game this easy...

 

[sufficiency]

Uluru is wayyyy better.

 

[Browd]

Yeah, for Spain, Uluru's 4 food and 12 faith and with One With Nature, 20 faith. Best religious wonder on the map.

 

[futurehermit]

Yeah, I was thinking that Uluru would be awesome too. But, irregardless, either one is insanely powerful imo.

I'm 1 turn away from a turn 192 domination victory -- easily my personal best emperor/continents win. Ran into a 40+ defense inland Mayan capital at the end or it would've been some turns sooner still.

 

[budweiser]

Yup, thats how Spain rolls. Good job!

Did you try gotm 55?

 

[Jigokuro]

Just played a game of them that started near the great barrier reef. I researched education on turn 88...
Spain is so crazy.

 

[Dreadnought]

...and then you play a game as Spain where you don't start next to any natural wonders at all.

The Civ5 gods are a fickle bunch.

 

[futurehermit]

Yup, thats how Spain rolls. Good job!

Did you try gotm 55?

Thanks! No, I really should play the gotm's though. I'm not a strong enough player to play the deity challenges, but would like to participate in something like that. Is there an emperor level series?

Just played a game of them that started near the great barrier reef. I researched education on turn 88...
Spain is so crazy.

Wow Bonkers

...and then you play a game as Spain where you don't start next to any natural wonders at all.

The Civ5 gods are a fickle bunch.

Yeah, for sure Spain's UUs though are also quite good. I didn't need them much this game, but I could tell that they had a lot of potential. Not nearly as game-breaking, but having a unit that can plonk itself down as a beachhead city and a stronger musket that also owns mounted units are both pretty handy and they also come around the same era for combined dominance.

 

[Browd]

There are two GOTMs each month. The one that is announced on the 1st of the month is Emperor and higher (the one just posted (GOTM 56) is Ethiopia - Immortal). The one announced on the 15th of the month is Warlord -> King (GOTM 55 was Spain - Warlord).

Each game runs for a month, so there's still a couple of weeks to finish GOTM 55.

 

[krc]

...and then you play a game as Spain where you don't start next to any natural wonders at all.

The Civ5 gods are a fickle bunch.

Quite. I recently tried Spain three times in a row. No wonders within 15 tiles in any direction. Finally gave up and tried another Civ -- with (of course) Mt. Sinai and a second natural wonder both within 6 tiles of the start position.

 

[futurehermit]

There are two GOTMs each month. The one that is announced on the 1st of the month is Emperor and higher (the one just posted (GOTM 56) is Ethiopia - Immortal). The one announced on the 15th of the month is Warlord -> King (GOTM 55 was Spain - Warlord).

Each game runs for a month, so there's still a couple of weeks to finish GOTM 55.

Ok, great, I'll check it out!

Quite. I recently tried Spain three times in a row. No wonders within 15 tiles in any direction. Finally gave up and tried another Civ -- with (of course) Mt. Sinai and a second natural wonder both within 6 tiles of the start position.

Haha, yeah, that's how it goes sometimes

 

[King_Course]

Yeah, for Spain, Uluru's 4 food and 12 faith and with One With Nature, 20 faith. Best religious wonder on the map.

Many play Spain and find barrier reef close by and think this is the best a map could give. But getting one of those Faith mountains very early is going to put you even more ahead.

 

[Browd]

Might agree, if religion were your only criterion. But, with Spain, each GBR tile is the equivalent of

• half an academy (4 ),
  
  
• a grasslands wheat tile after granary (4 ), and
  
  
• a riverside hill during a Golden Age (2 and 2 )

The One with World pantheon (+8 ) just makes GBR all the more powerful. Working both GBR tiles yields a total of 8 , 4 , 4 , 8 and 16 .

Working Uluru (with One With World), on the other hand, would yield 4 and 20 , while Sri Pada would yield 4 , 16 and 4 .

Of course, I'm not picky. Playing Spain, any NW is great.

 

[budweiser]

I'll take the faith any day. There's a huge advantage to taking first religious picks. It sets the tone and shapes the game play and there's tons of free stuff available.

 

[tootallball]

I had a Spain game last night where I had Krakatoa off the coast to the east and Mt Sinai 10 tiles to the south. My science and faith were off the charts.

 

[sabre364]

Does anybody have any good saves of these starts?

 

[budweiser]

Does anybody have any good saves of these starts?

It doesnt take much time to roll a good one for yourself. Just do a continents map, go scout scout and reroll if you dont have any luck. It wont take more than 2 or 3 starts I would think.

 

[dthompson32]

After GOTM 55 I'm going to have to try a Spain game on Immortal. Once I finish up GOTM 56 that is

 

[smallfish]

El Dorado is leagues better

 

[tetley]

My Spain start was interesting. I got a wine start; 7 wines over the span of 2 cities. My starting city had no natural wonders, but--the west had Mt. Sinai, the east had Fountain of Youth, and north had a city state with Mt. Fuji. Discovered all 3 of them first, for 1500 gold. My start was a little weak on hammers, so the gold was a godsend.

I ended up picking the Wine Festival pantheon (instead of the NW one), mostly because my capital had 4 wines and no NW's. And picked Monasteries instead of Holy Warriors (because of the wine). Austria ended up conquering the CS which had Mt. Fuji, so I declared war on Austria and took Mt. Fuji. Settled the FOY for an instant 20 happiness--got 2 natural GA's even before Renaissance (and that's not counting the one from Liberty tree). I was putting out missionaries every other turn all the way up till Industrial, and rushed the Grand Djienne Mosque.

It was a good game. Hardest part was deciding whether to automatically take the NW pantheon just because you're Spain, or to take the wine pantheon. I think it worked out.