Starting Build Order?

[magicshane]

Hi,

It seems like there's not a lot of recent discussion on starting build orders? I won my first game on Noble, and am about to try either Prince or Monarch.

Any advice on the starting build order for the first couple of cities?

Thanks,
Shane

 

[Vindicator7]

I'm sure everyone has slightly different orders, and of course it depends on what kind of resources you have around you. But I usually build a warrior, worker, then settler.

 

[Astax]

Agiasnt AI I usually never need defensive warrior. AI just wont attack you first turn. So instead of buildign that first warrior, build a scout! Usually Id do scout --> worker --> worker/scout or worker/warrior with swapping --> Settler/warrior or settler/archer or settler/workboat with swapping.

Thats starting civ with hunting but no mining. If you got mining you want to get the worker out soon. Idea is have worker for when bronze working is done researching :/

 

[madmaven]

Right. I've never had the AI attack me right away, ever. I like to create two or three warriors right away and just send them out. The only thing to worry about is barbarians.

Growth is the big factor in the ancient era. The other factor is grabbing land. That depends on how close other civs are to you. If you make contact with another civ within the first 10 turns it means he's pretty close to you and I would consider making settlers as soon as possible, and grabbing land in the direction of that Civ to try to box him in.

Ideally, your starting city would be in a great spot and growing rapidly in a few turns and you wont be under the pressure to also box another civ in. In that rare case I let my city grow to about 6 or 7. Once it gets to about 6 or 7 I start making settlers and workers. My theory is: if a city is growing very fast don't stop it. Build settlers and workers once you get to a point of diminishing returns (slower growth, or city unhappiness if it grows any faster).

But usually the starting city is average and growth slows down after it reaches 3. Usually there's another Civ near you. That's when I build a worker and chop rush a settler and repeat the process.

 

[Smeee]

My opening gambit doesn't change much really.

City tech to beeline for Monothesim (sp?) (Depending on your starting techs and your opponents you'r never really garunteed Hindu or Budist but I've not been beaten to Judisim yet.

Send your starting unit off to explore and loot goodie huts.

City build queue Warrior - Warrior - Settler - Warrior - Worker

After that lot are done everything varies on game circumstances.

Sometimes its another settler sometimes its a wonder or barracks.

But as an opening gambit that works for me.

 

[Toshiro126]

I take into account what AIs are around me. If they are some of the more aggressive ones (like the Greeks or Romans) than I might build a few more military units than I would early in the game.

 

[wc3promet]

My opening gambit doesn't change much really.

City tech to beeline for Monothesim (sp?) (Depending on your starting techs and your opponents you'r never really garunteed Hindu or Budist but I've not been beaten to Judisim yet.

Send your starting unit off to explore and loot goodie huts.

City build queue Warrior - Warrior - Settler - Warrior - Worker

After that lot are done everything varies on game circumstances.

Sometimes its another settler sometimes its a wonder or barracks.

But as an opening gambit that works for me.

Not having 1 available worker and Bronze Working asap is akin to suicide against Warmongering Neighbours.

 

[ZouPrime]

In term of units, I generally do warrior - worker - warrior - settler and then Pyramid if everything is alwright and I'm not facing any immediate threat or need.

In term of technology, I used to be a big fan of early religion grabing with mysticism - polytheism (and then monotheism if I did not get hinduism) but I've departed from this strategy for the last few games because I found out I wasn't using my early religion to their full extend anyway, and it tend to slow my progress down. Now, I always gor for bronze working first; forest choppin' is a wonderful strategy and can tremendously help the early game (+ it reveals copper, always nice to know if you have it ASAP). After BW, I try to grap one or two worker tech depending of my immediate surrounding, and then I go for Masonry.

 

[Divi Filus]

Usually I chop out three settler with warriors/archers really quickly, but in the last game (Prince) I found Montezuma (my arch nemesis right beside me) and I had copper in my territory. I quickly connected the copper build 4 axeman and crushed him before he got out a settler.

You opening will depend on your neighbors and your position... Generally you want to balance expansion with economic (trade route/ cottages) and military (axeman/ spearman) production.

For example... if there is alot of jungle, you need iron working ASAP... also if India/Spain is beside you they will probably get a religion, so focus on military and take their holy city... the great thing about Civ4 is the wide range of option you will have. I have purposefully played the same map twice and it is always a very differnt game.

 

[DwWinnebagos]

At what difficulty, Zom? I play noble, and no bronze working isn't necessarily death.

Getting an early religion (or two) and aggressively spreading it can be just as powerful as fast axemen.

Of course, not going bronze real fast sometimes means that your next tech has to be iron working or you're in deep kaka, and you end up war mongering anyway because of the swordsman edge.

Anyway, my build order swings back and forth.
If I have a minable resource OR start with mining, worker is coming out first, period.
Otherwise I might grow to 2 or 3 (if getting a religion) pumping out scouts or warriors. If I'm doing this I normally go worker and chop 2 settlers off the bat. I always feel like I'm behind if I've gone this route (in terms of expansion) and need to lay down two cities to have a shot.

 

[Zombie69]

Not having 1 available worker and Bronze Working asap is akin to suicide against Warmongering Neighbours.

Like he said, it's a gambit!