Strategy with two settlers

[Siegmund]

It's a big advantage to get to start with two settlers, either by discovering an advanced tribe before founding your capital or being given two by the program.

What do you use your extra settler for?

Starting two cities at once gives you an immediate jump on your opponents of about 15 turns, the time it takes them to build their second settler.

On the other hand, this settler is a "NONE" for as long as he remains free. So, my preferred strategy now is to preserve that one settler as a settler for the entire game, using him to build all the roads and irrigation for my first few cities before they can build settlers of their own, then later continuing to improve my home contient with him, saving me money and food after I switch to monarchy. In fact, when I have a second settler, I aim my research at a VERY early switch to Monarchy.

(BTW - why the comments in the FAQ about how "if you are the Russians you sometimes get two?" It happens if you name your own culture too, for various colours. I'll have to check and see if I can get it to happen when I am playing one of the prebuilt characters. Perhaps they mean that *on the Earth map* only the Russians get an extra, but on random maps anyone can?)

 

[Irish Caesar]

With two settlers, I build some roads around my first city and build a second city quickly.
Two cities with roads around is a good jump on tech, cash, whatever you like.

I think I've had two settlers as the French also, but I'm not positive.

 

[Jan de Koning]

I usually use the second to build the infrastructure, but I guess I like it when I've got my cities conneted by roads, even if it means putting roads in terrain I'm not using.

I think in random maps you can get two settlers playing any civ. On earth I've got them playing Russians, Romans, Germans, Mongols and Chinese. Usually when there's only one civ in America.

 

[Brainly]

I have had 2 settlers with Romans, Russians, Germans, French and when I pick my own. Almost always when I pick my own I get 2.

 

[Wil]

Also with Americans it happens (random maps).
If you want to improve your government, you should keep the settlers unit, not if you play a conquering game.

 

[Andy6474b]

I suspect getting 2 settlers is dependant on some internal evaluation the game makes of the terrain near your starting position.
Could be wrong of course...

 

[cliff]

A second settler founds a second city as soon as possible. If you are really lucky you can get an advanced tribe shortly after founding the two cities, which is literally a 3 settler start.

Building infrastructure this early isn't really worth it. Personally I like early Republic (you can get it before 3000BC if you start with two settlers) and I won't build settlers until city is size 4. At size 3 I will celebrate up to size 4-5 and then build a settler. Never allow cities of size 3 to build a settler or it will take a long time before that city can grow again.