attackdrone
Warlord
So you have yourself a merry band of macemen and feel like conquering the world. You gather up your cadre and head off, cheerfully whistling a tune - theme music for your inevitable conquest. Upon entering your opponent's lands you pass idyllic farm after idyllic farm. How quaint, he's gone completely rural - this will be all too easy. The first border town is easily taken, your suprise assault was quite effective. Who cares if you lost a few men to their archers and spearmen - they lost more. In fact, the majority of their populace was priests, priests! Hah! Lets see their priests stand up against your well disciplined army.
Where did all those crusaders come from! All he had were priests and farms! How did he get the tech for crusaders? He never even built cottages, the fool. How do they have enchanted weapons and shields of faith, your foe claims to worship the order! Are those -Dwarven- Inquisitors you see? Madness! So much fire, so much death!
You my friend, have just fallen victim to The Order Stratagem Not a trademarked Stratagem.
1- The Order Stratagem does not rely on Cottages/Towns for research or trade income.
2- Yes, those are Dwarven Inquisitors you see.
3- Yes, the cities are filled with priests. Unfortunately for you they all happen to be exceptionally skilled carpenters and blacksmiths as well.
4- Killing the "Veteran" troops does no good. They are recruited that way. A unit will be a minimum of third level, perhaps even fourth if things go well for The Order Stratagem. Toss in Shield of Faith (Late Game), Enchanted Weapon/Fire Arrows/Spiritual Hammer in as well - that's some pretty beefy shock troops. So what if you kill ten or so of them, you are probably doing the Order player a favor by keeping his upkeep costs low!
Now, how exactly does this Order Stratagem work, you may wonder? Fortunately - that's where I come in - seeing as I have it all trademarked and whatnot Not a trademarked Stratagem.
I: The Setup
A: Economic Foundations
Farms and not Cottages are the mainstay of this strategy. With Agriculture and Aristocracy active, farms can become frighteningly good at producing food and gold. Also, focusing on farms allows you to support more priests, which translates directly into more production.
B: City Placement
For me, rivers are of the highest priority. I aim to get every possible city built next to a river - for the early agriculture as well as the ability to build breweries. Seeing as this strategy starts off as city states, distance penalties are quite minor, so feel free to expand a bit to snatch those prime riverside views.
C: Early Technology Priorities Edited
Getting Writing first is extremely useful. Of course, I recommend Agriculture first - then skip animal husbandry (even if you have cows/pigs) and head straight for Writing. Along the way you'll get Education, which gives City States. The Academy from Writing speeds your tech up massively in the early game. The next priority is to found The Order. After this I snag Runes of Kilmorph to use as an assistant religion, and bronze working / archery for defense. If I happen to find a hut that spurs me along towards the Runes of Kilmorph in the early game, I rush to dual found that first then the Order. Also, if there is gold near in my capital's radius I found the Runes first. At this point, farms will be producing as much research as the cottages/hamlets that your opponents have built, on a one for one basis. Furthermore, you're growing a lot faster also, and producing much more. Be sure to save one great prophet for the Tablets of Bambur, and another for the Code of Junil. Then, seeing as you researched philosophy for the Order techs, and Warfare for Form of the Titan (See wonders below), it's just a single step to Military Strategy, netting you that free great commander, who is massively useful if you are not playing an organized leader. You're also quite close to priesthood if you're playing Elohim, which gives you monks.
D: Civic Choices
Early on I always use City States, until I am well established, at which point I switch over to Aristocracy. Agriculture and Religious Discipline are a must. Religion and Social Order are the two preferred cultural value civics. Military State is what I go with when I have switched over to the Order. However in my establishment phase I use Arete.
E: Religion
Oddly, the first religion I found is the Runes of Kilmorph - this is an extremely useful adjutant religion. It enables you to have the economic basis to build enough cities early on to solidly establish yourself as well as switch over from city states to aristocracy relatively early on. After researching Arete, you'll be able to promote your units with Guerrilla-2, which is one of the best possible city defense promotions - assuming you build your cities on hills (I do when possible). Finally, Stonewardens and Former-Stonewarden Inquisitors are Crusader-buffers nonpareil.
F: Wonders
No specific wonder is crucial to this strategy with the one exception of the Altar of the Luonnotar. I maximise my great prophet generation at all possible times. The faster the Altar is built, the more production you have. Also useful are the Code of Junil and the Tablets of Bambur. Fortunately all of these rely on having Great Prophets around. Noticing a trend?
Additionally, the Form of the Titan is my all-purpose awesome wonder. If I can ever scrape up a unit of level six (and I sure do try to every single game as early as possible) I hide him in my capital until I can get the Form of the Titan built. When a Great Commander is found by researching Military Strategy, build the command post where you built the Form of the Titan. Any other wonder that gives Great Commander points (that you can comfortably build) should go in this city, including Heroic and National Epics. This Great Commander farm is only for Non-Organized leaders of course. Very occasionally I go for the Tomb of Sucellus, and only if I am not playing a civilization with Life mana, and if I see Marble nearby. The Great Library is also useful (see below), but of course not crucial in any way.
G: Specialists
One of the few annoying things that you will need to keep an eye on is the generation of your great people. You -will- need to check in on each city every time it grows to make sure it's still making priests instead of engineers (in the early game). Also, be sure to dedicate one city to the generation of Great Scientists - I find a steady source of Academies to be of the highest assistance. Try and get the Great Library built here.
I: The Execution:
A: Industrial Powerhouse
Your army of priests, now producing 2-4 hammers each (depending on how late in the game it is) should give you a manufacturing capacity far beyond any of your opponents. Having used this strategy in multiplayer I have been able to outproduce even the dwarves. Now, if you -are- the dwarves and are using this strategy, there's really nothing that can ever compare to your production. With all of this vast capacity, you should quickly run out of crucial/neccessary buildings to make in your core cities. Once this has happened, turn to military production.
B: Military Forces
Crank out a huge number of crusaders, confessors, macemen/axemen/spearmen. Whichever unit suits your fancy. If you're spiritual focus on crusaders. If you are bannor, go crusade and build Demagog Hordes. Each unit should be starting at level three or perhaps four. Toss on Enchanted Blade/Fire Arrows/Spiritual Hammer and Shield of Faith. Those are some pretty beefy recruits now. So what if you lose ten or so? That's how many you make in a turn. This is how I defeat Crush or Pillar of Fire. I simply send a decent sized stack of ten or twelve guys in to lull my foe into thinking that i'm commiting my assault. He torches them, killing them all but committing his forces in the process. After this comes my actual army of thirty or fourty units. It is a bit odd, the Order strategy relies on ruthlessly sacrificing thousands of your men to fool the opponent. But hey! Perhaps Basium will make better use of them in the afterlife.
C: Magical Support
During the period that you are following the Runes of Kilmorph, use this time to build three to six (or more) stonewardens. Later on you can upgrade them to Inquisitors, which lets you have them as Divine Channeling 3 units even when following a different religion (Stonewardens and their ilk do not leave you when you switch religions). Enchant-3 Divine and Body-3 Divine are vastly useful. Can we say Unyielding Order in every city in the late game? You'll be getting Earth and Law from your holy sites - the other crucial mana types are Nature (Since you will be unable to build druids as you will likely be good most of the game) and Enchant. Beyond this, Spirit, Life - basically whichever you find the most useful.
In conclusion - you may seem to be building an idyllic farming society of priests, but in reality you are indoctrinating and gearing up your society for total war on a scale that nobody else can match. That's how to play the Order (with helper Dwarves) - uncompromising holy war without end.
Where did all those crusaders come from! All he had were priests and farms! How did he get the tech for crusaders? He never even built cottages, the fool. How do they have enchanted weapons and shields of faith, your foe claims to worship the order! Are those -Dwarven- Inquisitors you see? Madness! So much fire, so much death!
You my friend, have just fallen victim to The Order Stratagem Not a trademarked Stratagem.
1- The Order Stratagem does not rely on Cottages/Towns for research or trade income.
2- Yes, those are Dwarven Inquisitors you see.
3- Yes, the cities are filled with priests. Unfortunately for you they all happen to be exceptionally skilled carpenters and blacksmiths as well.
4- Killing the "Veteran" troops does no good. They are recruited that way. A unit will be a minimum of third level, perhaps even fourth if things go well for The Order Stratagem. Toss in Shield of Faith (Late Game), Enchanted Weapon/Fire Arrows/Spiritual Hammer in as well - that's some pretty beefy shock troops. So what if you kill ten or so of them, you are probably doing the Order player a favor by keeping his upkeep costs low!
Now, how exactly does this Order Stratagem work, you may wonder? Fortunately - that's where I come in - seeing as I have it all trademarked and whatnot Not a trademarked Stratagem.
I: The Setup
A: Economic Foundations
Farms and not Cottages are the mainstay of this strategy. With Agriculture and Aristocracy active, farms can become frighteningly good at producing food and gold. Also, focusing on farms allows you to support more priests, which translates directly into more production.
B: City Placement
For me, rivers are of the highest priority. I aim to get every possible city built next to a river - for the early agriculture as well as the ability to build breweries. Seeing as this strategy starts off as city states, distance penalties are quite minor, so feel free to expand a bit to snatch those prime riverside views.
C: Early Technology Priorities Edited
Getting Writing first is extremely useful. Of course, I recommend Agriculture first - then skip animal husbandry (even if you have cows/pigs) and head straight for Writing. Along the way you'll get Education, which gives City States. The Academy from Writing speeds your tech up massively in the early game. The next priority is to found The Order. After this I snag Runes of Kilmorph to use as an assistant religion, and bronze working / archery for defense. If I happen to find a hut that spurs me along towards the Runes of Kilmorph in the early game, I rush to dual found that first then the Order. Also, if there is gold near in my capital's radius I found the Runes first. At this point, farms will be producing as much research as the cottages/hamlets that your opponents have built, on a one for one basis. Furthermore, you're growing a lot faster also, and producing much more. Be sure to save one great prophet for the Tablets of Bambur, and another for the Code of Junil. Then, seeing as you researched philosophy for the Order techs, and Warfare for Form of the Titan (See wonders below), it's just a single step to Military Strategy, netting you that free great commander, who is massively useful if you are not playing an organized leader. You're also quite close to priesthood if you're playing Elohim, which gives you monks.
D: Civic Choices
Early on I always use City States, until I am well established, at which point I switch over to Aristocracy. Agriculture and Religious Discipline are a must. Religion and Social Order are the two preferred cultural value civics. Military State is what I go with when I have switched over to the Order. However in my establishment phase I use Arete.
E: Religion
Oddly, the first religion I found is the Runes of Kilmorph - this is an extremely useful adjutant religion. It enables you to have the economic basis to build enough cities early on to solidly establish yourself as well as switch over from city states to aristocracy relatively early on. After researching Arete, you'll be able to promote your units with Guerrilla-2, which is one of the best possible city defense promotions - assuming you build your cities on hills (I do when possible). Finally, Stonewardens and Former-Stonewarden Inquisitors are Crusader-buffers nonpareil.
F: Wonders
No specific wonder is crucial to this strategy with the one exception of the Altar of the Luonnotar. I maximise my great prophet generation at all possible times. The faster the Altar is built, the more production you have. Also useful are the Code of Junil and the Tablets of Bambur. Fortunately all of these rely on having Great Prophets around. Noticing a trend?
Additionally, the Form of the Titan is my all-purpose awesome wonder. If I can ever scrape up a unit of level six (and I sure do try to every single game as early as possible) I hide him in my capital until I can get the Form of the Titan built. When a Great Commander is found by researching Military Strategy, build the command post where you built the Form of the Titan. Any other wonder that gives Great Commander points (that you can comfortably build) should go in this city, including Heroic and National Epics. This Great Commander farm is only for Non-Organized leaders of course. Very occasionally I go for the Tomb of Sucellus, and only if I am not playing a civilization with Life mana, and if I see Marble nearby. The Great Library is also useful (see below), but of course not crucial in any way.
G: Specialists
One of the few annoying things that you will need to keep an eye on is the generation of your great people. You -will- need to check in on each city every time it grows to make sure it's still making priests instead of engineers (in the early game). Also, be sure to dedicate one city to the generation of Great Scientists - I find a steady source of Academies to be of the highest assistance. Try and get the Great Library built here.
I: The Execution:
A: Industrial Powerhouse
Your army of priests, now producing 2-4 hammers each (depending on how late in the game it is) should give you a manufacturing capacity far beyond any of your opponents. Having used this strategy in multiplayer I have been able to outproduce even the dwarves. Now, if you -are- the dwarves and are using this strategy, there's really nothing that can ever compare to your production. With all of this vast capacity, you should quickly run out of crucial/neccessary buildings to make in your core cities. Once this has happened, turn to military production.
B: Military Forces
Crank out a huge number of crusaders, confessors, macemen/axemen/spearmen. Whichever unit suits your fancy. If you're spiritual focus on crusaders. If you are bannor, go crusade and build Demagog Hordes. Each unit should be starting at level three or perhaps four. Toss on Enchanted Blade/Fire Arrows/Spiritual Hammer and Shield of Faith. Those are some pretty beefy recruits now. So what if you lose ten or so? That's how many you make in a turn. This is how I defeat Crush or Pillar of Fire. I simply send a decent sized stack of ten or twelve guys in to lull my foe into thinking that i'm commiting my assault. He torches them, killing them all but committing his forces in the process. After this comes my actual army of thirty or fourty units. It is a bit odd, the Order strategy relies on ruthlessly sacrificing thousands of your men to fool the opponent. But hey! Perhaps Basium will make better use of them in the afterlife.
C: Magical Support
During the period that you are following the Runes of Kilmorph, use this time to build three to six (or more) stonewardens. Later on you can upgrade them to Inquisitors, which lets you have them as Divine Channeling 3 units even when following a different religion (Stonewardens and their ilk do not leave you when you switch religions). Enchant-3 Divine and Body-3 Divine are vastly useful. Can we say Unyielding Order in every city in the late game? You'll be getting Earth and Law from your holy sites - the other crucial mana types are Nature (Since you will be unable to build druids as you will likely be good most of the game) and Enchant. Beyond this, Spirit, Life - basically whichever you find the most useful.
In conclusion - you may seem to be building an idyllic farming society of priests, but in reality you are indoctrinating and gearing up your society for total war on a scale that nobody else can match. That's how to play the Order (with helper Dwarves) - uncompromising holy war without end.
