Unique Ability Elimination Thread

[ArnoldI]

Manifest Destiny: 7
Diplomatic Marriage: 1
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 15
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 11
Sun Never Sets: 26
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 20
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 11
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

Diplomatical Marriage: too OP, and don't fit my scientific/cultural gaming style. I don't kill CSs, I get allied to them.
Ingenuity: very useful, easily doubles your science in the early game, and isn't OP for the final stages. Allows you to do almost anything. Want to be militaristic? I think cutting the research time to get Iron Working in almost a half will be very useful.

 

[Aerolight]

Manifest Destiny: 7
Diplomatic Marriage: 0
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 15
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 11
Sun Never Sets: 26
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 20
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

OK I downvoted the Austria UA because it spoils your espionage, hope it'll be balanced next patch.R.I.P.

Why I upvoted spanish UA? I won a Emperor using that. LOL and It's interesting while not overpowered (unless you got 5 NWs in your land? amazing. I never got more than 3)

 

[TM Moot]

Manifest Destiny: 5 (-2) C'mon, its average at best
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 16 (+1) It suits my gamestyle and can be powerful
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 11
Sun Never Sets: 26
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 20
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

 

[Skibbi]

Manifest Destiny: 3 -2 Allows spawn busting... only if you completely spam with scouts!
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 16
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 11
Sun Never Sets: 26
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 21 +1 City State allies can change the tide of any game.
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

 

[DGDobrev]

Manifest Destiny: 3
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 18 - What is not to like about more planted academies? So much BPT, especially combined with all other bonuses (observatory, research lab).
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 10 - gets my hate, cause on higher difficulties, monument building much be very selective and follow a specific strategy. On lower difficulties this skill is a godsend - effectively allowing you to build every single wonder you want on difficulties from King and lower.
Sun Never Sets: 26
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 21
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

 

[Lordleoz]

+Seven Cities of Gold: Guys, listen up. This UA shouldn't be considered as a lottery because even if you do not appear near a NA, you can still explore the map and find them, which is a very interesting to do. It's not too difficult to be the first discoverer of a NA if you explore more. What if you are so unlucky that you can't even find a NA first? No.1, in early games, even when NA on your continent are all discovered by other civs, you should still explore the map and spot them. 100 gold is still a nice bonus and you can enjoy +2 happiness from each natural wonder (even if they are not in your borders). It's a nice early game happiness bonus and I'm usually not good at getting happiness. No.2, If NA are not ridiculously far away from you, it's great to send settlers and settle there. Getting those tiles is wonderful. No.3, beeline to astronomy. Astronomy is the key. If you send out conquistadors and caravels early, you'll surely find a few remote NA. So overall, it's a great UA that shouldn't be underestimated. 1 incredible and 9 great in every 10 games.
In spite of being a powerful UA, it's also interesting. In my last game, although my civ didn't appear near a NA, I found it interesting to explore and try to spot them. Once I found one, I felt successful and once I discovered one, I felt excited.

Manifest Destiny: 3
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 24
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 21
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 13
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

+Seven Cities of Gold: I have already given a long reason for that.

-Sun Never Sets: It is a fine UA, fast ships are nice, but it has got a point it doesn't deserve.

 

[Cowhead]

Manifest Destiny: 3
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 25 (+1)
Ancien Regime: 23
Hellenic League: 21
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 11 (-2)
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

Sun Never Sets - Extra Water Movement is great. Plus the extra spy is a nice bonus.

Seven Cities of Gold - I just don't find it that useful compared to other UAs

 

[maurcus]

Manifest Destiny: 3
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21 (-2)
Hellenic League: 21
Great Andean Road: 28
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 12 (+1)
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

Valuable if used right 7COG can dominate the early game

it is just not very flavorful. if it were +2 per spec and +3 per greatperson building than it would be like a cultural equivalent to korea but as it is now its just not flavorful

 

[black213]

Manifest Destiny: 1 (-2)
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 21
Great Andean Road: 29 (+1)
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 24
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

Manifest Destiny: Boring, flavourless and not that powerful. Mediocre.
Great Andean Road: Faster movement in hills is very useful and recommends you to build a warrior instead of a scout as a first build. Also road spam in all hills!

 

[woodshadows]

Manifest Destiny: 1
Sacrificial Captives: 24
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 22
Great Andean Road: 29
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 23
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 22
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19


Hellenic league isn't as guaranteed early game as nobel prize, but it is more powerful with the right circumstances - quests that can be fulfilled/cs's close enough that you can do barb-camp killing quests, etc. With the right circumstances you can get enormous influence with a few cs's early game, which, if you keep pouring money/quests into them should let you hold onto them by the time you get to patronage, at which point you can rack up enormous influence which should be able to fend off even the most determined AI coupers.

Father governs children - I just don't like this one, no bonus to get the cs's favour.

 

[kamikazees]

Manifest Destiny: 1
Sacrificial Captives: 22
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 22
Great Andean Road: 29
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 24
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 22
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 23
River Warlord: 19

Sacrificial Captives: I like to take Rationalism as my 7th policy, and this UA does not allow me to do that unless I don't attack anything. Normally, that's not a good plan...

Dutch East India Company: Early trade has huge compounding effects. This UA is awesome.

 

[black213]

Sacrificial Captives: I like to take Rationalism as my 7th policy, and this UA does not allow me to do that unless I don't attack anything. Normally, that's not a good plan...

Don't understand why do people whine about social policy timing fails when there is the option "Allow Policy Saving"

 

[Petiscator]

Manifest Destiny: 0!
Sacrificial Captives: 22
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 9
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 22
Great Andean Road: 29
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 24
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 22
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 24
River Warlord: 19

Manifest Destiny: As I said before, +1 sight is nice, cheap tiles are kind of lame (they are not so costly, it is an ability used 3-5 times in a game). I can't compare this UA to other wonderful ones like Achaemenid Legacy and Phoenician Heritage, it seems quite bad compared to them. Not a bad UA, but for me, the worst left in here.

Nobel Prize: Do you like GP? DoF and get them. Do you play only multiplayer and find the bonus useless? So go to war against your oponents and generate GGs and GAs so you can gift them to those nasty city states for a good chunk of food/happiness/culture/faith/units. You wouldn't gift any of your GPs? Try to play a faith them and tell me that after the 7th Great Prophet before the reinassance. Try warring a lot and getting so many GGs/GAs you can't find a use for them. Give that unwanted GM a real job. Seriously, there are plenty of room to use some strategy here. You just have to choose if you want to warry only/be friendly with some/go on a full-friendship game and if you want to gift that annoying unwanted 7th Great Prophet after spreading your religion 3 times to, lets say... Jerusalem, to generate even more faith. This ability turns faith into influence, war into influence, and frienships into great persons. What not to love?

 

[woodshadows]

Don't understand why do people whine about social policy timing fails when there is the option "Allow Policy Saving"

Saving promotions and allowing policy saving are probably really fun to play.. though I never choose them because I suspect it might provide too large an edge to the human player and thereby detract from the value of any achievement one might experience. Imagine skipping the early policies, waiting for modern era and filling out an entire tree, like order, or freedom.

 

[Seabastian Civ]

Sacrificial Captives: 23 (+1) Maybe the most fun UA. Killing units with Honor complete is extremely gratifying. Makes going Honor first completely viable.
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 7 (-2) Least enjoyable UA left.
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 22
Great Andean Road: 29
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 24
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 22
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 24
River Warlord: 19

 

[seasnake]

Manifest Destiny: As I said before, +1 sight is nice, cheap tiles are kind of lame (they are not so costly, it is an ability used 3-5 times in a game). I can't compare this UA to other wonderful ones like Achaemenid Legacy and Phoenician Heritage, it seems quite bad compared to them. Not a bad UA, but for me, the worst left in here.

If you're only using it 3-5 times you're doing it wrong. With America you can settle in a spot and quickly buy and immediately work a ton of tiles in your city radius, it saves you several early turns before you can enjoy the benefits of more productive, workable tiles.

 

[ArnoldI]

Sacrificial Captives: 23
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 5 (-2) Poor, too much boring and don't fit to me.
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 22
Great Andean Road: 29
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 24
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 18
Father Governs Children: 22
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 24
River Warlord: 20 (+1) If well played, give you tons of money and, consequently an incredible edge on the early game only with barbs and in the rest with well managed victories.

 

[Tabarnak]

Sacrificial Captives: 23
Ingenuity: 17
Phoenician Heritage: 24
Art of War: 24
Monument Builders: 5
Sun Never Sets: 25
Ancien Regime: 21
Hellenic League: 23
Great Andean Road: 29
Scholars of the Jade Hall: 23
Dutch East India Company: 24
Achaemenid Legacy: 30
The Glory of Rome: 28
Siberian Riches: 16
Father Governs Children: 22
Seven Cities of Gold: 12
Nobel Prize: 24
River Warlord: 20

Hellenic League : When you steal your first worker from a cs you can reduce unhappy factor twice faster too, making the possibility to ally this cs sooner than later. If you ally some cs pretty early in the game it can saves you quite a nice bunch of gold through the game.

Siberian Riches : I have found lands where there is few or no horses tiles AND iron Ranged units rules in GnK making extra ressources almost always useless excepted for extra gpt and hammers in the beginning.

 

[kamikazees]

Don't understand why do people whine about social policy timing fails when there is the option "Allow Policy Saving"

I try not to tailor the rules to my advantage. Barbarians are also annoying but I don't turn them off!

 

[Seabastian Civ]

If you're only using it 3-5 times you're doing it wrong. With America you can settle in a spot and quickly buy and immediately work a ton of tiles in your city radius, it saves you several early turns before you can enjoy the benefits of more productive, workable tiles.

When I play America I find two good uses for the buying tiles. 1) Settle early near a city state, buy tiles to take "their" natural wonder. 2) Settle near a mountain pass, buy tiles to capture the pass.

Other than that, the tiles are too expensive to buy massive amounts. I usually only need to rush buy tiles when settling my first 4 cities, and during that time cash is always in short supply. Interest doesn't accrue in Civ, so if I have money, I spend it. If a luxury is in my second ring, I will just let the borders naturally expand there. If it is in the third ring, I may buy it, but only if the cost justifies the happy. I'm content to sit at 0-3 happy and let that 30-50 gold sit in my account, working toward buying a settler, worker, or shrine.

How does one have enough money to buy tile after tile? Am I doing something wrong?