Vote the best Leaders, choose your top 3.

Vote the best Leaders, choose your top 3.


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Just your favourite leaders for any reason at all. Ones you like to play as or just enjoy in overall. Best beards if you like :)
Ok. My votes in the poll go for the strongest Leader & his/her Civ.

1, Barbarossa
. One bonus district allows me to pursuit every victory type and still have amenities, culture, science, whatever I need. Hansa is frosting on the cake, because production is king, and bonus district providing it is great.
2, Qin Shi Huang. His ability to spam every early game wonder is incredible. 60% Eureka and Inspiration is decent. With faster techs and policies and with bonuses of early game wonders, you'll get mid game wonders sooner, so you can build them before anyone else. And with the help of Eurekas, Inspirations, mid and early game wonders, you'll get late game wonders sooner. China is incredible snowballing Civ.
3, Peter the Great. More lands = saved money and culture. And luxuries and strategic resources almost immediately. Faith and production from tundra tiles means there isn't place where you wouldn't want to settle. Bonus science and culture from trade routes to more advanced civs is good.

But here are some other lists...

Best real world rulers:
1, Pedro II
2, Cyrus the Great
3, Peter the Great

Best leader depiction:
1, Cyrus the Great
2, Saladin
3, Gorgo

Best beards (you proposed that, so I couldn't resist :D):
(The real winner of any beard list is Pedro II's mighty beard from Civ V. That means the first place in the following list is second, second place is third and third place is fourth.)
1, Pedro II
2, Pericles
3, Gilgamesh
 
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Hes my most played nation, double merchant/theater points, he just gobbles up all the merchants/writers... 12 food 12 production 24 gold archaeological museums, 5 slot palace for another potential 10 food 10 production 20 gold, amazing earlier neighborhoods that also provide food/gold and are 50% cheaper to build, useful unique unit which lays waste to early game archer/cities and is great on the defense with jungle/tree movement bonus. And as an added bonus can't fall into the religion trap! This singly makes AI Kongo up there with the strongest AI, a deity Kongo runaway is a huge threat. My quickest science/culture wins are playing as Kongo, other than non stop conquest games.

My second most played is Australia, just all around very useful bonuses. Hes my second go to civ.

Third i picked Aztecs, I normally play as Kongo/Australia as I don't like to war very often, but the games I played as Aztecs I absolutely wrecked.
I'll be back to give Mvemba another shot; I had an absolutely appalling start location with very little jungle and much of it already being hoarded by my next door neighbor, Brazil. I can see how sculptures, relics, and artifacts could make Kongo a powerhouse; I never got far enough to earn any before Brazil DoW'd me the turn our DoF expired. :p

I totally agree about Cleopatra she's my spirit animal. :egypt:

I'm surprised about Catherine though, I like playing as her as well but I have only began focusing on her recently and I'm not very good. I feel like no one else plays her, or if they do, they're very quiet about it. Do you bother with a religion? This is something that drives me crazy, I can't decide whether it's a red herring or not. She has no inherent bonus toward getting one so it's a huge investment, but at the same time she has so much to gain from founding one, and she hasn't got anything else she really needs to focus on early unless she's boxed in of course. If you've not founded one there isn't a useful policy wonder until Industrial unless you happen to have a lot of lakes. This also has me wondering if maybe it's best to focus on science first to get to Forbidden Palace, then start focusing on culture. What do you think??

Also, do you find you start out next to natural wonder often with her?
I'm probably not the best person for strategy advice since I play on Chieftain. ;) I haven't played any leader twice (except Qin Shi Huang sort of--I started but didn't finish my first Qin Shi Huang game, so I ended up playing him again to the finish), but my game as Catherine is one of only two in memory where I just snowballed out of all control (the other being my Frederick game). Part of it was a perfect start location: I started on the northwest corner of the sea with no other civ north of the sea, giving me huge opportunity to expand peacefully without competition. I agree that Catherine has a lot to gain from religion, be it the faith from wonders belief (which the AI always seems to take first) or the purchase theater and campus buildings with faith, etc. I think beelining for the Forbidden Palace is always a sound strategy, and CdM does get her wonder bonus to build it. Plus science is actually pretty integral for a culture victory, between Printing, Radio, and Computers.
 
I chose the leaders I find most fun in playing: Saladin, Harald and Philip.

Next on the list would be Fred, Cleo and Catherine.
 
Just your favourite leaders for any reason at all. Ones you like to play as or just enjoy in overall. Best beards if you like :)

Gotcha. :). My favorite leaders to use are the ones that make me feel empowered and can adapt to many map types. I like to control my own destiny. The only exceptions are the brainless but oh so powerful ones like Tomyris and Gilgamesh. I won't be using them very often.

Trajan - Rome is a great Civ in this game, period. Their early cities mature very quickly and they have a great Classical rush with Legions that cut through cities like scissors through wet paper bags. They can grow and stay happy thanks to the baths. A wide, sprawling empire is what I enjoy. Trajan's column is one of the better Unique Civ Abilities.

Barbarossa - I really enjoy district planning, and Freddy rewards the player with one of the best empires if done correctly. We all know about the extra district, which drives Germany's versatility, and the Hansa, which is the best Unique Infrastructure in the game. The Holy Roman Emperor's extra policy slot is nice, and I was taking Jeruselam anyways--don't mind if I take an extra 7 combat strength for that.

Cleopatra - Kind of a dark horse here...in a recent Egypt game I found out how strong the Chariot Archers really are. Take the right side of the promotion line and then the opposition's cities. Stay on flat land with them and even the AI's unit spam cannot save them. I believe they have a river bias--good, because starting without one just flat out sucks (Hi England). Bonus wonder and district production along rivers only? Fine, that's where most of them get built anyways. Easy adjustment to reap the benefits. +4 gold per ITR isn't the best, but I can fund my Chariots on demand if early gold is scarce. I'm interested in seeing if an alternate Egyptian leader emerges and what kind of leader bonus will be paired with the aforementioned bonuses. Plus I just love Egypt.
 
Cleopatra - Kind of a dark horse here...in a recent Egypt game I found out how strong the Chariot Archers really are. Take the right side of the promotion line and then the opposition's cities. Stay on flat land with them and even the AI's unit spam cannot save them. I believe they have a river bias--good, because starting without one just flat out sucks (Hi England). Bonus wonder and district production along rivers only? Fine, that's where most of them get built anyways. Easy adjustment to reap the benefits. +4 gold per ITR isn't the best, but I can fund my Chariots on demand if early gold is scarce. I'm interested in seeing if an alternate Egyptian leader emerges and what kind of leader bonus will be paired with the aforementioned bonuses. Plus I just love Egypt.
This is why I don't expect Hatshepsut: her biggest accomplishments were the expansion of Egyptian trade, so it seems her abilities would actually be very similar to Cleo's (actually more or less exactly what I proposed for Hatshepsut before Cleopatra was announced). Akhenaten, on the other hand, was a religious leader, civil reformer, and major builder, so they could do a lot of interesting things with him...
 
I chose just out of pure enjoyment, I went down the list thinking which ones do I hesitate over ignoring when I start a game. I hate OP civs but that's personal.
Qin, Hojo and Viv although Catherine does get an honourable mention, that early intelligence is very game changing.
 
This is my top 3 :

Trajan
rome is number one because of the free momument its so powerfull in the early game. The roman legion is olso a powerfull unit wich causes you to wage war in the early game withouth problem.
everything that has early advantages is pretty good because it can snowball.

Rome can settle new cities pretty fast and because of the free monument he doesn't need to invest in early theater squares and built other districts.

Any greece civ(except alexander)

The free wildcard policy slot is powerfull.

Poland

Becaue a military policy slot is changed to economic.


Greece and poland are powerfull because of the free policy slots in goverment it makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE
 
My overall favorite to play is Saladin but I voted just based on leader depiction and I think the best are Phillip, Vicky, and Teddy. I wouldn't have Spain or America anywhere close to the top in power rankings but their leaders are well designed and I enjoy having them around.
 
This is why I don't expect Hatshepsut: her biggest accomplishments were the expansion of Egyptian trade, so it seems her abilities would actually be very similar to Cleo's (actually more or less exactly what I proposed for Hatshepsut before Cleopatra was announced). Akhenaten, on the other hand, was a religious leader, civil reformer, and major builder, so they could do a lot of interesting things with him...

They clearly should go for Ramesses II if they opt for another Egyptian leader. Like in older Civs.
 
They clearly should go for Ramesses II if they opt for another Egyptian leader. Like in older Civs.
Eh, Ramesses II would just be another Qin Shi Huang; I'm not sure we need another wonder-coveting egomaniac. Besides, when you have 2000 years of history to draw from, why keep using the same pharaoh in every game? Akhenaten hasn't been depicted before, was definitely a big personality, was definitely a great pharaoh, and certainly has name-recognition factor (even if it's for the wrong reasons, as Tutankhamun's father--so sad that a man with so many accomplishments gets remembered for being the father of an utterly insignificant pharaoh who just happened to be lucky enough to not have his tomb plundered, mostly because everyone forgot he existed...).
 
I voted Mvemba a Nzinga (powerful builder with huge resource bonuses and GP generation), Gilgamesh (war carts), and Trajan (roads and legions; I personally hate having to slowly build up a trade network just to military rush enemies--far better than forward settling an enemy INSTANTLY gives you a road to use for strategically murdering your neighbors =D). Not having played Poland (whose leader UA relies too heavily on relics, which I generally don't like), I didn't vote for her though I have heard she is powerful. Australia is good but with the mines giving downgrades in appeal I haven't personally been able to use Australia in such a way that they feel top 3 powerful. I would say the third slot is a toss up between Tomyris and Trajan (Tomyris for the healing, Trajan for the roads and early culture/governments, which is huge).

Eh, Ramesses II would just be another Qin Shi Huang; I'm not sure we need another wonder-coveting egomaniac. Besides, when you have 2000 years of history to draw from, why keep using the same pharaoh in every game? Akhenaten hasn't been depicted before, was definitely a big personality, was definitely a great pharaoh, and certainly has name-recognition factor (even if it's for the wrong reasons, as Tutankhamun's father--so sad that a man with so many accomplishments gets remembered for being the father of an utterly insignificant pharaoh who just happened to be lucky enough to not have his tomb plundered, mostly because everyone forgot he existed...).
I agree on the need to put in a new pharaoh. But what accomplishments is Akhenaten known for, other than trying to reshape Egyptian religion to be monotheistic? While I guess he's recognized, he doesn't seem like a powerful or particularly successful Egyptian ruler to me. Tutankhamen was insignificant, yes, but perhaps because he was so young and didn't get to do much before his death. He did, however, return Egyptian religion to polytheism, which was widely welcomed.
 
I agree on the need to put in a new pharaoh. But what accomplishments is Akhenaten known for, other than trying to reshape Egyptian religion to be monotheistic? While I guess he's recognized, he doesn't seem like a powerful or particularly successful Egyptian ruler to me. Tutankhamen was insignificant, yes, but perhaps because he was so young and didn't get to do much before his death. He did, however, return Egyptian religion to polytheism, which was widely welcomed.
Aside from his religious reforms (which it should be noted were monolatrous, not monotheistic), Akhenaten built a new capital (Akhetaten), made sweeping civil reforms (which were rather unpopular because they cut out the incredibly powerful priests of Amun--but that's not necessarily a bad thing if you're not a priest of Amun ;) ), fostered a unique art style that was much more realistic than traditional highly codified Egyptian art, and sponsored a number of building reforms. Sadly his later years were less productive due to health problems and perhaps the loss of Nefertiti.

As for Tutankhamun, I wouldn't say he restored traditional Egyptian religion...I'd say that the priests of Amun used the fact that he was a nine-year-old boy when he took the throne to reinstate Egyptian polytheism and move the capital back to their cult headquarters in Memphis. ;) Sure, had Tutankhamun not died at nineteen maybe he would have done something worth remembering...though given his poor health, maybe not. Hatshepsut, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and Akhenaten's half-brother Amenhotep III (another interesting candidate for Egyptian leader, though I'd still rather have Akhenaten) were certainly the flower of the Eighteenth Dynasty; it was all downhill from there.

I wouldn't judge Akhenaten's reforms by the fact that they didn't outlive him: he had the misfortune to suffer from ill health in his declining years and to be succeeded by a child who was easily manipulated by the still-powerful and understandably resentful priesthood. Given how extremely conservative Egyptian society was, the fact that the Amarna reforms happened at all should be taken as a sign of just how powerful and charismatic Akhenaten was.
 
My choices:
1) Victoria. The Unique District is so very powerful. A triangle of Royal Navy Dockyard, Commercial district and City center give powerful bonuses, as well as 2 Trade routes. Her Unique unit is very Powerful, and getting a free one on other continents is amazing.
2) Frederick Barbarossa. The Hansa is very powerful, and at 1/2 cost, gives you more production. Triangle Hansa, Commercial District and Encampment (or add a city center) give production and gold bonus. The fact he gets an additional district, is even better.
3) Alexander. My most hated enemy. He has haunted me since V. But his ability of no war weariness makes the warmonger in me so very happy.
 
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