What is your Build Order at Start ?

[SinisterDeath]

I understand people play different civs so there will be different answers for this question. However, on Monarch I have found great success in the early game by forgoing the warriors and instead building a granary or temple (depending on my civ of course), or even a barracks.

What I would like from fellow civ fanatics and those of you that choose to respond to this thread is your "ideal or approximate" build order that you try to use in every game you play for your FIRST 5+ BUILDS (not turns). Please list them in this format for example...

1. First thing you build
2. Second thing you build
3. Third thing you build
4. Fourth thing you build
5. Fifth thing you build.

Also please indicate what level you play on. I feel some newbies may build the "wrong" thing off the start, and I find that the start is one of the most critical parts of the game, and a good start is very important especially at higher levels. Also indicate why you use this order, and the reasoning behind it.

I usually build a granary as soon as I can so that my population in the capital increases in half the time which I think is very important to making settler factories and having a good base of production.

Your input is appreciated.

 

[Crowpocalyptic1]

Depends on what level I'm playing and who I'm playing as. I like to pop out a Spearman, a Settler and the Pyramids. On higher levels, I don't bother trying for the Pyramids, though.

 

[Grohan]

1.Warrior
2.Warrior
3.Warrior (for guarding)
4.Granary
5.Settler

But if I'am playing expanionist civ then I build scouts instead of warriors.
Sometimes I build more warriors if map is big.

EDIT:I'm warlord player.

 

[Gainy]

It would depend on the terrain/surrounding luxuries. If it were just 2 bonus grassland without any Luxuries, then it would go like this...

1. Scout
2. Warrior
3. Scout
4. Scout
5. Settler

That's on Emporer level btw, and when i'm an Expansionist Civ on a Pangaea map.

I would then build a granary, and chop some nearby forests to hurry it - if there were any.
Hope that helps

 

[Tassadar]

1.-warrior

2.-warrior

3.- warrior or spearman, depending if i have a food bonus or not, if i have a food bonus, i will irrigate it and built a warrior, but if my capital is stuck at +2 food, then it is a spearman.

4.- settler, this second city will provide the military or if it got a food bonus settler.

5.- granery into capital or the food bonus city.


So with those 2 city, 1 with a food bonus and a granery to produce settler and worker, and the other to produce military, i can settle my land pretty well, even on emperor.

The key factor, is the food bonus tile ( irrigated please)+granery.

 

[ShiplordAtvar]

Chieftan/Warlord

(first priority/second priority)

1. scout/warrior - explore
2. scout/warrior - explore
3. spearman/warrior - defend
4. settler - new city
5. spearman/warrior - defend

 

[Chieftess]

warrior->warrior->warrior->settler->granary.

Lately, I've been building my granary after the first settler to build more workers/settlers while the granary's being built. If I'm expansionist, I replace the first 2 warriors with scouts. On lower levels, you could take out the 3rd warrior. If I'm industrious, and I have GREAT terrain (grassland, 1 cattle, 1 wheat (1 cattle if I'm agr.), 3 bonus grassland tiles), then I might build a granary first. If I'm agricultural, I'll build a settler first.

 

[SinisterDeath]

Why do you need great terrain to build a granary first? Doesn't it make sense in relation to growing your pop? I have not built warriors on purpose, if I don't see any goody huts or other civs, then I skip the warrior(s) and start on the granary right away.

 

[ducki]

Mostly at Emperor level lately, but this worked well on Monarch also.

1. Warrior
2. Worker
3. Warrior(or Granary)
4. Granary(or Warrior)
5. Settler(or Warrior)

If the terrain is bad, I'd rather not waste shields on the granary and use a town with better terrain for pumping out settlers. If the terrain is good, I'd just as soon have my capitol get the head start a Granary grants.

If the first border jump will pop a hut and I'm not expansionist, I'll postpone military and make a worker instead - you never get barbs if you have no military, and at Emperor, it sure is nice to not get barbarians from a hut. Rare, but nice.

I used to be a strict Warrior-Warrior-Settler or Warrior-Warrior-Granary-Settler player, but I'd rather use the lux slider than a garrison if I can.

Oh, and if expansionist, 1-2 Scouts in the first 5 turns and another 1-2 in the next 10 or 20. Depending on mapsize and flatness.

 

[HamaticBabylon]

It really depends on the Difficulty level i'm playing, once babylon is founded in 4000 B.C i usally follow this formation.

1.Spearman
2.spearman
3.Worrier for exploring
4.settler
5.try for the hanging gardens or great Library ...

 

[truckingpete]

1.Warrior
2.Warrior
3.Settler
4.Warrior
5.Warrior

 

[meef]

multiplayer ( diff: regent )

1. warrior
2. warrior ( both scouting )
3. warrior
4. warrior ( both for avoiding disorders )
5. granary
6. settler
7. spearman
8. settler

and so on

if i got bonus food, like wheat, cattle or flood plains, i build no granary

why do some of you build a settler before the granary ? it avoids paying unit costs, but then, your capital has only 1 pop again.
you research much faster while building a granary, and can get 1 more tech at the beginning, for trading etc.

 

[Capt Buttkick]

Usually I've been doing this on emperor:
1) Warrior
2) Warrior
3) Settler (or granary depending on food prod.)

In my next game however, I'll go with the agr trait, make sure I get fresh water and then try this:
1) Settler
2) Settler
3) Settler

 

[SinisterDeath]

Wow, I'm impressed, you guys seem to know your stuff, and I agree with Meef on the research idea. You research more and you can get a "bonus" tech by building the granary and keeping people around to work the tiles around your capital. For the record my build order is usually.

1. Granary
2. Warrior/Spearman (I build spearmen as soon as I can)
3. Settler
4. Worker
5. Barracks (to get veteran units in case I want a quick attack on my neighbour)

 

[jb1964]

Variations of a theme.

Explore the world (scouts, warriors)
Expand your empire (granery, settlers, workers)
Protect what's valuable (warriors, spearmen, barracks)

I used to hate building warriors because I saw them as weak and worthless. But they are a low cost way of exploring (huts and AA tech trades are always very valuable), defending against barbs and can be upgraded to swordsmen. Very versatile and needed early in the game. However, I still like to have one spearman in each city.

I go for granery as soon as is feasible to pump settlers. If I don't start with pottery it is always the first thing I research. I guess I see expansion as my number one priority.

After granery I try and get barracks because 25% more hit points on all your units is a nice advantage.

Micromanage your workers and the tiles worked in your city to prevent wasted shields and/or maximize food/population growth.

After I get my inner ring I usually automate the cities to some degree but not the workers. The AI just does too many stupid things with workers.

 

[Qitai]

Sid.

1. Warrior (if contact is crucial) or settler (if nearby has good/better food terrian compared to capital) or Granary (often rushed when it reach 40 shield).
2. Warrior (as above) or Granary(if not builded yet) or settler (if more good food terrian or after ganary is builded)
3. Granary (if not build yet) or Settler
4. Worker (if pop grows too fast or first worker cannot road fast enough) or Settler
5. Settler
6. Settler
7. Settler
8. Settler
9. Settler
10. Settler

 

[ducki]

@Meef -

if i got bonus food, like wheat, cattle or flood plains, i build no granary

Actually, if you have bonus food, you are far better off with a granary. If you can get +5 food per turn, the only way to get 4-turn settlers is with a granary.

If you have cruddy tiles and no bonus food, the granary is less valuable - I know it sounds counterintuitive, but it's true. The granary effectively doubles your food surplus. 2 * 2 is 4, but 2 * 5 is 10. Low food, high/average shield sites are better served with a barracks and cranking out troops. High food, average shield sites are prime candidates for a settler pump and 4-turn settlers are the bee's knees.

 

[WarLust]

Mine is similar to Chieftess' order:

1. Warrior
2. Warrior
3. Warrior or Settler depending on food bonus
4. Granary
5. Settler

I never research pottery. Usually one of the first goody huts will give you pottery even for non-expansion civs or I can most often trade for it.

 

[Ville]

Warrior/Scout
Warrior/Scout
Settler
Warrior
Granary

 

[meef]

@ ducki

hmm, i didn't yet think about it. normally, i built spearmen / settler / spearmen / settler in every city.
but your idea sounds pretty great, i will give it a try and see whether that works better.