What is *your* most important strategic resource?

[elohssa]

I like ivory. Elephants come at a good time when a lot of good land is already taken. They will kill anything if you get the momentum going. Only rifles stop them.

 

[Grimith]

Considering the rarity of marble, I'd rather have that guaranteed close to my capital than any of the others. The power to screw over the AI's tech rate and culture spam by peacefully building the wonders they'd otherwise hoard is something I very much enjoy. You're not screwing me over with the Sistine Chapel, Immortal Willem!

If I were playing a competitive multiplayer game, though? Hahalolno, taking horses.

 

[Htadus]

Considering the rarity of marble, I'd rather have that guaranteed close to my capital than any of the others. The power to screw over the AI's tech rate and culture spam by peacefully building the wonders they'd otherwise hoard is something I very much enjoy. You're not screwing me over with the Sistine Chapel, Immortal Willem!

Would you feel the same way if Monti and JC spawned next door (and to make it worst has each's own religion)?

 

[Grimith]

Haha. If Montezuma and Julius Caesar were my closest neighbors, and they became the best of friends through the power of religion, then - rather than enjoy the power of marble - I'd sob profusely while waiting for the inevitable mercy killing. I'm sure they'd be good little AI warmongers, too, and each show up at my doorstep before turn fifty with lol just thinking of how much we wanted to dagger you stacks. And I'd say, "Well. That's great. You know, I've fortified some archers here behind these hill city walls, but the effort's already crippled my infrastructure, so why don't I just roll a new map?" We'd all laugh, they'd pillage my city, and that would be that.

Still, I'd rather have the marble guaranteed. It's part of my preferred playstyle.

 

[RD-BH]

I was gonna say "thumbs", but not in the poll.
... I'll go with iron (macemen, knights, cannons, etc)
... seems more versatile than copper

Gotta say, stone and marble (copper, too) work good in peaceful games
... not sure if that makes 'em strategic, though

 

[Pisskop]

Well... A good techer and a generous gifter could befriend such a coalition of mongers... dow religion and accept a temp -1 hit with the other. Right before theology hits mainstream, so you hopefully can plop down the ap, ensuring some level of control of the other... Never seen runaway Caeser, but I have spoonfed Monty into guns.

Successful warmonger gun-Monty is not pretty, and if evdrybody got upset over (irl) Mao and Stalin 'whipping' their nation into a new civic... Eternal Monty of Azteca would be a civil rights nightmare.

 

[Htadus]

Opps I forgot to include Izzy to the crowd.

@Grimith. That is hilarious.

@RD-BH

Maces does not need Iron, copper is plenty good for them and they have plenty of time to get your Iron from nearest owner of the source.

 

[MilesBeyond]

Probably Iron, it seems the most versatile. It gives you quite a few units that Copper doesn't, such as Pikemen, Crossbowmen, Frigates and, more importantly, Cannons. It's also required for Cuirs and Knights, but I'm not sure if this is a "just pick one resource" or not. If it is, then that's another strike against Horses because it means you can't get anything between HAs and Cavalry.

I suppose the other option is to pick Uranium and just turtle up with Archers and their upgrades until the Modern era.

EDIT: This could actually be an interesting option for an MP map. Everyone pick one strategic resource that they'll get, WB it so that it shows up exclusively.

 

[Skallagrimson]

I love making the AI "pay the IRON price".

 

[lymond]

I love making the AI "pay the IRON price".

I prefer the Dothraki way

 

[CocoIsKing28]

I like:
A) Iron, for my military (Knights, curs, cannons, frigates, pikes, praets, etc.)
B) Stone, for my pyramids, and an early source of hammers
C) Marble, for most other wonders and an early source of hammers and commerce.

 

[EnglishEdward]

one strategic resource close to your capital

I mostly play SP Huge Lakes Monarch.

So I vote
"1st = Copper.
"2nd = Horses"

My usual strategy is (Mining) BW + Chop

By the time I have Iron Working, I will likely have a second city and/or settler.

Although if nearby pigs or cows and not mining, I might go first AH in which Horses would be better.

Stone is also nice for Stonehenge and Great Wall.

 

[Ramesses-Rules]

Horsies! Give me War Chariots out of Thebes and I'm in business.

 

[Um the Muse]

Are we talking about knowing what the resource is that we start with? If you know beforehand, then horses are the most powerful. I cheerfully admit it. I would probably go with iron, though, since I don't care for rushes. I'm fine with using archers until iron.

If not, I would go with stone, hopefully on a hill. I like having something for trade-bait from the beginning and I somehow never build marble wonders on higher difficulties.

 

[MaximumPain]

Horses followed closely by Copper.
Chariots are easy to get.
Horse archers are not hard if you go for them.
If you have both... look out!

The other resources can be acquired by your superior military strength if you start planning to take them the moment you find out your empire doesn't have iron, aluminum, coal, oil, or uranium. For that matter all those happiness resources can be conquered as well.

 

[Leathaface]

Why do people value Iron so much over Copper? With copper you can get Axeman.

I can understand how Iron can be more valuable, but the gap in the poll is very big.

 

[MaximumPain]

Why do people value Iron so much over Copper? With copper you can get Axeman.

I can understand how Iron can be more valuable, but the gap in the poll is very big.

Yeah and with Ax men (or chariots) you can get that iron... usually anyway.

Im playing a game as Shaka right now where I have no copper (well had no copper now I do have copper and Hannibal no longer exists ). I rushed horseback riding ASAP (as in after the needed econ techs and my abillity to chop) and I am stomping the world. Even on the way there I built a bunch of Chariots and stomped Kubli Kahn.

Iron is great but by the time you really need it you had plenty of time to go take it from some other poor bastard.

 

[Owfin]

Copper. When I find out I don't have copper, that means that I need to seek out the other military techs pronto. Copper comes with a tech that I would want for non military purposes too, and if I have copper I can focus a little more on peaceful techs because I know my defense will be OK.

 

[MilesBeyond]

Why do people value Iron so much over Copper? With copper you can get Axeman.

I can understand how Iron can be more valuable, but the gap in the poll is very big.

I think it's assuming you can only have ONE resource. If that's the case, iron is obviously significantly more valuable than copper.

 

[UnforcedError]

I think it's assuming you can only have ONE resource. If that's the case, iron is obviously significantly more valuable than copper.

I assumed the poll was about the strat resource you want to have in your first city's BFC. And that's definitely not iron for me. Give me horse and I will get iron in no time.