What Leaders Should I Pick?
- Thread starter CampRadio
- Start date
The ones I chooseAll Random
niels251
Warlord
Darius from persia
niels251
Warlord
what kind of play style are you thinking of?
If you want war>>> Boudica
Large empire>>> Darius
Etc.
If you want war>>> Boudica
Large empire>>> Darius
Etc.
It totally depends on how what your style of play is but I would second darius for a cottage economy and very early war. Those immortals are enough to wipe out an AI very early, if you get them very quickly and build nothing but them. Like current game only built 2 cities, after getting great wall built nothing but immortals and took out an AI, now have 10 cities.
Elizabeth is good also, get to rifling as quickly as you can without being wiped out, and well before anyone else, build nothing but rifles and then kick some serious AI butt.
Elizabeth is good also, get to rifling as quickly as you can without being wiped out, and well before anyone else, build nothing but rifles and then kick some serious AI butt.
thelibra
Future World Dictator
I highly recommend Random, and then play the first location you land in without regen. It's made my games a lot more fun. I don't spend a precious hour re-genning the map till I see something I like, and I don't stress about getting a "crappy" leader. I've just started assuming that each leader has their own merits, and if I haven't learned to exploit those merits to their fullest extent, then I just haven't learned enough yet.
But moreover, playing on Random also forces you to learn how your opponents will play. If you only ever play civs that fit your preconceived strategies, then you'll only ever be good playing against those types of civs. For instance, my war game suffered considerably from the fact I only played builder and gold civs for the longest time. Now that I play random, and am forced to try and survive with someone like, say, Hapshepsut, in a godsforsaken tundra, while surrounded by Monty, Raggy, and Izzy, it really teaches you to use every possible resource at your disposal to the best of its ability.
Anyway, that's how I roll.
But moreover, playing on Random also forces you to learn how your opponents will play. If you only ever play civs that fit your preconceived strategies, then you'll only ever be good playing against those types of civs. For instance, my war game suffered considerably from the fact I only played builder and gold civs for the longest time. Now that I play random, and am forced to try and survive with someone like, say, Hapshepsut, in a godsforsaken tundra, while surrounded by Monty, Raggy, and Izzy, it really teaches you to use every possible resource at your disposal to the best of its ability.
Anyway, that's how I roll.
Emperor Giulio
King
If you like building wonders, I suggest you pick a charismatic leader, they get a great production discount on great wonder production turns.
Supr49er
2011 Thunderfall Cup
Try playing them all. You may find a leader that really blends well with your style. I always play against random leaders.
thelibra
Future World Dictator
They do???
Is there a list of these bennies somewhere? I'd love to put this extra knowledge to use.
Emperor Giulio
King
They do???
Is there a list of these bennies somewhere? I'd love to put this extra knowledge to use.
when you are setting up a game, after you pick you empire, put your cursor over the leader's icon, then a box will pop up and explain their characteristics.
Scaramanga
Brickhead
Choose the one you feel looks most like yourself 
.
.Two words: Huayna Capac.
There are plently of great leaders, but as you're learning the game I think this is your best leader to go with. The stradegy is pretty solid for early learning:
On first turn if you have mulitple tiles that can be improved with farms (you start with agriculture) then make a worker, then grow to ~3 population, then make a settler, then stonehenge as your population goes to ~5.
Research polytheism first to nail founding hindu in your capital. From there, you can try and land judaism by going masonry then monothesim. You can normally get both of these founded in your capital for huge cash gain later in the game (while giving you organized religion for +25%
for stonehenge and every building after that). Then start snagging all the techs to open up metal casting (wheel, potery, bronze working) and also priesthood to allow you to create the oracle.
If you don't want to go for judaism, just start picking up techs that you need to improve the area around your capital and then get ready for metal casting / the oracle.
After you finish stonehenge and have all the techs for oracle and metal casting, create the oracle in your capital. Normally you can get priesthood before bronze working or potery and finish the oracle a few turns after you finish getting the techs for metal casting. When the oracle is built you use the free technology you get from it to get metal casting and have a huge advantage early in production.
Now you're basically set to get two great prophets in a row from your capital which you use to build the hinda shrine and jewish shrine for massive money to fund expansion while keeping your research slider high.
Later in the game you can build wallstreet in your capital (and found your corporations there) and have a HUGE cash making machine.
-----------------------
In addition to having industrious / financial as the Incans, you start with your special unit which has +100% vs archers and combat I. This allows you to skip some military techs early on and muscle your neighbor if they are using archers. It's not a perfect strat and can obviously be tweaked based on your starting location, but it's a great way to get an early lead.
There are plently of great leaders, but as you're learning the game I think this is your best leader to go with. The stradegy is pretty solid for early learning:
On first turn if you have mulitple tiles that can be improved with farms (you start with agriculture) then make a worker, then grow to ~3 population, then make a settler, then stonehenge as your population goes to ~5.
Research polytheism first to nail founding hindu in your capital. From there, you can try and land judaism by going masonry then monothesim. You can normally get both of these founded in your capital for huge cash gain later in the game (while giving you organized religion for +25%
for stonehenge and every building after that). Then start snagging all the techs to open up metal casting (wheel, potery, bronze working) and also priesthood to allow you to create the oracle.If you don't want to go for judaism, just start picking up techs that you need to improve the area around your capital and then get ready for metal casting / the oracle.
After you finish stonehenge and have all the techs for oracle and metal casting, create the oracle in your capital. Normally you can get priesthood before bronze working or potery and finish the oracle a few turns after you finish getting the techs for metal casting. When the oracle is built you use the free technology you get from it to get metal casting and have a huge advantage early in production.
Now you're basically set to get two great prophets in a row from your capital which you use to build the hinda shrine and jewish shrine for massive money to fund expansion while keeping your research slider high.
Later in the game you can build wallstreet in your capital (and found your corporations there) and have a HUGE cash making machine.
-----------------------
In addition to having industrious / financial as the Incans, you start with your special unit which has +100% vs archers and combat I. This allows you to skip some military techs early on and muscle your neighbor if they are using archers. It's not a perfect strat and can obviously be tweaked based on your starting location, but it's a great way to get an early lead.
Silence101
King
Pericles is the man.
But I agree... it depends on the game type you want to play. And personally, this is a little off topic, but I'm a big fan of map regeneration!
But I agree... it depends on the game type you want to play. And personally, this is a little off topic, but I'm a big fan of map regeneration!
Emperor Giulio
King
Choose the one you feel looks most like yourself
People should also choose Buddica because shes hot, also Isabelle. lol
J/K don't want to derail the thread.
BalbanesBeoulve
Emperor
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
- Messages
- 1,060
Ragnar if you want to wage some war while you outtech everyone.
bluedevil99
Warlord
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
- Messages
- 139
Darius and Huayana are probably the easiest leaders to play. I've won Domination, Cultural, Space, and Diplo on Monarch with both. The Financial trait is extremely flexible. Early UUs also make it easier to rush, REX, or grab an early wonder or two (the former is obvious, the latter two b/c you don't need as many units for an effective defense.
This does NOT mean they are the "best" leaders. Once get good at using specialists, managing civics, etc., traits like Philosophical, Spiritual, or Industrious can be BETTER than financial. And difficulty matters a lot; I've won several games on Monarch doing almost exactly what FlatFeet describes above, but was having a much harder time with it on Emperor and up. But for a beginning to intermediate level player Darius and Huayana are hard to beat.
This does NOT mean they are the "best" leaders. Once get good at using specialists, managing civics, etc., traits like Philosophical, Spiritual, or Industrious can be BETTER than financial. And difficulty matters a lot; I've won several games on Monarch doing almost exactly what FlatFeet describes above, but was having a much harder time with it on Emperor and up. But for a beginning to intermediate level player Darius and Huayana are hard to beat.
Diamondeye
So Happy I Could Die
Depends on playing style, but Mansa Musa and Willem Van Oranje are solid choices.
I like Justinian
What about Shaka if you want wage war???