What's the best use of early Pyramids?

[1889]

For my second BtS game I'm playing Ragnar on prince level.

I don't usually build wonders unless I'm industrious and my plan for Ragnar was to be a warmonger not abuilder, but my capitol had stone, lots of forests and hills so I thought I'd build Pyramids.

I was thinking of using Police State to help in my first war. What are some other ways to get good value out of an early Pyramid build?

 

[Chiyochan]

the pyramids allows representation, giving you some happiness and an edge in technology.

 

[Petros]

If you go to Representation early on then you don't need to worry about happiness so you can have big cities, and additionally, you get a tech boost if you have many specialists.

 

[Bast]

Representation. For sure.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

Representation for the +3

Think about it: In order for rep to be better at fighting unhappiness than police state, you need at least 6 worth of WW in your big cities, which would be a sign things aren't going well. Plus it's cheaper than police state, and gives you more research if you're running specialists (not bloody likely if you're using Ragnar, but still.)

 

[Spearthrower]

Pretty much any of them are better than the barbarism civic..... personally I normally go for Representation as it lets me grow my main cities quickly.

Early police state is not massively important in my eyes unless you really plan to stay at war for a considerable time.... the first war is likely to be short and over quickly, so the WW reduction isn't so important although saving a few turns producing those axes is helpful... but consider how many turns of anarchy you also spend going first Police State then Representation.... and finally late game going Universal Suffrage and consider if it is still worth it just to build a few axemen earlier! I'd prefer just to chop/whip them.

 

[Bast]

Actually. I've seen AI switch to Police State after getting Pyramids. Now, ok it was Shaka and he was at war but still.

 

[jerVL/kg]

Actually. I've seen AI switch to Police State after getting Pyramids. Now, ok it was Shaka and he was at war but still.

The AI will always switch to its favorite civic as soon as it becomes available. If Asoka built the 'mids, for instance, he would switch to Universal Suffrage.

Whenever I build the 'Mids, 95% of the time its for early Representation. Occasionally I'll use Police State, if I get boxed in and need the hammer boost to expand militarily. If I'm running a serious CE, I'll sometimes switch to Universal Suffrage long before getting Democracy, but US is a pretty bad civic to run in the BC's. (And getting the Pyramids solely for Hereditary Rule is pointless, with Monarchy so close.)

 

[gettingfat]

Representation, of course.

But if I play spiritual leader, has enough happiness resources, and hasn't over-expanded, running police state once in a while just to build military units is not a bad idea.

 

[Öjevind Lång]

Representation, of course.

But if I play spiritual leader, has enough happiness resources, and hasn't over-expanded, running police state once in a while just to build military units is not a bad idea.

Yes, but Representation does wonders for happiness and research. If you have Stone or get Masonry early, go for the Pyramids. They are one of the few Wonders that are truly worth a gamble.

 

[mboettcher]

rep is very powerful early, but this also gives u an early engineer which gives another wonder! Also u dont have to hurry to monarchy to get adecent gov to comtrol happiness which lets u war early (which in my opinion is one of the few ways u can survive early is to make money on war, dman comp gets ahead so fast on higher levels). Plus if u spiritual u can go to war make money on sacking cities, switch to suffrage and buy more buildings/units, switch back to monarchy/rep and keep fighting. Pyramids best wonder.

 

[Underdawg]

Early rep is huge.

Whip 3 libraries in cities with 1-2 bonus food resources and then run 2 scientists each for 12 beakers in each city for 36 beakers from those scientists alone! Plus, pop an early GS for an academy.

And of course, as mboettcher said, the early engineer will net you another wonder!

 

[Carnage04]

Yeah, the 3 smiley faces for representation are good enough....the extra 3 beakers per specialist is great early on. If you can even pull off 3 specialists in your Empire that is 9 base beakers a turn (from rep...not to mention whatever else you get)....that's a lot when you are talking about techs that cost 100-400 beakers.

 

[jackdog]

I can't believe you build pyramids as an after thought, cos it was there.....

If you can get it its one of the most important wonders, as people have said. If poss you should always build it, even without industrious if you think you stand a chance, chop it whip it steal it but try and get it. Its hard at higher levels as the AI's want it and expensive but if you think you can, get it.

 

[Underdawg]

I can't believe you build pyramids as an after thought, cos it was there.....

If you can get it its one of the most important wonders, as people have said. If poss you should always build it, even without industrious if you think you stand a chance, chop it whip it steal it but try and get it. Its hard at higher levels as the AI's want it and expensive but if you think you can, get it.

No, you shouldn't.... 500/750/1500 hammers is huge (that is 5 settlers, 14-21 axemen, 12-18 Swordsmen, etc, etc. I would only build it if I have either a) stone b) industrious c) both and d) if I have a ton of forests near my capital and I have done most of my early expanding, peacefully or not.

 

[Spearthrower]

The only addition I'd add to Underdawg's post is that if I am playing Spiritual - I also make a damn good crack at getting it.

Aside from those caveats, getting it because its there is not strategy.

 

[futurehermit]

Pyramids are great. Representation-enhanced scientists can really fuel your early research and the early happiness allows for larger cities earlier and allows you to divert your research from monarchy to something else (this is really important and shouldn't be overlooked. being able to go for say currency-col instead of monarchy can be a huge deal).

if i'm spiritual i will switch into police state immediately after getting the 'mids to crank out military. this can offset the cost of pyramids somewhat helping you recoup your "lost" military production. then slap it into representation once troops are built and away you go.

edit: the op was correct to build the pyramids. if you have stone in your capital you should definitely build the pyramids. when i have stone in my capital i will always build stonehenge/gw/pyramids/hgardens. very useful quartet of wonders. not to mention besides the pyramids they are all dirt cheap with stone.

 

[1889]

Thanks for the tips. Decided my war could wait. Got the Pyramids, went representation and used the engineer on the library.

 

[vilemerchant]

Early rep is huge.

Whip 3 libraries in cities with 1-2 bonus food resources and then run 2 scientists each for 12 beakers in each city for 36 beakers from those scientists alone! Plus, pop an early GS for an academy.

And of course, as mboettcher said, the early engineer will net you another wonder!

And a great use for that engineer is The Parthenon to really pump out the GPs from all those specialists you'll be running.

 

[KMadCandy]

Actually. I've seen AI switch to Police State after getting Pyramids. Now, ok it was Shaka and he was at war but still.

i use them for Rep. but the first time i ever used Police State, it was through the pyramids (Nappy had kindly built them for me), before i even had the pre-reqs to the pre-reqs (repeat over and over) for the civic itself. obviously i don't warmonger that often. it was too fun! i sure giggled when i changed to the PS civic, and i told hubby i was "pulling a Shaka" since it's so his signature move. second time i used PS state was thru pyramids, ages away from the tech as well. that warmongering thing is fun when i'm in the mood, and quite powerful, i can kinda see why some folks default to that approach .