Which is your favorite starting resource?

[Thalassicus]

War elephants are countered quite nicely by spearmen. Same strength for both, but the pikeman costs a lot less.

When combined with axemen, there's nothing they can't take in the field. Normally the counter to axemen is horse archers or axemen, and War Elephants counter both. Axemen kill attacking spears, and war elephants kill attacking axemen or horsemen -- allowing your swords and catapults to get close to the enemy cities.

There's not really anything to take on axemen and elephants with other than lots, and lots, of catapults.

 

[Andrei_V]

Wheat (corn, rice). Plenty of food, faster growth, faster production of workers/settlers. Additional health with granary, which is available in all cities, unlike harbor, for instance.

Animals (cows, pigs) are not so good, for additional health bonus requires supermarket.

Gold/Silver/Gems are OK. Forge for additional bonus.

Ivory becomes obsolete with Industrialism, too early, in my opinion.

Stone/Marble are nice to have, but maybe not near the first city.

 

[Wallabulla]

I too must go with stone. nice boost to early wonders

 

[DistortedTruth]

Gold for me simply b/c I always have an upkeep issue in the beginning but as i develop and research and expand more, I have less of a problem. Also b/c I change civics that require less upkeep.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Of course happiness is important, but the thread was about the best resource to have at the start of the game, i.e. few cities and generally low pop. At this stage of the game happiness is not a problem whatever level you play at (assuming you are managing your pop of course).

That's just not true. Happiness limits the growth of your cities very early. Often it's the limiting factor for your capital even before you have a second city. If an extra happiness point lets you grow all of your cities from size 3 to size 4, that's a big benefit, because they all are that much more productive. If anything, +1 happiness is more significant early in the game, than later on, because you have many more potential sources of happiness later in the game.

 

[Mathemagician13]

I threw my lot in with the bovines, since I think its really more flexible than the others.

 

[naf4ever]

cows are the best. Every other resource is inferior.

 

[Elhoim]

Cow. Food and Production. Great combination!

 

[Koffee510]

ponies. ponies+road=chariots. chariots+horseback riding=horse archers. Horse archers+forge=end of world.

'nuff said

 

[diablodelmar]

Wheat or something that gives you food. Productive resources are second on my list.

 

[ArtiC]

where is Guns & Roses ?!!


jeah well then stone, cuz of wonders ofcourse - pyramids, hanging gardens, kremlin, they ROCK!

 

[axi]

I just like to have 5 or 6 different ones, all in my capital's fat cross.