Who is the best Charismatic Leader?

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Just voted for Cyrus. In my opinion, Cyrus is the best Charismatic leader. His Immortals are the best of any early unique unit for difficulty levels Monarch and above whose AIs start with Archers. His Imperialistic trait is great for early settler spam and generating great generals fast. His unique building, the Apothecary, is really great too.

While there are other good Charismatic leaders, none can really match Cyrus.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Strickl3r]

To bad there is no Charismatic/Creative Leader. This would probably be my favorite one, if the starting techs are decent.

 

[enKage]

My vote for DeGaulle because of starting techs and traits. I can even believe DeGaule is ranked here lower than Napoleon... IND > ORG

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

My vote for DeGaulle because of starting techs and traits. I can even believe DeGaule is ranked here lower than Napoleon... IND > ORG

I agree that De Gaulle has surprisingly few votes too. His industrious trait is argubly the best, the musketeer is a very good unique unit, starting techonologies of agriculture and the wheel are great and the salon's free artist can be very useful too.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Izuul]

I voted for DeGaulle as well for the traits and the starting techs. Lincoln is good, but the starting techs aren't quite as good and his uniques are nearly worthless. I like Hannibal too, Numidians are quite good for HA rushes on the higher levels where the AI tend to get metal early and spam metal troops once they get it. Cyrus is good for Immortals, but i don't like IMP much, and Darius is really the better Persian leader. That shouldn't really be a factor if we are evaluating the leaders on their own merit, but it does seem to influence my decision a bit.

IND is incredibly undervalued in every one of these polls. The most egregious is Louis XIV getting the 2nd-least votes for best creative leader. Louis got 11 votes vs 92 for Willem, 41 for Zara, and even 13 for Kublai.

 

[Gwynnja]

the musketeer is a very good unique unit

oh god not again

 

[LincolnOfRome]

I voted for Washington because CHA/EXP leads to the largest cities at the beginning of the game.

 

[pomthom]

Voted De Gaulle, all Fench leaders rule (in Civ 4) and IND > ORG IMO

Cyrus gets on my nerves because IMP doesn't go well at all with early conquest induced by Immortals. If only he were the missing CHA/CRE combo instead that would be really fun...

 

[Gwynnja]

Cyrus gets on my nerves because IMP doesn't go well at all with early conquest induced by Immortals.

Sure it does. Especially if you don't have horses in BFC for a quick settler. Also, quick great generals.

 

[lymond]

Voted De Gaulle, all Fench leaders rule (in Civ 4) and IND > ORG IMO
.

A little Frenchie bias there..huh

But yeah, I stated in some other thread a while back on best leaders that I think De Gaulle is not only underrated by one of the very top leaders in the game. At least top 10 if not Top 5. Louis and Nappy are both good too. Frenchie uniques are so-so but Mouseketeers have nice synergy with a Cur warfare and fun too.

I definitely think De Gaulle is the best Char leader.

I had voted for Hanny years ago mainly due to traits and the Cothon. I dissed the Numids back then, but came to realize that it is really actually a very nice UU. If it was 6 strength it would be ridiculous.

 

[pomthom]

Especially if you don't have horses in BFC for a quick settler.

A trait for just 1 settler? With early-UU rushes you quickly want to weigh all your production on units (after the 1st settler basically)

 

[pomthom]

I dissed the Numids back then, but came to realize that it is really actually a very nice UU. If it was 6 strength it would be ridiculous.

I agree, AZ's video really convinced me: it hadn't occurred to me that Imm+ AIs actually defended more with metal units than Archers!

 

[Gwynnja]

A trait for just 1 settler? With early-UU rushes you quickly want to weigh all your production on units (after the 1st settler basically)

If anything, you're making my point stronger. Faster settler = earlier emphasis on units. Also, faster great generals.

 

[Nexlev]

Not the best, but my favorite is Churchill. His archers are great for choking and if you carve out a nice size empire, you'll be beast once redcoats are in.

Cyrus looks great on paper, and my mouth waters at the thought, but the reality is that I suck at immortal rushes.

Objectively, I guess I'll go with Hannibal. HA rushes are easier, imo, than chariot rushes and his units upgrade well all the way up the Calvary tree.

 

[pomthom]

If anything, you're making my point stronger. Faster settler = earlier emphasis on units.

If the trait helps you quicken 1 build for the entire game it seems a bit of a waste. Obviously "1 build" is an exaggeration, but anyway that was my point.

Also, faster great generals.

True, I was just saying that CHA would be much better.

 

[alex15]

Cyrus is probably one of most interesting leaders(Boudica and Churchill looks interesting too), cha = -25% less exp need for promotions combined with with alot Great Generals stacked in 2-3 citys each giving +2 bonus exp (combined with other stuff like stables, war academys, West Point, national epic or maybe also vassalage+theocracy) = gives really alot Promotions

Also if player conquer capital of Imperialistic AI like Justinian who stacks all his Great Generals in capital = tons of promotions

 

[Seraiel]

Cyrus definitely is the best of all of them. No idea how Hannibal could make it to #1 in that post, Numidians are not really stronger than normal HAs. Ok, FIN, ok, but Cyrus and Immortals is just a completely different game with conquering 1-2 civs before Alpha.

 

[MegaLurker]

Numidians are significantly better on Deity. And at that difficulty you would need a pretty stacked start with multiple close neighbours with no metal to take out two civs with Immortals. Unless you mean taking out one AI with immortals and the next with HAs? That's certainly do-able, though certainly not on every start.

 

[Lexicus]

I play unrestricted leaders so Hannibal made it to the top of my list. I play him almost every game, just love the FIN/CHM combo. Good for war, good for peace.

 

[Seraiel]

Numidians are significantly better on Deity. And at that difficulty you would need a pretty stacked start with multiple close neighbours with no metal to take out two civs with Immortals. Unless you mean taking out one AI with immortals and the next with HAs? That's certainly do-able, though certainly not on every start.

You need BFC Horses, nothing more.

Numidians are not that much stronger against metal units than HAs because of their lower base-STR. Against Archers, Numidians are weaker than normal HAs.