Great Tech Leaders

[sportsfreaklgg]

What are some great leaders to use when going for something like a Space Race victory? I'm really looking for a science leader. Also, what strategies should I use with this suggested leader?

[Theben]

Any of the non-warlike ones, IMO, would be good. Elizabeth springs to mind for being both FIN and PHIL. That allows you to run a descent specialist economy early, getting extra Great Scientists, and later switch to a healthy cottage eco later (or run side by side in tandem). Generally any leader with philosophical, creative, or financial traits should give you a boost.

[sportsfreaklgg]

hmm, how does the creative trait help with a tech civ?

[Felch]

Gets you an advantage from the beginning. But creative isn't that great later on of course.

[Kuciwalker]

The early bonus from creative translates into a much larger bonus later on than a lot of traits give you.

[Theben]

Early game bonuses are almost always the best. Creative expands your borders quickly, and for a tech civ, you get 1/2 cost libraries.

[Julian Delphiki]

Pericles as CRE/PHI is also good, with him running specialists instead of building cottages works better. He gets both 1/2 libraries & universities.

[rjmatsleepers]

I can see the benefit of FIN when you have cottages or water tiles - particularly food specials. I can see the benefit of PHI which gives you GPs quicker - very good if you build the pyramids and switch to representation. I also like spiritual which savs you a loss of research and production when you switch civics (and lets you benefit from switching more often than you otherwise would).

At the moment I can't see that benefits from creative are of the same order. You grab a little more territory a little bit quicker and that may give you access to a good resource. Yes that is beneficial, but I'd rather be spiritual. What am I missing? Perhaps the key is the reduced cost of libraries.

RJM

[johnmcd]

If you're on a coast focussed map then Hannibal is strong, Fin and his cothons work powerfully. His Charismatic trait also means you're not easy pickings.

[Blaupanzer]

Pericles is one of the best for out-and-out teching. Build lots of soldiers, though, as rich civs perceived as weak attract all the super-aggressors, especially early in the game. However, don't overlook the industrial trait in such a plan, as those wonders can act like trait substitutes or enhancers if you don't get too carried away. Louis 14th with Cre/Ind can be useful for tech racing and cultural wins.

The creative trait lets you place cities that will benefit from the BFC, but not so much from the immediate 9 tiles. The expansion comes in 8 turns on Epic, without placing a religion or having to finish a cultural building.

[Felch]

I like the Dutch on island maps. Financial, plus the dike, let you have rich coastal cities that can still keep up on the production end of things. Those hammers mean that you'll have enough of an army to keep the local hoodlums away while your research goes on.

[Blaupanzer]

Dikes come late for the early game, but the Dutch and the Romans are both almost too easy to play in my experience. Except for iron, neither civ is dependent on early resources in particular, and their traits are easy to manage. The Dutch are another civ set up for a cultural win. By the time the other civs recognize that's what you are going for, the dikes kick in to build the troops to protect those three cities.

[Supr49er]

Mansa Musa always has the tech lead if he's in my game. But when I play as Mansa, I can't tech nearly as well.

[jbp26]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
Dikes come late for the early game, but the Dutch and the Romans are both almost too easy to play in my experience.

i disagree, without iron the romans are awful. both leaders are handicapped with a terrible trait, and their UB isn't good either.

[Theben]

Well, what civ is going to last long w/o iron?