[spoiler] Azza Avoids Putting Bad Omens In His Spoiler Thread Title

[Azza]

I'll save that for the thread itself.

[Commodore]

START (provisional)

[Azza]

Is it reliable enough to base my picks off?

[Commodore]

Is it reliable enough to base my picks off?

Yep.

[Azza]

Ok sweet.

Thoughts;
We have enough hammers for the bonus with EXP.
Grassland riverside deer makes Hunting a viable starting tech.
Corn is dry, so deer is the more important tile to hook up.
Fishing is useless with this start.

What I'm leaning towards;
Bismark of Aztecs. Ideally, this intimidates other civs from going for Stonehenge, and it should give me 1st choice for going Oracle -> CoL.

Thoughts on how to get this with picks 1 and 10;
If I pick Bismark first up, that weakens the choice of IND for anyone else. So, in theory, taking Bismark first pick makes other IND civs less likely to be picked.
Alternatively, picking Aztecs first would cause Mysticism civs to be less likely to be taken. This means it costs my rivals more to get the techs to take Henge or Oracle. However, it's likely that hammers will be the critical point in this strategy, so starting on equal terms techwise down the Myst path doesn't hurt that much. Furthermore, picking an IND civ may have a similar effect on civ picks, knowing that I'd be in with a good chance of claiming Henge or Oracle solely from the fact I'd picked IND.

So, picking Bismark first, wanting to grab Aztecs at 10, hoping that Mysticism civs and IND leaders are ignored.

[Azza]

Civ pick of Mali from Black Sword is just about the last thing I wanted to see. I'd be shocked if he wasn't planning on picking an IND leader to go with the forge UB and Myst/Mining start techs.

[Oxyphenbutazone]

Mali is Mining/Wheel if that makes you feel better. And IND Mints aren't exactly EXP terraces...

I like your thread title

[Azza]

Dammit, why can't I remember starting techs anymore. Thanks for the correction, it does leave me feeling less apprehensive of another IND leader being picked.

[wetbandit]

Bismarck never disdained a plains hill he could settle upon...

[Jowy]

Good luck!!