Posts: 2,265
Threads: 54
Joined: Aug 2011
I'll stand with my predictions
Winner : Zara (peaceful neighbours to bully)
Runner Up: Suryavarman (not quite as peaceful neighbours, but Justinian should be more interested in Mansa than Sury, and in a straight up battle with Sulie, Sury would win)
First to Die : Mansa Musa (sorry ol' chap ... you're between Zara and Justinian, and you'll likely piss off both, i forsee death by catapult
Leaders Surviving : 4 (map seems to big not only end with 3 survivors)
Victory Type and Victory Date : Space t329
May 9th, 2014, 11:17
(This post was last modified: May 9th, 2014, 11:17 by Yell0w.)
Posts: 1,202
Threads: 22
Joined: Oct 2011
Winner: Zara Yacob
Runner up: Mansa Musa
First to die: Elizabeth - just cause I want her to, probably Justinian though
Civs left: 3
Victory: Diplomatic, T317
"Gentlemen. You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Posts: 5,050
Threads: 112
Joined: Nov 2007
Winner and Tournament Champion: ELIZABETH! What's that you say? This is really just a duel between Musa and Sury with four lesser AIs around the map to make things interesting for them? Sure, those two are the strongest AIs on this map, and in the top tier for all of Civ4, but bear in mind that Zara is conveniently sandwiched between the two most peaceful leaders in the Finals, neither of whom have any expansion traits (whereas he has Cre and just generally likes to expands like a crazed balloon on Mars). Er, so why am I picking none of those three?! Well, luck can break a lot of different ways in a single game, and even the best AIs are crazy! Anyone could win in theory, and I'm voting Elizabeth again, as before, out of sheer loyalty.
Runner-Up and Tournament Bridesmaid: Suryavarman! Unlike Musa, Sury likes to make gains through war against lesser leaders. Fortunately for him, he's starting in between the two weakest leaders in the Finals! (As well, Musa's style lends itself to all-or-nothing plays. He's a very real threat to win the game, but I doubt if he'll ever take second place.) Zara would be a good choice here too, but I'm picking Bess to win the whole thing, and I don't think Zara places as high as second without taking land (at least through expansion and Creative culture) that she's going to need.
First to Die: Suleiman is trapped between my picks for winner and runner-up, so I kind of have to pick him. Honestly though, Bess herself or maybe even Musa (I did say "all or nothing" with him, didn't I?) is just as likely.
Survivors: 3. This is the point in my analysis where I realize England can't really win. My fantasy scenario though has Liz more or less taking over the top third of the map while Mansa and Sury end up dueling for the rest - Sury with more land, Mansa with better tech, both wasting resources on war while she peacefully rolls toward...
Victory: Space, circa turn 315.
Posts: 215
Threads: 3
Joined: Feb 2014
Winner: Sury
Runner up: Mansa
Ftd: Sully
Survivors: 3
Victory: Domination T321
Posts: 3,680
Threads: 23
Joined: Oct 2012
1st. Elizabeth
2nd. Justinian
1st dead: Mansa
Survivors: 3
Victory: Diplomatic t312
Posts: 1,718
Threads: 4
Joined: Apr 2012
Winner: Suryavarman
Runner Up: Justinian
First to Die: Mansa Musa
Leaders Surviving: 2
Victory Type: Domination
Victory Date: 315
Posts: 17,934
Threads: 163
Joined: May 2011
Winner: Zara
Runner Up: Elizabeth
First to Die: Justinian
Leaders Surviving: 3
Victory Type: Space
Victory Date: 314
Posts: 872
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2007
Winner: Zara Yaqob (good expansion traits, peaceful neighbours)
Runner Up: Suryavarman (good expansion traits, Imperialistic neighbours)
First to Die: Elizabeth (high peace weight, low unit emphasis)
Survivors: 4 (Justinian "Catherine-slayer" takes down Mansa)
Victory: Spaceship, T320 (too large a map for Domination, leaders too competitive for Culture)
Posts: 3,726
Threads: 25
Joined: Sep 2010
Winner: Mansa.
Runner Up: Sury.
First to Die: Justinian
Number of survivors: 3
Victory type: Space
Victory date: T287
Travelling on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.
Posts: 251
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2005
Winner: Mansa
Runner Up: Zara
First To Die: Suleiman
Survivors: 3
Victory: Space, T321
If Mansa winds up as religious buddies with either neighbor, he should be able to hold enough land to do very dangerous things. If he, Zara, and Justinian all wind up in their own self-founded religions - or if Zara and Justinian agree - he's toast. I'm taking the optimistic view.
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