[SPOILERS] Woden's Desfiles de Carnaval do Brasil!

[Woden]

Welcome to my spoiler thread for PBEM4! I get to choose from Brazil, Aztecs, and Kongo. I just wanted to get a thread going and will post some thoughts about my choices soon. I will say, I want to play someone who hasn't be seen in a PBEM yet, so probably will not choose the Aztecs. 

Lurkers welcome!

As for the tile of this thread, I will change it after I select my civilization.

[Woden]

Civilization Choices:

I wanted to post each civilization with my initial analysis of each and my leanings.

Aztecs/Montezuma
Civ Ability: Legend of the Five Suns-Spend builder charges to complete 20% of a district. This is nice and would work well if you get builders from your eagle warriors. It would really help n late game, when district costs get really high.

Leader Ability: Luxury resources go to 6 cities instead of 4 (nice) and +1 combat strength for each luxury improved in Aztec Lands. Both could work well in this map set up with abundant resources on but I don't know if this +1 for type or +1 for each luxury resource. 

Unique Building: Tlachtil-provides +1 amenity, +2 faith, and +1 Great General. Is a building in an Entertainment Complex. I don't build a lot of them, so this is so-so. 

Unique Unit: Eagle Warrior-The eagle warrior is probably one of the best early units in the game. There is a chance of capturing a builder when they kill a unit. Problem in this game, unless I start on a land mass with someone, I will have to get to Shipbuilding, which might be a little late for eagle warriors to be effective. 

Aztecs are a strong civilization gear towards early conquest but with this map and the fact that they have been used in a PBEM before I am taking them off the table right away.

Brazil/Pedro II
Civ Ability: Rainforest tiles provide +1 adjacency bonus for Campus, Commercial Hubs, Holy Sites, and Theater Squares. They also provide +1 housing for Neighborhoods and higher appeal to tiles instead of lower appeal. This could be powerful if starting in massive jungle but unfortunately I have rolled several maps and never got a massive jungle start. There was always jungle but only a few at the capital. 

Leader Ability: 20% of Great People points are refunded when a GP is earned. This could be nice to speed along to the next GP. 

Unique Building: Street Carnival-half cost Entertainment Complex replacement that provides GP points (GE, GW, GA, GMu) and an additional +1 amenity when running projects. This could be helpful since I think projects usually provide only amenities. 

Unique Unit: Minas Geraes-a battleship replacement unlocked at Nationalism with +10 strength and defense compared to battleship. Would need strong culture to get it early compared to regular battleship. It would rule the seas during that period but is a little late. I would have to survive until then. 

Brazil is tempting with the Minas Gereas. The other abilities are helpful but nothing game breaking and depend on a heavy jungle start. I will have to roll a few more maps and run a test game. I would say I am at about 25% for pick Brazil

Kongo
Civ Ability: Nkisi-+2 food, +2 production, and +4 gold for each relic, artifact, and sculpture. Receives double GW, GA, GMu, and GM points and palace has 5 slots for great works. This would be awesome in the late game, once you can build archaeologist but that might be a little late. Would work with a sculptor if they are available sooner.  

Leader Ability: Benefits from founder beliefs of any religion that is the majority in his lands. Kongo can not build or found a religion. Gets apostles whenever completing a Mbanza or Theater Square. This could work with Mont St. Michel if there are 2 competing religions. 

Unique Building: Mbanza-a neighborhood replacement that comes at Guilds instead of Urbanization and provides +5 housing, +2 food, and +4 gold. Need to be on forest or jungle tile. These things rock because they come much earlier than neighborhoods and right when you need them. Island maps will be food heavy, so we should be hitting the housing cap quickly. With these, you can grow much taller than the other players which should drive better everything. If I go with Kongo, this will be the main reason. 

Unique Unit: Ngao Mbeba-swordsman replacement that can move through woods without penality and gains +10 strength defending against ranged units. They are no a bad replacement for swords but they are no Legion. 

I am leaning towards Kongo (75%). I think the early housing and double GP points are extremely powerful. I was actually hoping I would get them if I didn't get one of the stronger naval civs. I still want to test out Brazil before I make my final decision.

[Woden]

I am still thinking about which civilization I want, Brazil or Kongo, but...

No looking Alhambram!

Getting my ass kicked by Cossacks in PBEM2, really makes me want to take Brazil. I would have the best unit of the period and I love Battleships. I could go on a rampage. I would just have to survive that long.

I have rolled a few more maps and have been getting Jungle heavy starts, so I guess I need to do more testing. I am pretty sure I will face England, Japan, Norway, maybe Germany (not sure if Singaboy is sick of them), and if the last chooses Spain (not sure with the option of Rome), we could have all the naval civilizations in a game. Anyways, need to weight the options carefully. Just wanted to give an update

[Ichabod]

Brasil! Brasil! Brasil!

Choose Brasil and I'll root for you!!

[Woden]

Brasil! Brasil! Brasil!

Choose Brasil and I'll root for you!!

Thanks for the encouragement! I think I will go with Brasil! Funny thing, this game and PBEM2 I was leaning one direction and after thinking about it I switched directions. I will email Sullla that I am going with Brazil.

[Ichabod]

As the only brazilian I know in RB, I will ded-lurk you due to your choice. Since I've read some of the other player threads, I won't say anything about picks.

I think a faith heavy strat can work with Brazil. Water maps usually lack production, so Jesuit Education could do some work. It seems the faith per hammer conversion is pretty good. And it also works with Brazil's refund ability for Great People.

[Woden]

As the only brazilian I know in RB, I will ded-lurk you due to your choice. Since I've read some of the other player threads, I won't say anything about picks.

I think a faith heavy start can work with Brazil. Water maps usually lack production, so Jesuit Education could do some work. It seems the faith per hammer conversion is pretty good. And it also works with Brazil's refund ability for Great People.

Thanks! You are welcome to ded-lurk. I will be nice to have someone to bounce idea off. 

I was thinking of going for early religion too. With the water map, it should give a little time to build out civilization and run a farmers gambit before I can get contact with anybody. Of coarse this depends on if I am on a Island by myself. A religion can sure augment a civilization in areas where it is lacking. 

Funny thing, I was rolling a bunch of test maps with Brazil and setting everybody else to Random and wasn't getting any heavy jungle starts but if I put in what I think people will chose, I started getting heavy jungle sites. I don't know if that was just luck of the dice or if other there is some combination that pushes Brazil into a more heavy jungle site. Anyways, all those 2/2 tiles sure help in growth and production in the starting turns. 

I will need to work out a GP strategy to utilize the 20% rebate. I probably will prioritize districts and maybe think about building the Oracle for more GP points. The only other wonder I am think about prioritizing is Chichen Itza if I have a heavy jungle start. The one "issue" I can foresee with Brazil is not chopping the jungle but with Chichen Itza, teh jungle becomes 2/3 tiles, which are pretty good. I am not sure if Chichen Itza provide just +2 culture or +2 culture to jungle tiles. I am pretty sure it is just +2 culture but will have to test it out. 

I think my overarching plan would be to make sure to get some strong culture going and race to Nationalism on the cultural side and Square Rigging (for Frigates to upgrade to Battleships) as fast as I can and then go on a rampage. They should rule the sea until Destroyers and Submarines.

[Ichabod]

Chichen Itza is 2 culture per jungle tile. But you have to work the tile to get the yield (it's added to the tile, like Petra desert, not to the Wonder itself).

[Woden]

My predictions of the other players picks (in order of confidence):

TheArchduke: England. 
England is the obvious choice here since the map settings are made for England and  is such a strong choice. I will be surprised if he chooses someone else. 99% chance for England, 

Japper007: Norway. 
Norway is usually not a strong civilization on most maps but on a water map, they can be one of the strongest, especially with early aggression. Long boats are fun to play with and no need for Cartography to enter the ocean. Russia is another strong civilization but I think the better choice here is Norway. Also, his thread title points to Norway but that might be misleading. 90% chance for Norway.

CFC Jesterfool: Rome.
Rome is a powerhouse with very strong culture. One of the best in the game compared to his other choices. Spain might look good too with the ability to form fleets and Armadas earlier plus extra gold form trades to others and bonus food and cogs between your own cities. I would give it a 75% change for Rome.

Singaboy: Germany. 
Germany is a strong civilization but he might be sick of them. He does have two really strong civilizations to chose from but with abundant resources and the possibility of jacked-up Hansas, Germany would be a production powerhouse, especially with the lack of production on a water map. Arabia might also be a nice pick for a science heavy civilization, so I am not counting them out. I would give a 60% chance for Germany and a 40% chance at Arabia. 


oledavy: I am leaning towards Japan for oledavy. Japan gets cheap districts and additional strength when fighting on coastal tiles. Bith are nice on a water map. oledavy also gets the option of China and with the map settings (lots of wood and lots of resources), the extra builder charge could be very handy, plus the extra 10% for eurekas and inspirations are nice. He wouldn't be crazy enough to try building every wonder, so he would develop quickly. I give him a 55% chance at Japan.

[Woden]

Chichen Itza is 2 culture per jungle tile. But you have to work the tile to get the yield (it's added to the tile, like Petra desert, not to the Wonder itself).

Wow, that could be huge in the right location. The thing is expensive at 710 cogs but might be worth it.