What to build first ?

[Goritude]

Vs, ai, on a small map, I find scouts useless.

I build a warrior and the worker.

Then perhaps granary, another warrior and a settler.

Is this correct ?

[Raddish]

Well it depends... I would start with a scout because ancient ruins are important in the early game. The three builings that you usually can build that early are the shrine , the monument, and the granary. If your spawn doesnt have much food then build the granary first. If you do have enough food though, build the monument UNLESS you plan on going tradition which gives a culture boost and free monuments later on. If you are going tradition, build the shrine. You should wait to build a worker or try to steal one from barbarians, because they hold less importance that early.

[airmikee99]

Very first thing I always build is a scout. Getting those ancient ruins first can provide a huge bonus. If you're unlucky the ruins will provide a map that clears some of the fog, or location of barbarian camps. If you're mildly lucky you'll get some gold. If you're really lucky you'll get a free tech, or a culture boost, or a faith boost, or even an upgrade to the unit, and Scouts upgrade to Archers, so you basically get an archer that can ignore terrain costs.

[Zednaught]

Definitely get a scount first. Even on a small map, I build two. There's so much to be made via ruins and finding city states first. Later, knowing where those city states are gives you the opportunity for completing quests from them.

Then, build a monument. If you're planning on getting a religion (and with only a few AIs on a small map you may as well) then get a shrine. On higher difficulties, it's not always essential.

Then get a worker, but like others said, you could also steal one.

After that, it's either a granary or settler for me.

[tangoafterdark]

You should always build AT LEAST one Scout immediately unless you're playing a novelty map like Tiny Islands. Even on Archipelago, building Scouts early doesn't hurt because you should be beelining Optics. I've seen plenty of successful Scout x4 initial build orders. Scout -> Scout -> Monument and Scout -> Monument -> Scout are the most popular build orders for good reason. Scouts are extremely useful not only for finding ruins, but finding expo locations, meeting AIs, meeting city-states, finding Natural Wonders, worker stealing and settler blocking. And yes, you should hard build a monument even if you go Tradition unless you get one or more culture ruins, because relying on Legalism for the Monument will delay two of the best policies in the game (Landed Elite and Monarchy) and the Tradition finisher. After they've served their purpose, Scouts can come back home to protect civilians or act as Oligarchy/Military Caste garrisons.

Never build Warriors... they're completely useless.

[Goritude]

What ? No warrior ? But how can I deal with hordes of barbarians ?

[Matthew]

I agree on building the scout, but 4 is overkill unless you know what you are doing with them.

On standard maps, I usually just scout with a single scout and the warrior. I could potentially make a case for multiple scouts in G&K, but since BNW I really don't like to delay trade-routes any longer than possible. I want libraries and universities up by a certain turn and I won't delay them, so getting something finished like trade-routes before then takes way higher priority than a 3rd or 4th scout which may or may not pay for itself depending on what they can exploit.

[Damsteri]

My usual build order is
1. Scout - Monument (in most cases), or
2. Monument - Scout (Archipelago or other small map)

Sometimes I don't build a scout at all (like in Large Islands map) or I start with double-Scout strategy (Large/Huge map for example), training two scouts before I build the monument. In some rare cases (like good natural wonder nearby) I build either a monument or a scout and a settler immediately after that. Sometimes i go for 4 scouts (Pangaea, playing wide), when I want to block stupid AI settlers with my scouts. I use those 4 scouts to block neigbouring AIs, while I mass produce settlers in my capital and take best lands.

Missing a scout means you miss those precious ruins, way too costly, and missing a monument means that you are way too late in policies, which is especially costly in wide strategies (delays collective rule). My opinion is that the first two things to build must be a Scout and a Monument in +90% of cases, othewise you are immediately behind others.

[americanman_4_life]

Originally posted by Goritude:

Vs, ai, on a small map, I find scouts useless.

I build a warrior and the worker.

Then perhaps granary, another warrior and a settler.

Is this correct ?

NO SCOUTS?? WOW!
Scouts have better payouts on Ancient Ruins, and though week in combat in later scenarios, scouts are still good against early barbarians.

They are cheaper, and less maintenance vs other units, and can train (build) faster than most other units.

If I build a scout early, and I only gain a promotion from combat, he's likely week, and I get his promotion to heal more better in the field, than later, I upgrade his vision sights.

If I build scout, and he can get upgrade immedieately out of barracks, I upgrade his Vision first, let him earn the healing later when he can upgrade the improved healing.

Scouts vs Warriors?? Scouts move with no terrain penalties, including crossing rivers. Scouts can see farther with the Visions upgrades? Scouts can heal faster when not in friendly territory. All this the warrior can not do!

Even in mid and late game, scouts make good perrimeter guards with the visions promotion adding sight! Set them outside your culture, on a Hill... spread apart few different scouts around your perimeters to add extra sight beyond your borders.

[Tatanka]

scout
worker
setler
great library
setler
archer - while researching construction, keep a close eye on progres of both archer should take one turn more then the tech so might have to switch build to make it so
archer becomnes a composite bowmen
terracota army - if you are lucky scout turned into an archer by a ruin, that way when you finish terracota army, you get an archer, composite bowmen and a warrior or spearmen, again, if upgraded by a ruin

lets see AI or barbs attack you now, this strat always works up to immortal, dont try this on deity :P
an invading army of 10+ can easily be dispatched by 3 archery units.

anyway, my order, havent lost a single game lol

[joshuacolyn]

I am with you goritude. I find scouts useless. I use my warrior. If I am on land by myself, I will get all the huts anyways. If near other AI, no biggie I miss a hut or two. Maybe 4. Since a lot of huts are located near where first cities are, they probaly would have gotten their own huts anyways. As for the ones that are far off, it really depends on if you chose to venture in that direction.

I usually build the Monument (depending on level of play, I may tweek my 1st citizen to produce more production) first to get +3 culture and then get Tradition, so I have +6 and then in five turns will choose Liberty making it +7. Somtimes I get lucky and get +20 culture from 1st hut getting the +7 culture no earlier than turn 11, but no later than turn 19, which is a good start on culture.

For tech I go pottery, writing, mining, calender after that it depends on what victory I am going for and what the land is offering to determine further tech. But I also focus on science too, which is the key to any victory so I tend to pick something far up on the tech tree in The Renissance Era and build every science building as soon as they are available through out entire game. Sometimes I shoot immediatley for Industrialization to be the first for Ideologies. Hopefully.

After Monument I build a worker, then Great LIbrary. Which I usually get on every difficulty though obviously Diety is very hard and luck to get it. Then learn Philsophy If timed right I go for National college before I gain my second setler using Liberty and then go for The Oracle. I am wonder heavy with my Capital.

The second city I must put on decent land 7 spaces away and it becomes a unit spammer . If I have archery I start with an archer, if not then warrior, worker, settler, library, unit, unit, building, unit, unit, etc...

[Matthew]

Originally posted by joshuacolyn:

Since a lot of huts are located near where first cities are, they probaly would have gotten their own huts anyways.

If you are talking about AI's, it is insane how often they miss ruins right outside their borders!

They usually send a scout or two in a specific direction rather than a circle, so if they sent one left it could be a very long time before they bother checking just right of their starting city.

[Prisoner 76561197992841073]

2-3 scouts. always works well