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Strategy Guide
 National Economies
Each nation
has unique economic characteristics, most with distinct advantages. Each of them
is profiled in brief here, along with suggestions for key rare resources worth gathering
to bolster the advantages enjoyed by each nation.
- Aztecs
The Aztec economic bonuses derive from war; peace isn't a good option. The earlier
you step on the warpath, the better; and that's why the ideal Aztec rare resource
is cotton. The extra timber makes it easier to build your economy while creating
new military units, and the increased unit creation speed is most helpful when you've
got only a couple of military-unit-producing structures.
- Bantu
You enjoy a strong economic bonus with the Bantu thanks to the ease with which you
can found new cities. It's best to enjoy a moment of peace to start with, so that
you actually get to build a few cities before beginning to capture them. The Bantu
optimum rare resource: wool. It will help you speed the development of your empire
still more!
- British
The British enjoy one of the strongest national economic bonuses in the game: a
higher Commerce cap and doubled income from taxation. The British economy easily
thrives in both peace and war; economic matters aside, British forts and towers
have extra range, while the bowmen line of ranged infantry is upgraded free of charge.
Reinforcing these bonuses with obsidian will make your forts, towers, and ranged
infantry the most lethal in the game, which might give you an unbeatable advantage.
- Chinese
On the surface, the Chinese economic advantages consist solely of Large cities from
the beginning of the game, but you've been advised of the wealth angle, and so you
know that the Chinese bonus to Science research can have profound economic consequences.
Dye is an ideal rare resource that complements the Chinese national bonuses: It
makes Science advances even easier, and throws in cheaper Civics research as well.
The Chinese economy works best in times of peace.
- Egyptians
The Egyptians have the best farms in the game: They can build seven per city, and
each farm produces +2 wealth over any contribution to caravan route value. The "national"
rare resource of marble lets you really put to use the Egyptian bonus of two allowable
Wonders per city. The Egyptian economy rivals the British in terms of potential,
but performs slightly better in peace than in war.
- French
The French lumber bonus helps you wage war without neglecting the economic development
of your empire. The French economy is thus particularly suited for warmongers, although
it doesn't fare badly in peacetime, either. The "national" rare resource is silver.
Silver's metal bonus contributes to creating plenty of military units, and its unique
research bonus lets you stay ahead in research in spite of all the costly fighting.
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- German
The German economic bonus is particularly advantageous in the early game thanks
to their +50% building completion bonus, and early acquisition of production-enhancing
buildings and techs. Also, their extra city production means production that's lost
only when you lose the city, not the moment a couple of workers get hacked down
by raiding enemy cavalry. This puts the robust German economy at its best advantage
in wartime. Diamonds are the ideal rare resource: The higher Commerce cap lets you
take better advantage of extra city production, while the strong wealth bonus is
especially helpful in early wars.
- Greeks
The Greek national bonuses all pertain to Science and research. In economic terms,
this means you'll be able to save resources in these areas while modernizing your
industry, hopefully a step ahead of the others. It's always easier to pursue this
course in peacetime than during a war. The Greek national bonuses are ideally complemented
by relics +20 knowledge and +33% to research speed. It makes acquiring new technologies
really easy.
- Inca
Here, we enter El Dorado: Every metal miner produces +10 wealth, plus you enjoy
a higher wealth Commerce cap (33%). You'll have quite a lot of wealth, and as you
know the biggest asset of wealth is the flexibility it gives you. Avoid war; it's
easy to lose all these Midas miners to marauding enemy raiders. Best rare resource:
amber. It will let you take advantage of better market prices.
- Japanese
The Japanese enjoy a food bonus that rivals the Egyptians': a 25% productivity boost
for every farmer and fisherman. Salt complements the Japanese food bonus with metal
and timber, and makes the already cheap Japanese infantry still less expensive.
Naturally, you should exploit all these advantages by fighting.
- Korean
What good are extra, free citizens if you're already pushing the population limit?
Peacocks are the Korean rare resource of choice, also kicking in some metal toward
the attrition research line in the free temple. The Korean economy decidedly prefers
peace to war.
- Maya
The Maya build stronger buildings with less timber, which gives them a nice head
start in economic development, however, they aren't especially strong militarily
and have to compensate with a more modern army; furs will help. The Maya economy
prefers peace.
- Mongols
This is another nation whose bonuses favor warmongers. Mongols enjoy a unique economic
bonus that depends on the number of competing nations and the percentage of game
world territory under Mongol control; at the start of a new game, it can amount
to anything between five (poor starting location, one opponent) and 40 (excellent
starting location, seven opponents). Best rare resource: horses. Creating hordes
of cavalry has never been easier!
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- Nubians
This nation has super-strong economic advantages that function best in times of
peace. Amber increases the Nubian market price bonus to 30%, meaning you can actually
swap one resource for another (for example, food for timber) without losing money.
Yes, amber again! It can be worth more than silver.
- Romans
The modest Roman economic bonus (+10 wealth per city) works best when priming early
flames of war. Best rare resource: gems, reinforcing the national border bonus conferred
by Roman forts.
- Russians
The big Russian economic bonus kicks in only in the Industrial Age, but it's very
nice: +20% to oil gather rate! Best rare resource: titanium, just because then no
one else gets to exploit it. Best economic time: peace.
- Spanish
The Spanish are predestined to favor Dye, just like the Chinese! Dye complements
Spanish exploration bonuses (revealed map, 35 knowledge from Ruins, extra 35 knowledge
with each new Science level) by supplying extra wealth and knowledge, which are
both needed for Science research. Cheaper Civic research means it will be easier
to put your knowledge of the game world to practical use by building new cities
in just the right spots. The Spanish economy is indifferent - in peace, in war,
and in general.
- Turks
Cheap citizens and Military research (costs for both reduced by 33%) are the main
Turkish economic assets. Free artillery upgrades plus other national bonuses predestine
this nation for war. The rare resource of choice is sulphur, which makes the lethal
Turkish artillery less expensive.
Keep in mind that specific game circumstances wield great influence over the relative
importance of all rare resources. A couple of obvious examples: Citrus is of mediocre
value on land-only maps, but blooms on sea maps. Cotton won't matter much on an
Amazon Rainforest map, but will be more valuable than diamonds on the Great Sahara.
When choosing which nation to play, be guided by your own gaming experience in addition
to the national bonuses. A new player might have problems developing the Spanish
into a victorious power, but the experienced player will find them an excellent
choice. You have to know how to trade to take full advantage of the Nubian bonuses;
you have to know how to assemble armies and organize sieges when you play the Turks;
the Maya bonuses won't mean much to many experienced gamers, but newcomers might
find them very helpful.
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