Pong 3: First 51 Turns of Russia

Russia! 

I really like the part of the Mother Russia ability that grabs extra tiles when a city is founded. It's awesome for a lot of reasons, including claiming border territory before opponents can, and making it easier to get access to resources quickly in new cities.

The bonus to production and faith on Tundra tiles is useful, but I don't often seek out settlements in the frozen wastes. Icing on the cake for Mother Russia.

I've never liked The Grand Embassy, getting extra science and culture from trade routes with more advanced civilizations. It can help playing catch up on higher difficulties, but if you're doing well the bonus disappears! We'll see if it comes into play this game.

The Lavra is a cheap Holy Site that generates double the Great Prophet points, which guarantees I'm going for a Religion. Afterwards, it continues to provide +1 Great Writer/Artist/Musician point, which plays well into a cultural game.

All this being considered, I'm feeling pretty peaceful, especially after the last game we played.

Looks like I'll be making use of those Tundra bonuses! Lots of wildlife around, so I start on Animal Husbandry.

The faith from the Tundra will help me get my pantheon and religion up and running.

Build order is Scout > (Free Scout from Hut) > Slinger > Worker > Monument > Lavra.

I generally build the Monument earlier, but the Barbarians came knocking earlier this game, and I was eager to get some improvements on my tundra resources.

The tundra doesn't seem too large, which I'm fine with.

I found China pretty early, and they're close enough to make me consider an early Settler.

Scout XP and Production, please. 

I've got enough faith rolling in, even this early.

Looking around the map at the land nearby, I see a lot of cows and horses. I decide on the God og the Open Sky pantheon, to grab culture from the pastures I'll build on them.

China seems friendly.

Again, I'm considering a fairly peaceful game, so I graciously accept their friendship and hope to build a meaningful relationship.

I hook up my Horses with my first builder, in addition to Tundra Furs and Deer.

As I don't plan on using them any time soon, I trade them away to China for peanuts. The 3 GPT will add up and help me rush some units.

Turn 20.

I hope that this land will make up the core of my empire. I can probably cram 5 good cities there.

Again, loads of horses and cows for my Pasture-based pantheon, as well as wheat and stone.

Another potential Tundra-based city in the north as well.

I go with Autocracy for my first government, after considering Classical Republic for a long while.

I hop to start on Wonders soon, after my initial land grab / improvement spree wraps up.

Turn 50.

I haven't met Nate yet, but I pull up the Score Screen to compare our empires: I'm 4 civics and 8 techs ahead of him.

As expected, The Grand Embassy isn't helping much yet. I'm beating China in both as well.

We ended the session at Turn 51

The known world. China and Nubia found, Japan met but not seen.

Smolensk claimed a bunch of land and combined with Zanzibar established a firm border with China.

I was hoping to settle north of Chengdu, MORE HORSES, but don't want to piss off China.

There's some land to the east that I may consider settling. There are several luxuries I don't have access to yet there, and the Tundra may discourage others from putting cities there. Japan is probably nearby, so we'll see.

Nubia is beating me to the first Great Prophet, but I've got the second for sure.

I'm also a good way towards a Writer. I'm hoping to generate a lot of culture-based Great People.

I've got some pretty productive cities, and my Science / Culture / Faith are oddly well balanced.

I'm building Apadana in St. Petersburg, hoping to grab a bunch of Emissaries while churning out wonders. I haven't given much thought to the city states yet, but I figure they'll matter a bunch in the later game.

I've hooked up three luxuries at this point, and my cities are all super happy and supplied with adequate housing. Bonus to yields!

I've got a handful of level-1 bonuses, but haven't invested much effort here yet.

The state of science in Russia.

I'm thinking about trying to the Lighthouse after Apadana.

And the civics. 

Planning Theology next.