by Blizzars
I formulated an interesting strategy when trying to think about the best way to use the Shrines Monument - I found that Shrines could be less worth the cost than Tombs and Civics for the Traditional Building Path, using too much gold and stone and giving some unexpected bonus, like the increase in the Theology technology. As a solution, I propose an alternative way of using a Building Path, that has it's own mechanicals.Initial conditions: There are 6 monuments that you can focus on this strategy, 3 blue and 3 green; the Shrines monument, the two Altars monument, the Civic Buildings monument and the two Technologies monument, there should be at least two of them in the start, so you can focus on them along the game (if more choose two to focus). On the wealth tiles prefer the agriculture and architecture tracks, the yellow altar or gold.
First quarter: get the first level in the resource track, them get wood and climb on the altars in pattern 1/2/1, so that you get at least one resource of each altar. Increase one track in agriculture and one in architecture and prepare to get an extra worker in the start of the second quarter.
Second quarter: get the 4th worker. Maximize the architecture track and start getting Civics, Shrines and Tombs (there are 4 Civics, 3 Tombs and 2 Shrines on Age I), but prefer the type that is more compatible to the monuments focused and the technology increase in agriculture and architecture. Try to maximize the agriculture track increasing the second level in Tikal and them using a Civic for the third. Increase one level in Theology and if you find the Shrine that increases Theology, use it for the second level.
NOTE: for the blue buildings, use Uxmal-4 instead of Tikal, so that instead of using golds and stones you pay 2 corn for each resource needed! This is a key part of this strategy, that shines more on Age II. Civic buildings use mostly wood and sometimes one stone, that you can "delete" with level 3 architecture, so you can build them on Tikal.
Third quarter: get the 5th worker. Start focusing on getting most blue and green buildings. All green buildings (and one blue) give free increase in technology, while one blue (and one of Age I) increases Theology and other one Architecture. There's no need to max out all techs, your minimum pattern will be 3/1/3/1, and free technology increases can be used for altar climbing ("fourth" level of agriculture). Altars should get a minimum of 3/4/4 so you get all the resources in the end of this quarter, focus on the yellow altar after that.
Fourth quarter: Get one of the two monuments (the one that gives more points for your situation), use Uxmal-2 to change corn for golds and stones to complete the requirements. If you maxed resource extraction technology get golds and stones from Yaxchilan for the monument(s). Continue getting Shrines and Civics to climb the altars. Use the skull won in Chichen Itza and if you maxed Theology (depending also if there's still good places in Chichen Itza) get double skulls and place them on Chichen Itza (use double worker in same gear). But all of this is situational. Get the second monument focused if possible (it seems very difficult, but if you get just 20 points on the first monument and can get more 20 on the second, rush for the second!).
That's it! This is a flexible strategy, but that focus mostly on Corn, Shrines and Civics, getting altars climbing and maybe high technology as consequences. Getting two monuments can give extra points varying from 36 to 72! Of course it will depend on many factors if this strategy will give you 70 point in the final or 140, but it does have a high potential, and seem viable in most part of the games. Although I told to focus on those 6 monuments, as second monuments there's the possibility to get others (Skulls, Workers, Corn Farms, Forests, Buildings/Monuments). Shrines can be very powerful and getting them on Uxmal-4 is surely the best way! (for example a Shrine that costs 2 golds and 1 stone, you pay the equivalent for 3 wood) Civics you can go to Tikal because they cost mostly wood. That's why the core is techs in 3/1/3/1, max agriculture an architecture
