Test-Chile
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Civilization 5 (LEKMOD) Strategy Report — Test-Chile
Final Standings
| Place | Civilization | Score (Turn 150) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vietnam | 1,413 |
| 2 | Chile | 1,408 |
| 3 | Iroquois | 1,286 |
| 4 | Bolivia | 1,220 |
Game in progress. No winner has been declared. Vietnam leads by score at the last snapshot, but the game remains unresolved.
Per-Player Strategic Verdict
Vietnam
Vietnam entered Turn 150 as the score leader by the narrowest of margins (1,413 vs. Chile's 1,408), but its position is stronger than the raw score suggests. At Turn 150 Vietnam holds 9 cities (tied with Bolivia, one more than Iroquois, six more than Chile), 38 techs — the highest tech count of any civilization — with a tech cost multiplier of 1.40, while Chile holds 42 techs with a multiplier of only 1.10. On a multiplier-adjusted basis the gap is considerably narrower, but Vietnam's ability to continue acquiring cities and scaling science output gives it the better growth trajectory. A military might of 2,567 — second only to Bolivia's exceptional 4,415 — combined with 72 population and 11 gold per turn gives Vietnam a stable, growing empire. Vietnam did suffer sustained unhappiness across several stretches (turns 121–128 and 143–150), which is still active at the final snapshot and applies a real drag on growth and combat. Its religion (Protestantism) was founded early (Turn 64, first in the game) and enhanced with Refined Crafts and Disciples; neither effect is one of the raw power beliefs, but they provide steady yields. Vietnam played Liberty into Piety, then pivoted to Tradition at Turn 111 — a late Tradition opening that targets tall empire bonuses after the wide expansion was already complete. The second Chile war (Turn 140–146), where Vietnam was the attacker, produced a net unit loss (3 killed, 2 lost against Chile specifically; the broader conflict including Wittenberg and city-state spillover was far more expensive), yet Vietnam's military might surged again by Turn 150. Its Viet Cong unique unit (replacing Infantry, available at Electronics with a pre-combat ranged attack and gunpowder bonus) is not yet online at Turn 150 but is approaching; when it arrives it will be a significant combat asset.
Chile
Chile (the human player) executed one of the most technically accomplished tall-empire strategies visible in the data. With only 3 cities the entire game, Chile maintained a tech cost multiplier of 1.10 and a policy cost multiplier of 1.20 throughout, making every point of science and culture go further than for any other civilization. At Turn 150 Chile holds 42 techs — the highest raw tech count of any civilization — and has reached the Modern Era (Turn 140), the only civilization to do so in this game. Its science output of 254.76 is the highest of any civilization at the final snapshot. Culture output of 221 and gold per turn of 211 are similarly dominant, and happiness sits at a comfortable 54 — far above any rival. Chile's wonder haul is extraordinary: 27 world wonders and 8 national wonders across 150 turns, including Stonehenge (Turn 39), Great Lighthouse (Turn 45), Great Library (Turn 61), Parthenon (Turn 77), Hagia Sophia (Turn 81), Hanging Gardens (Turn 82), Chichen Itza (Turn 85), Alhambra (Turn 89), Angkor Wat (Turn 92), Machu Picchu (Turn 93), Terracotta Army (Turn 98), Leaning Tower (Turn 115), Sistine Chapel (Turn 123), Taj Mahal (Turn 124), and Eiffel Tower (Turn 147), among others. This reflects Tradition's Aristocracy policy (+15% Production toward Wonders) and consistent golden age cycling (seven golden ages recorded). Chile's UA gave it a free Great Admiral at Compass (Turn 143) and enables its land units to penalize adjacent naval units, though on a Pangaea map the naval synergy is less relevant. The religion was founded very late — Turn 149 — meaning its Confucianism beliefs (God of the Sea for faith/culture from sea resources; Salat for +4 Production from the Palace; Synagogues — effect unconfirmed, see below; Religious Community for production scaling with followers; Unity of the Prophets for holy site yields and resilience against removal; Apostolic Palace for grand temple yields added as reformation) delivered essentially no benefit during the game. The Freedom ideology was unlocked at Turn 141 but no tenets had been adopted by Turn 150. Chile's military might (2,853) is competitive, and a massive surge at Turn 143–144 (+116%) suggests rapid late-game militarization. The fundamental strategic liability is that 3 cities, however productive, may not be enough to accumulate the score needed to win a domination or science race against an opponent with 9 cities also approaching late-game technologies.
Note: BELIEFSYNAGOGUES is listed among Chile's religion beliefs, but its effect is not available in the ruleset reference (it appears in `lekmod.unmatchedids`). No effect can be attributed to it.
Iroquois
Iroquois built the widest empire at Turn 150 — 10 cities — and was the first to the Classical Era (Turn 28). Its Great Warpath ability (forests and jungles function as roads for unit movement in friendly territory) and Longhouse (replaces Workshop, adds production to forests/jungles) were well suited to aggressive early expansion. By Turn 50 Iroquois had 3 cities and 10 techs, competitive with the field. However, a widening technology gap became apparent from mid-game onward: at Turn 150 Iroquois holds 36 techs with a multiplier of 1.45 and has not yet reached the Renaissance Era (still Medieval at the final snapshot). Bolivia and Chile are both ahead technologically. The two devastating defensive wars against Bolivia (Turn 71–77: lost 6 units, killed 1; Turn 120–130: lost 10 units, killed 4) drained Iroquois's military budget and may have impeded its development. Sustained unhappiness stretches (most seriously turns 120–133 and continuing into 143–150) also stalled growth. Iroquois founded Buddhism late (Turn 111) and never completed Tradition despite opening it at Turn 112. Military might of 1,736 is the lowest of the four civilizations at Turn 150. Iroquois appears to be drifting — wide but technologically stagnant — and lacks a clear path to a victory condition.
Bolivia
Bolivia presents a stark contradiction: the highest military might in the game at Turn 150 (4,415 — far above Vietnam's 2,567 and Chile's 2,853) against the lowest tech count (29 techs with a multiplier of 1.40). Bolivia's tech path made a deliberate detour into a military-production spine — Steel (Turn 89), Gunpowder (Turn 101), Chemistry (Turn 116), Fertilizer (Turn 138) — while deferring Writing until Turn 139, Philosophy until Turn 144, and Theology until Turn 146. This left Bolivia with a powerful army but almost no cultural, scientific, or wonder infrastructure. It founded Catholicism only at Turn 125 (third religion), adopted Rationalism at Turn 124 — with only Sovereignty picked by Turn 150 — and has been in negative gold per turn since Turn 125, reaching -29.57 GPT at the final snapshot. The Honor policy tree (opened Turn 54, with Warrior Code and Discipline) provided unit maintenance relief and XP bonuses, but both wars against Iroquois captured no cities, making them pure attrition. Bolivia's Revolución Nacional ability (expending Great Artists or Writers to improve Mine yields) was used only once (one Great Artist at Turn 112 was used for a religion founding, suggesting limited activation of the mine improvement chain specifically — though the digest shows an Engineer and Prophet at that turn). Bolivia's military dominance is currently a strategic dead-end: it cannot easily convert army size into score without capturing cities, and its technology deficit means economic and science paths to victory are effectively closed.
Key Moments
Chile declares war on Vietnam (Turn 57): Chile attacked Vietnam early, killing 1 unit and losing none over a short 7-turn conflict ending Turn 64. The strategic purpose appears to have been probing Vietnam while Maseru (allied to Chile) was also pressuring it — a consequence of Chile's city-state alliance triggering automatic war declarations. Chile made peace without territorial gain. The episode established that early Chile was militarily aggressive despite its tall build, but produced no lasting advantage for either side.
Vietnam founds the first religion (Turn 64): Vietnam became the first civilization to found a religion, establishing Protestantism in Hà Noi with Goddess of Protection (Walls: +1 Faith and Culture from Walls; +50% city bombardment), Devout Performers (+1 Culture from Colosseums and Circuses; +5 Local Happiness and +4 Culture from Circus Maximus), and Dawah (+3 Culture and +4 Faith from the Palace). The Refined Crafts and Disciples enhancement followed at Turn 79. Founding first secured Vietnam's belief selections before any rival could contest them.
Chile's sustained wonder rush (Turns 39–147): Beginning with Stonehenge at Turn 39 and continuing almost uninterrupted for over a century of game time, Chile's wonder construction pace was the decisive economic engine of its game. Particularly consequential were the Great Library (Turn 61, providing immediate tech benefits), Angkor Wat (Turn 92, providing a free University per the LEKMOD ruleset — +5 Science, +5 Culture, +1 Great Scientist Point), Machu Picchu (Turn 93), Terracotta Army (Turn 98), Leaning Tower (Turn 115, +20% Great People generation in all cities), and Taj Mahal (Turn 124, triggering a golden age). This wonder monopoly generated the Great People (especially the seven engineers and multiple scientists) that powered Chile's research acceleration.
Vietnam scores lead change (Turn 136): Vietnam overtook Chile in score at Turn 136 after an 18-turn score snowball (Turns 123–141). This is the only recorded lead change in the game. It coincides with Vietnam's military buildup and new city foundations (Dà Nang at Turn 120, Biên Hòa at Turn 121), which boosted score even as Chile's per-policy and per-tech efficiency remained higher.
Vietnam attacks Chile and city-states (Turns 139–146): Vietnam declared war on Wittenberg (Turn 139) and then on Chile (Turn 140), with Harappa, Port-au-Prince, and Baku also declaring on Vietnam as a consequence (Chile was allied to Harappa from Turn 124, and likely to Port-au-Prince and Baku as well). The combined conflict produced massive unit loss spikes for Vietnam — 7 units at Turn 140, 4 at Turn 141, 3 at Turn 142, and 8 at Turn 144 — while Chile lost 3–4 units across the same period. Vietnam killed 3 Chile units and 3 Wittenberg units; Chile killed 2. Vietnam absorbed significant attrition but made no territorial gains and made peace by Turn 146–147. This war left Vietnam in sustained unhappiness from Turn 143 to the final snapshot.
Bolivia's wars against Iroquois (Turns 71–77 and 120–130): Bolivia declared two separate wars on Iroquois. The first (6 turns, Bolivia lost 6 units, Iroquois lost 1) was a heavy defeat for Bolivia. The second (10 turns, Bolivia lost 10 units, Iroquois lost 4) was again a net loss. Neither war captured any cities. These conflicts cost Bolivia approximately 16 units across two campaigns for zero territorial gain, severely impairing its mid-game economic development and confirming its military-first strategy was failing to convert into tangible progress.
Decisive Decisions
Chile adopting Tradition (Turn 11): Tradition was the correct tree for a 3-city tall build — Landed Elite (+2 Food and +15% growth in the capital), Monarchy (+1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness per 2 capital population), Oligarchy (free garrison maintenance), and Aristocracy (+15% Production toward Wonders) all compounded Chile's wonder-building advantage. The early Legalism pick provided free culture buildings in the first four cities. Completing Tradition by Turn 57 (the full finisher) locked in these bonuses for the entire game.
Vietnam expanding aggressively to 9 cities: Vietnam's decision to push to 9 cities while maintaining respectable science output and a low-to-mid tech multiplier (1.40 at Turn 150, compared to Bolivia's also-1.40 with fewer techs) positioned it for score leadership through raw city and population accumulation. The Liberty opening (Turn 6) with Collective Rule (free Settler near capital) enabled early expansion; the late Tradition pivot at Turn 111 added tall-city bonuses to an already wide base.
Chile's Piety completion (Turn 101) and Exploration pivot (Turn 111): Chile completed the full Piety tree (gaining a Reformation belief — POLICY_REFORMATION grants +15% border growth and a Reformation belief choice), then opened Exploration at Turn 111. The Exploration branch contributed Maritime Infrastructure (+2 Production every city; +50% production toward Lighthouses, Harbors, Seaports), Colonialism (free worker, 6 tiles, 2 population, +2 local happiness in newly settled cities — moot for Chile's static 3 cities, but providing the Worker benefits), Naval Tradition (+1 happiness and culture from each Lighthouse, Harbor, Seaport), and Economic Union (+5% gold per city-state trade route; +2 Trade Routes). The Freedom ideology unlock at Turn 141 and Volunteer Army tenet adoption followed, adding 3 maintenance-free units and a Morale promotion (+15% Combat Bonus) to all Melee and Gunpowder units.
Bolivia choosing Honor (Turn 54): Bolivia's pivot to Honor after completing Liberty was the defining strategic mistake of its game. Warrior Code and Discipline (the latter providing the Heroic Epic production bonus and +50% XP for non-air units) are militaristic policies that work when wars produce kills with gold yields (Warrior Code: gold on kill equal to unit strength, max 30) and when XP compounds into promotion advantages. But Bolivia's wars against Iroquois produced net unit losses, not kills, meaning even the gold-on-kill trigger was working against it. Honor's value scales with successful offensive warfare; Bolivia's record was 5 cities killed, 16 units lost, 0 cities captured across its two Iroquois campaigns.
Vietnam founding religion first (Turn 64): Securing the first religion gave Vietnam its pick of beliefs including Devout Performers, which provides +5 Local Happiness and +4 Culture from Circus Maximus. Although the Circus Maximus was not built by Vietnam, the other components (Culture from Colosseums and Circuses, Dawah's Palace yields) provided early faith and culture advantages that compounded over time through a wide empire.
Chile founding religion at Turn 149: Almost certainly too late to matter. Three Great Prophets appear on Turn 149 and one more on the same turn, alongside the religion founding — Chile had been stockpiling Great Prophets. Salat (+4 Production from the Palace) and the Apostolic Palace reformation (+5 Food, Production, Science, Gold, Culture and Faith from the Grand Temple) arrived with only 1 turn remaining in the recorded game window. This decision would have been transformative if made 50–80 turns earlier.
Counterfactuals
For Bolivia: The single decision most likely to have changed Bolivia's trajectory was not opening Honor. A Commerce or Rationalism pivot after Liberty would have addressed Bolivia's chronic gold deficit (-29.57 GPT at Turn 150) and accelerated technology acquisition. Bolivia reached Chemistry (Turn 116), Steel (Turn 89), and Gunpowder (Turn 101) without ever researching Writing until Turn 139 — a tech path that built a powerful army but left no economic or cultural base. Had Bolivia pursued a more balanced tech path and avoided the catastrophic Iroquois wars, its wide 9-city empire (matching Vietnam) could have been a genuine contender for domination or science victory.
For Iroquois: Completing Tradition (opened Turn 112) earlier, or not opening it at all in favor of finishing Liberty properly, would have concentrated policy benefits. The two wars with Bolivia were entirely defensive — Iroquois did not declare them — but the 16-unit loss total across those campaigns (with Iroquois being the net loser in both) suggests Iroquois was not investing enough in defensive military relative to its wide empire. A more defensive posture, combined with the Great Warpath ability (faster internal movement) that should have made it easier to respond to threats, might have preserved the units needed for mid-game growth.
For Chile: The most consequential counterfactual is founding a religion earlier. Chile had a Great Prophet at Turn 63 — it was used for an unspecified purpose, but a religion founded then (prior to Vietnam's Turn 64 founding, or very close to it) would have secured better belief selections and delivered decades of faith and culture yields. Similarly, earlier city founding — even one additional city around Turn 60–70 — would have added population and production without substantially harming Chile's multipliers (the jump from 3 to 4 cities raises the tech multiplier from 1.10 to 1.15 and policy multiplier from 1.20 to 1.30, modest costs for a meaningful yield gain). Chile held a score lead until Turn 136; preserving that lead through religion and possibly a fourth city could have kept it ahead.
Conclusion
This game tells the story of two civilizations executing opposite strategies with nearly equal success, converging at the top of the standings with five turns separating them in score. Chile's human player built one of the most technically polished tall-empire games in the digest: three perpetually dense cities, a 150-turn wonder rush that monopolized world wonder slots, extraordinary science and culture outputs amplified by a minimal tech cost multiplier, and consistent happiness management. Vietnam's AI meanwhile ran the wide game competently — Liberty expansion, early religion, steady city accumulation, and a late military surge that flipped the score lead at Turn 136. Bolivia possesses the largest army in the game but has no viable path to convert it into victory given its technology deficit and economic deficit; it is the most likely civilization to be eliminated or rendered irrelevant in the remaining turns. Iroquois expanded wide early but never translated that expansion into technological competitiveness and sits in the Renaissance Era while Chile is in the Modern Era. Going forward, Vietnam is best positioned by virtue of holding the score lead, the highest tech count, the second-strongest military, and the most cities and population — but Chile's technology efficiency, massive gold reserves (886 gold banked, 211 GPT), and incoming Freedom tenet benefits make it the most dangerous challenger, particularly if it can militarize its science lead into domination or accelerate toward a science or culture victory condition before Vietnam's numerical advantage in cities becomes decisive.